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Frequently Asked Questions

What about herniated discs?

Frequently Asked Questions
Many times the herniation seen on an MRI is not actually the cause of your pain. Also a disc can not ever heal properly if the bones are stuck together around it. We have worked on hundreds of cases of people with herniated discs. We have had many people cancel their back surgeries, because chiropractic fixed the problem before the surgery took place. We actually have special equipment in our office to treat herniated discs, and a treatment designed by Dr.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The 24 vertebrae of your spine are separated from one another by pads of cartilage called discs. These discs have a fairly tough outer layer with a soft interior to cushion against the shocks and strains experienced as you move and put various stresses on your spine. The discs are subject to injury, disease, and degeneration with use over time. Certain activities and types of work increase the risk of discs being damaged or deteriorating.
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Are bulging or herniated discs normal?

Center for Spine Care - Frequently Asked Questions About Bac...
No, they are not normal. The normal shape or morphology of the disc is that it should be a uniform height with an abundant fluid content without any bulging of the disc wall into the spinal canal. A bulging disc reflects degeneration, which is physiologic (normal) process of aging, but the disc itself is not normal. It is showing signs of wear-and-tear. A herniated disc obviously is not normal. It is essentially a torn or broken disc.
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What is the treatment for herniated discs?

Back Pain Frequently Asked Questions - Back Pain FAQ's
The most common treatment is a couple of days of bed rest followed by the use of anti-inflammatory medications, possibly pain medications and then a progressive increase in physical activities such as walking. Often physical therapy or chiropractic management are valuable treatment modalities that get people feeling better more quickly. When that regimen does not work, then epidural steroid injection may be tried and may also be beneficial.
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RETURN to TOP What are some of the typical symptoms of herniated discs?

Frequently Asked Questions
Most disc herniation takes place in the lower back (lumbar spine). The second most common site of herniation is the neckpain (cervical spine). A herniated lumbar disc may send pain shooting down through your buttock and thigh into the back of your leg (sciatica). Cervical disc herniation may cause pain in the shoulder, arm, and hand.
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Downing Chiropractic and Wellness Center, Chiropractor in Ne...
The 24 vertebrae of your spine are separated from one another by pads of cartilage called discs. These discs have a fairly tough outer layer with a soft interior to cushion against the shocks and strains experienced as you move and put various stresses on your spine. The discs are subject to injury, disease, and degeneration with use over time. Certain activities and types of work increase the risk of discs being damaged or deteriorating.
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What do you do to treat ruptured or herniated discs?

Neurosurgery - Frequently Asked Questions - Mercy
Our surgeons operate to remove the damaged disc and leave more room for the nerves. We take out all the soft disc material that has slipped out of the covering, and about 60 percent of the disc that has not yet slipped out, ruptured or herniated from its cover.
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What are some of the typical symptoms of herniated discs?

Downing Chiropractic and Wellness Center, Chiropractor in Ne...
Most disc herniation takes place in the lower back (lumbar spine). The second most common site of herniation is the neck (cervical spine). A herniated lumbar disc may send pain shooting down through your buttock and thigh into the back of your leg (sciatica). Cervical disc herniation may cause pain in the shoulder, arm, and hand.
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Are there different kinds of herniated discs?

MISpine - Detailed Procedures
Yes, there are various kinds. An important distinction is between " contained" and "non-contained" herniations. Each disc is made up of two different parts - the nucleus and the annulus. The annulus is the outside portion of the disc and completely surrounds the nucleus, holding and protecting it. In a contained herniated disc, the nucleus pushes against the annulus causing it to bulge and press against the nerve.
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Do all herniated discs require surgery?

Long Island Neurosurgery Dr Nancy Epstein MD Long Island Neu...
No, only about 20% of discs produce significant enough spinal cord or nerve root compression to warrant surgery.
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Are herniated discs helped by chiropractic care?

New Page 1
Often times, herniated discs can be helped by chiropractic care. Restoring normal spinal biomechanics to the spine alleviates stress on the discs and surrounding nerves, allowing the discs to heal.
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Are all bulging discs and/or herniated discs painful?

FAQ - Printer Version
Many people have discs that are degenerative or abnormal and yet experience no symptoms. It is also possible that they may have had symptoms at one time, but they improved without any specific intervention. Many times, these degenerative discs are not painful at all until some significant injury or trauma damages them further, leading to significant instability and pain. The bottom line is just because a disc is abnormal does not mean it has to be painful.
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What is a herniated disc?

