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Disc Herniation Treatment

Overview

Does your spine feel painful while moving? Or do you feel pain whenever you cough, sneeze, or sit? If you’ve experienced any of these scenarios, you might have a herniated disc.

With a slipped disc, your health and lifestyle can go through drastic changes. For example, extreme pain from a herniated disc may prevent you from working and moving around. The pain also makes prolonged standing and sitting in the same position uncomfortable. Moreover, simple tasks such as getting dressed or taking a shower can feel challenging due to extreme numbness or tingling.

Fortunately, you have several options for herniated disc treatment, including chiropractic care and physical therapy. Taking advantage of any of these treatments can help you relieve your pain and manage your condition. Plus, you can heal naturally and experience fewer side effects.

At LifeClinic, we aim to restore, maintain, and optimize human function. Our chiropractors and physical therapists will help you identify the root cause of your pain and improve your overall health. Through our chiropractic and physical therapy services, you can feel much better and keep doing the things you love.

Planning your treatment starts with a patient interview and a physical exam. Then, we’ll look at your results and summarize our findings. We’ll discuss these findings and start your treatment on your next visit. We’ll also help you address existing and potential symptoms as you undergo treatment.

Go beyond your physical limits and keep your body working at its best. Achieve your fitness and mobility goals with LifeClinic as your partner.

Recovery

Treat a Herniated Disc with Chiropractic Care & Physical Therapy

LifeClinic offers chiropractic and physical therapy services to help treat herniated discs. Here’s what you can expect from our services.

Consulting a Chiropractor for Slipped Disc Treatment

Chiropractic care is a natural, non-invasive solution for a slipped disc. It helps realign your herniated disc and restore nerve function.

Before starting your treatment, you’ll need to consult a chiropractor. You can expect the following on your first visit:

  • An interview with your chiropractor. Your chiropractor will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and reasons for seeking treatment.
  • A physical exam. Your chiropractor might perform standard medical tests (blood pressure, respiration, and reflexes), as well as orthopedic and neurological exams.
  • Diagnostic tests. Along with physical exams, your chiropractor might conduct diagnostic tests on your first visit. He or she can give you a more accurate diagnosis because these tests identify issues and irregularities.

Chiropractic Care for Spinal Disc Herniation

Our chiropractors use any of the following treatments to manage your condition and symptoms:

  • Spinal adjustment – During a spinal adjustment procedure, your chiropractor will apply controlled pressure on your joints to realign your spine.
  • Flexion-distraction technique – This technique involves gently stretching the spine. It is performed on a special table which helps place the center of the intervertebral disc back to its position.
  • Pelvic blocking – Your chiropractor can also perform pelvic blocking for your herniated disc, which involves using cushioned wedges or performing light exercises.

Physical Therapy Services for Herniated Discs

Physical therapy will help reduce your pain right away and improve your body’s overall health. Here’s what happens during an initial consultation with our physical therapists:

  • An interview. Our therapist will ask you about your medical history so they can assess your condition. You can also expect in-depth questions about your injury.
  • A physical exam. Medical tests will help your therapist see if your body is experiencing issues.
  • Diagnostic tests. You might also undergo diagnostic tests for a more accurate diagnosis of your condition.

Managing a Slipped Disc with Physical Therapy

Physical therapists can use any of the following techniques to treat a herniated disc:

  • Deep tissue massage – This method relieves deep muscle tension and spasms through the application of pressure to the affected area.
  • Hydrotherapy – Hydrotherapy offers gentle pain relief and relaxes tense muscles.
  • Active treatments – Active treatments such as exercise programs can help strengthen your body and prevent you from experiencing pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

A herniated disc is a condition that can occur anywhere along the spine, especially the lower back. The condition is caused by pressure to the spine, causing the disc to tear and the core to bulge.

A herniated disc happens when the disc between the bones of the spine get torn, causing the gelatin-like core of your spine to leak. The core can leak through the tear itself or even seep outside the spinal column in some severe cases.

The symptoms a person may experience will depend on the position and size of the disc. In some cases, a herniated disc can cause sciatica, a condition that affects the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is characterized by pain, burning and tingling sensations, and numbness felt between the buttocks and the feet.

A slipped disc can also cause weak leg muscles or the loss of reflexes in your knees or ankles. Severe symptoms might include the loss of bowel and bladder control, and a foot that flops while walking. Moreover, bending or straightening one’s may prove difficult.

Degeneration, or age-related wear and tear, is the most common cause of a slipped disc. When this happens, the slightest strain or twist can make your discs more prone to tears and ruptures. Genetics, bad lifestyle habits, and other recreational activities could all contribute to disc degeneration.

A slipped disc can also be the result of lifting heavy objects with your back muscles (instead of your leg and thigh muscles). It may even be the result of twisting and turning your body while lifting.

If you have a herniated disc, you might notice that your neck, back, arms, or legs feel painful, tense, numb, weak, or tingly. Since the condition results in your disc bulging out, it could pinch nearby nerves and result in pain or muscle weakness. But not all slipped discs push on a nerve, so this type of disability doesn’t always occur.

Chiropractic care is a natural method of treating a herniated disc. A chiropractor’s corrective adjustments will help restore your spine’s function and alignment. Plus, chiropractic care is a safe, non-invasive alternative to painkillers. It can even help you achieve better mental health, make you more energetic, and improve your mood.

But if you’re not comfortable with chiropractic adjustments, you can opt for physical therapy. Physical therapists will use passive and active techniques to treat a slipped disc and its symptoms, including hydrotherapy.

 

Other services we offer

At LifeClinic, our approach to treatment is centered on helping you maintain, restore, and optimize your body’s overall function.

We address various pain symptoms including acute pain, chronic pain, and pain caused by an injury or underlying condition.

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