Can Chiropractic Help with Herniated Discs in Snellville GA?

There is a 95% chance a person between the ages of 25 and 55 will experience a herniated disc in the lower lumbar spine. Most of the time, this will occur without traumatic injury, and the individual will never have any symptoms. It may only be diagnosed when imaging is done for other reasons. For others of us, a herniated disc is excruciatingly painful and results in substantial impairment while healing. Despite the level of pain and temporary disability a herniated disc brings, most people will recover with minimal intervention in fewer than six weeks. But a chiropractor in Snellville GA may be able to help you shorten that time frame and get back to your normal life faster by treating the root cause of the pain and condition.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

The spinal column is comprised of bony vertebrae that join together at the top and bottom by interlocking spinal processes. Each has a dense boney center and a hollow opening for the spinal cord to travel through. Between each vertebra is a cartilaginous pad, called an intervertebral disc. The discs have thick fibrous coverings with less dense gelatinous cores called the nucleus pulposus. As we age, the disc becomes worn, fragile, and dry. It weakens and sometimes, the nucleus pulposus, the core of the disc, can burst through the sides of the disc. When this happens, it is called a herniated disc because the contents of the disc have herniated through the lining.

This herniated portion of the disc can go in any direction, but most often will go towards the back and side, in the direction of the spinal cord and the spinal nerves. This can cause significant pain due to the compression of the spinal cord, but it also causes irritation which leads to an immune response and inflammation in the area. This can lead to even more pain. When the disc affects spinal nerves, it can lead to shooting and stabbing pain down the back, into surrounding tissues, and down into the extremities.

How Can a Chiropractor Help in Snellville GA?

Once upon a time, people with herniated discs were put on lengthy bedrest and expected to have major surgery to recover. Current practices are a lot different, and studies have shown that non-invasive interventions are best for herniated discs. This includes gentle chiropractic care from a skilled and knowledgeable provider. In fact, studies have shown that a chiropractor who is experienced in such treatment can reduce recovery time, pain, and disability for patients with herniated discs. Studies have also shown that chiropractic care for low back pain and herniated discs is safe and effective.

At Hand and Heart Chiropractic in Snellville, Dr. Dionne Anderson has experience and expertise in spinal care and the nervous system, including herniated discs. She can help you get started back on the journey to health and wellness, so Contact Hand & Heart Chiropractic today to make an appointment. Dr. Anderson is now serving those living in Snellville, Loganville, Lilburn, Conyers, Lawrenceville, Grayson, Centerville, and Stone Mountain.

SOURCES

Dydyk AM, Ngnitewe Massa R, Mesfin FB. Disc Herniation. [Updated 2022 Jan 18]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441822/

Hincapié, C. A., Tomlinson, G. A., Côté, P., Rampersaud, Y. R., Jadad, A. R., & Cassidy, J. D. (2018). Chiropractic care and risk for acute lumbar disc herniation: a population-based self-controlled case series study. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 27(7), 1526–1537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-017-5325-y

Shokri, E., Kamali, F., Sinaei, E. et al. Spinal manipulation in the treatment of patients with MRI-confirmed lumbar disc herniation and sacroiliac joint hypomobility: a quasi-experimental study. Chiropr Man Therap 26, 16 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12998-018-0185-z

Wong, J. J., Côté, P., Sutton, D. A., Randhawa, K., Yu, H., Varatharajan, S., Goldgrub, R., Nordin, M., Gross, D. P., Shearer, H. M., Carroll, L. J., Stern, P. J., Ameis, A., Southerst, D., Mior, S., Stupar, M., Varatharajan, T., & Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2017). Clinical practice guidelines for the noninvasive management of low back pain: A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. European journal of pain (London, England), 21(2), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.931