What exactly is a disc?
[rotatingtext group=”1″]Discs are the spine’s shock absorbers. There is a disc between each of your vertebrae. The disc’s exterior is tough, while its interior is gelatinous. When your discs are healthy, they allow your spine to be flexible.
What happens when a disc gets “herniated”?
If a disc is damaged by injury or disease, or becomes rigid with age, the disc’s tough covering may break open, or rupture. When this happens, a portion of the disc bulges out from between your vertebrae. This is a herniated disc.
What are symptoms of a herniated disc?
The herniated disc puts pressure on your nerve roots or your spinal cord, giving you pain or numbness in the area affected by those nerves. The disc does not have to be in direct contact with your nerves for this to happen; inflammation from a herniated disc can cause the same symptoms. The pain from a herniated disc can be very severe, and you may have trouble moving the affected area enough to do ordinary things like dressing and driving.
My doctor gave me muscle relaxants and sent me to physical therapy, but it’s not helping. What can you do for me?
At Lifecare Chiropractic, we treat herniated discs with an extremely effective therapy called flexion/distraction manipulation. This technique uses very controlled traction of the lumbar spine to relieve your pain and encourage your disc to heal. While the entire course of treatment may take many weeks of care, most patients are able to resume their daily activities within just one week.
Is flexion/distraction manipulation a “last resort”?
No! In fact, the sooner you begin treatment, the faster you will recover. The longer you wait, the longer it takes for your disc to heal. Don’t “give it time”; start as soon as you can!
Is flexion/distraction manipulation a specialized form of chiropractic care?
Yes! It is very important for a flexion/distraction practitioner to be well-trained and experienced. Dr. Bogash has had extensive training in this technique, including two years of one-on-one instruction with one of the most knowledgeable and talented flexion/distraction practitioners in the field.