What is the best cure for a herniated discCan a Chiropractor help fix the problem?

Answer 1

There are several different classifications of herniated discs. Each of these different sub types may have a range of severity. To answer the question literally, no a chiropractor can't "fix" a herniated disc. However, many individuals with herniated discs find great relief of symptoms with chiropractic treatment. This is all dependent on the type of herniation. When the inner material of the disc becomes separated from the disc it's self and becomes lodged in the spinal canal, surgery may be the only option. However, if the herniated portion of the disc is still attached, you may want to consider a less invasive course of treatment. One great option is a chiropractic technique known as Flexion Distraction Technique. The goal of this technique is to decrease decrease the pressure in the disc and therefore help the disc heal it's self.

Answer 2

YES INDEED!!! (says User:puhlaa)

Spinal manipulation by doctors of chiropractic has been shown to be very effective and perfectly safe for the treatment of herniated disks (references 1-3 below). Thus, it is always worth a try to see if a chiropractor can help. A good chiropractor will also recommend that you see a medical doctor to help co-manage the condition, as a prescription for anti-inflammatories and pain-control medication can help alleviate symptoms in the short-term.

Sometimes very severe disk problems can require a trip to a surgeon to ensure that neurological damage is not a risk. Your chiropractor will be able to inform you of whether or not you need to see a surgeon. Interestingly, a recent study found that 60% of people who were thought to need surgery for a disk herniation causing sciatica benefited equally as well from chiropractic care as they would have from surgery (reference 4 below). Thus, seeing a chiropractor for your disk herniation has a good chance of providing the same benefit as surgery in a majority of cases. A safe approach would be to try chiropractic, if it works (60% of the time) then you can avoid surgery, if it doesnt work (40% of the time) then the option for surgery is always still there.

References:

1) Oliphant D. Safety of spinal manipulation in the treatment of lumbar disk herniations: a systematic review and risk assessment. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004;27(3):197-210.

2) Santilli V, Beghi E, Finucci S. Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute Back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: a randomized double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations. Spine J2006;6:131-137.

3) Liu J, Zhang S. Treatment of protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disc by pulling and turning manipulations. J Tradit Chin Med 2000;20:195-197.

4) McMorland G, Suter E, Casha S, du Plessis SJ, Hurlbert RJ. 2010. Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study. J Manip Phys Ther. Volume 33, Issue 8, Pages 576-584.

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ANOTHER OPINION by User:TSD_-RAVEN-

Absolutely not - in fact, any good Chiropractor won't even touch you if there's a disk herniation involved as the manipulation will only aggravate it and make it worse, or even cause paralysis if the disk damage is bad enough. Most Chiropractors know when a disk problem is involved, and as I said, they won't proceed. But not all are perfect, so you don't want to push your luck.

Once a disk is herniated, the treatment is pretty much standard - keep pressure off of it, use anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers to deal with inflammation and muscle spasms, and get an epidural or facet injection to start immediate localized reduction of the disk inflammation if warranted. The rest is just not aggravating it until it's retracted back into the disk membrane and the membrane has healed.

That doesn't mean your in the clear - once a disk is herniated, there will always be a weak spot in the membrane and you'll be susceptible to another one at that spot. The only thing you can do is to do what you can to prevent. it.

Answer 3

A herniated disc is when one of the small cushiony discs between the bones in your spine has a problem. These are generally painful. A consultation with a chiropractor will help assess your condition and what path of treatment is best.

Answer 4

is a chiropractor okay to fix a disk hernia?