How a Chiropractor Can Help You Repair a Herniated Disk Injury
Posted on: 11 November 2018
A herniated disk is one of the most common problems with the spinal cord. It is the bulging of a disc out of the normal radius of the spine. Many patients never realise they have a herniated disk until it presses on a nerve, resulting in pain and discomfort. If the disk presses on a sciatic nerve, the pain can be excruciating and lead to loss of movement of the feet. One of the most effective alternative treatments offered for a herniated disk is chiropractic relief. Here, are the guidelines that the professionals follow in diagnosing and treating the condition.
Assessing the symptoms
The first step in diagnosing disk herniation is assessing the symptoms that the patient is experiencing. Some of the most common of these symptoms include lower back pain, pain in the neck, stiffness, tenderness of the spine and arm and leg pain. If you have these symptoms, the chiropractor will assess your physical activities to try and establish whether an injury could have occurred. People who have been involved in physical activities that require repetitive movements, improper weightlifting techniques and physical trauma such as falls and accidents are likely to be diagnosed with disk herniation.
The treatment
The aim of the chiropractor in treating a herniated disk will be to get it back into the proper alignment position without having to invade the body with surgery. The most common technique used is called flexion distraction. Here, the spine is stretched, and the area affected by the bulging is isolated. After the isolation, the spine is flexed with a regular pumping movement. The rhythmic pumping moves the bulging disk away from the nerve, and the result is pain relief and reduced inflammation.
There are many reasons why chiropractic treatment is ideal for disk herniation. First, there is a minimal invasion of the body when compared to treatment techniques such as surgery. The recovery period is also significantly reduced, and the risks that come with the operation are reduced. Spinal surgery of any category is considered high risk, and a little error in the process could lead to paralysis and other complications.
Chiropractic manipulation also relieves the pressure off the nerve endings, which reduces the patient's dependence on painkillers. The most crucial part of the process is getting competent chiropractic to handle the diagnosis and repair process. With the right care, herniated disks can be repaired without having to resort to surgery.
Share