Symptoms of a herniated disc include but are not limited too:
- Pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Weakness
The symptoms usually occur along the path of the nerve that is being irritated by the herniated disc putting pressure on it. An example would be having a herniated disc in your lower back. This could cause any of the above symptoms down the leg, and into the foot. The nerves in the lower back travel down the body and supply the legs and feet. Another example would be a disc herniation in the neck causing symptoms in the shoulder, arm, forearm and into the hands. Disc herniation can be caused by trauma whereby the disc is loaded with a compression force beyond what the disc can support. This can be due to a trauma or impact like a fall or car accident. This can also happen very gradually over a long period of time where the disc weakens and slowly herniates.
The key to relief from disc herniation starts with proper diagnosis. Naperville, IL chiropractor Dr. Mark Glynn explains, this can be an easy process that begins with a health history, followed by physical examination of the affected areas. Once a proper diagnosis of disc herniation is made, a proper plan of treatment can be designed to bring relief. There are many conditions that mimic a disc herniation. The most common is a disc bulge or disc protrusion. This is similar to a herniated disc with the big difference being the inner nucleus material is still contained inside the disc. There is no actual rupture of the disc in these cases.
Chiropractic care has proven very effective in managing disc cases. Proper chiropractic care can realign spinal bones that have lost their normal position. When these bones are misaligned or subluxated, they put uneven pressure on the disc causing it to bulge or herniate to one side. Think of squeezing that same jelly doughnut on one side really hard. You would cause the inside to bulge or ooze out the other side of the doughnut.Realigning the misaligned spinal bones with safe and effective chiropractic care helps to relieve the pressure that is causing a disc herniation or bulge. Once chiropractic care is performed and the pressure removed, symptoms also fade away. Some people get immediate relief of disc herniation symptoms using chiropractic care, where others see a more gradual reduction of their symptoms.
The real key to relief for a herniated disc is quick and accurate evaluation by a skilled chiropractor. Anyone suffering from a suspected disc herniation is encouraged to reach out to their local doctor of chiropractic and schedule and evaluation. The Pain to Health Center offers a free “Herniated Disc Consultation” to anyone seeking chiropractic care in Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield and the surrounding areas.
