How Chiropractic Can Help You With Herniated or Bulging Discs

Back injuries and back pain are often associated with herniated or bulging discs. Chiropractic is a great place to start with conservative, non-invasive care that is very effective. Here’s how we can help you at EverHealth Chiropractic in Chanhassen.

Which Is It: a Herniated or Bulging Disc?

Your discs are the cushions between the vertebrae of your spine. When healthy, they act as shock absorbers and prevent properly aligned vertebrae from rubbing against each other. The disc consists of a rubbery exterior with a gel-like center.

A bulging disc has become compressed and flattened. A herniated disc has a tear in the exterior layer of cartilage and the gel is protruding in various degrees. These diagnoses can be confirmed with MRI scans, while x-rays will show the wear and tear on the vertebrae.

Symptoms of a herniated disc include

Pain - This may be in the back or radiating pain in the arms or legs. The pain may be more acute when laughing, coughing or sneezing.
Leg weakness or imbalance - This may be cause by sever compression of the spine and discs.
Numbness or tingling in the extremities - This is caused by pressure on the nerves. Numbness may even occur in the hands, indicating a possible disc issue or misalignment in your cervical spine.

You may be doing a physical activity, such as yard work, when you suddenly feel back pain from a damaged disc. While the onset may be sudden, often the discs have been damaged slowly over time.

Microtraumas are caused over the years by repeated movements and postures. How we work, play and sleep all affect our spine! (We have 5 Simple Tips for Better Posture here!)

If the vertebrae are misaligned or subluxated, they put pressure unevenly on the discs, and increase the chance that they bulge or herniate.

Think about sitting on a balloon. If you are centered, there’s no bulging on any side and you are less likely to pop it.

However, if you tilt or lean, the balloon is squished unevenly and the pressure on the latex may become too stretched...and the balloon bursts.

This is similar to when your discs. Subluxations also reduce the flow of nutrition and hydration to the disc, as well as the nerve flow to the area.

Why Choose Chiropractic Care for Herniated or Bulging Discs

Chiropractors like Dr. Bethany, identify where there are misaligned or subluxated vertebrae. Moving them into place relieves the pressure and compression of the discs. This allows better nerve flow, nutrition and hydration - all key for healing.

It’s so important to not wait until things go bad to fix them. Because once you have serious issues, you can be stuck with trying to “swim upriver” to reverse the effects of time and repetition.

Often degenerated discs, curvatures in the spine, or arthritis reach an irreversible point. Then, chiropractic care becomes about management and preventing it from getting worse, while regularly relieving pressure from the nerves.

You may not even be aware of the condition of your discs. The majority of people walk through life with worsening disc issues that suddenly present as a major problem later on.

Chiropractic Chanhassen MN Bulging Discs and Herniated Discs

A 2015 study in the American Journal of Neuroradiology found that 37% of adults in their 20s had disc degeneration and 30% of them had disc bulge.

The percentages got increasingly higher with age. Among the study participants in their 50s, 80% of disc degeneration and 60% had disc bulge.

We encourage people of all ages to have their spines checked regularly by a chiropractor. Good spinal hygiene is just as important as brushing our teeth, and does a lot to helping us stay active and mobile throughout life.

Are you ready to get adjusted? Dr. Bethany Curnow offers excellent, compassionate chiropractic care for health-minded families, active athletes and buys professionals at EverHealth Chiropractic in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Click here to schedule an appointment or free consultation.

“I have dealt with back pain off and on for decades due to bulged discs. I never wanted to see a Chiropractor because I didn’t want to sign up for something that would require treatment for the rest of my life. I recently ended up having some shoulder pain that didn’t go away. It continued for months and was preventing me from sleeping. I was willing to do anything to make this pain stop.

I called Dr. Bethany who came highly recommended. After my initial consultation, she developed a 3-month plan to get my back and shoulder as back to normal as possible and minimal maintenance after. We are now a little over halfway through my treatment and I no longer have any shoulder pain!

My overall back soreness and occasional pain has also been minimized. Thank you very much for your attention to my specific pain and needs!”

- Bill King