Center for Spine Care - Frequently Asked Questions About Bac...
A weakening of the disc wall, which we call the annulus, causes a herniated disc. The defect in the disc wall allows the central portion of the disc, called the nucleus, to be displaced from the central portion of the disc out into the spinal canal. The shape or the morphology of the disc herniation can vary. It can be just a slight focal defect in the disc wall, or the herniation may go trough the entire disc wall.
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Chris Urban M.D.
A herniated disc is an intervertebral disc that has an incompetent outer layer, called the annulus. Due to the weak surrounding architecture, it is possible for the inner disc material to squeeze out of the disc. Depending on the size and location of the herniated fragment, a patient may or may not become symptomatic. If the herniated disc material presses against a nerve root, it could cause leg pain or numbness.
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Advantage Health and Wellness Center
Herniated Disc is a generic term for more specific derangements. They are classified either as a bulge, protrusion or extrusion depending on the size, extent and location of the problem.
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Question: Do herniated discs cause sciatica?

Taking the Mystery Out of Sciatica
It is a well-established fact that sciatica is caused by a pinched or irritated sciatic nerve. And while it was once believed that a herniated disc could be at fault, it is far more likely that the source of the irritation is an inflamed facet joint, a stiff section of scar tissue or a hard bony surface that the nerve is coming in contact with.
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How does the Neck Comforter™ help with herniated/bulging discs and circulation?

Dr. Ho's ® Neck Comforter™
Depending on the stage of disc degeneration, some cases can be helped while the more severe herniated disc may require surgical intervention. Please consult with your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. Neck traction helps by decompressing the spinal disc, negating the pressure from the weight of the head and also from the pulling effects of tight muscles.
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I have an MRI report that says I have 3 herniated discs. What does that mean?

Disc Herniations in the Lumbar Spine: Frequently Asked Quest...
There are two parts to this answer -- first, it is quite common to have disc herniations in the lumbar spine. In studies looking at people without back pain, a large percentage have had disc herniations that do not cause their back or leg to hurt. Second, the term "disc herniations" is very broad. "Herniation" is a good ? if broad ? term to describe a change in the disc. In many ways, it is as generic as saying you drive "a car".
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RETURN to TOP What can chiropractic do for herniated disks ?

Frequently Asked Questions
There is broad acceptance among health care professionals and the public of the recommendation that the pain from herniated discs be initially treated conservatively. That is, as long as there are no signs (such as severe pain, numbness, or functional impairment from nerve involvement) of the need for more invasive treatment, two or three months of chiropractic care may be the best choice before considering to spinal surgery or shots of analgesics (painkillers) in your back.
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Can you give me some information on cervical herniated disks?

Frequently Asked Questions
Neck pain with intermittent numbness and pain in the arms suggest a nerve compression symdrome in the neck which could be a herniated disc. Sometimes the level ca be located by the pattern of the pain and numbness. If the pain is to the thumb side of your hand, it is probably the C5-6 level. If it is to the long finger of your band, it is probably the C6-7 level and if it is to the little finger side of your hand it is probably the C7-Tl level.
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Do I need surgery for my herniated disk?

Non-Surgical Frequently Asked Questions
The majority of patients (95 percent) with a herniated disc will recover within twelve weeks. The recovery process can be made less symptomatic through conservative measures outlined above. In those that do not improve, surgery for a herniated disc can relieve the arm or leg pain, but it cannot prevent future spine problems.
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What are the symptoms of a herniated disc?

Back Pain Frequently Asked Questions - Back Pain FAQ's
Typically, a herniated disc causes radiating leg symptoms. Generally, this is what people refer to as sciatica or radiculopathy. The herniated disc is defined by a disc where the outer lining has been torn, and the inner soft disc material has expressed out of the tear and compressed the adjacent nerve roots. This pressure on the nerve roots tends to cause not only low back pain but leg pain, as well.
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Chris Urban M.D.
A herniated disc is sometimes preceded by intermittent attacks of low back pain. When a disc herniation occurs, it often produces sciatica, which is pain that begins in the hip or buttock and extends down the leg. The pain may be associated with weakness, numbness, or burning in the leg and foot. Sitting, coughing, or sneezing often aggravates these symptoms. In rare circumstances a large disc herniation may cause difficulty with bowel or bladder control.
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What is the Treatment for a Herniated Disc?

Chris Urban M.D.
There are several treatment options for a herniated disc. A nonoperative approach is successful in treating many small disc herniations. This includes a short period of rest followed by a conditioning program to improve muscle strength and aerobic conditioning. A variety of modalities are available to relieve the acute pain associated with a disc herniation. These include anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, narcotics, and oral steroids.
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