Size of Easley Disc Herniation in Canal Isnt That Important
Disc herniations abound! 76% of us have one. (1) Do all 76% have back pain right now? Nope! Thank goodness! The presence of a disc herniation on imaging is not the chief issue. The matter is whether that disc is causing pain either mechanically (by pressing on a nerve) or chemically (by irritating a nerve). Young Chiropractic determines this in the course of the all-important physical exam. The MRI and other imaging studies are extras that can help - or distract - the chiropractic back pain treatment approach if the doctor and patient allow it. So let’s not allow it!
PERCENT OF SPINAL CANAL A DISC TAKES UP DOESN’T MATTER
Some imaging studies or MRI images will show huge discs in back pain sufferers who have not a lot of or no pain while back pain sufferers who are in awful pain may have a small disc herniation. It can be upsetting. Luckily, research continues to comfort all involved by explaining that size is not everything. A study reported that there was no correlation of pain and disability with the size of a disc herniation seen on MRI. (2) Another study of 368 patients who had a lumbar disc herniation stated that 91.3% of them did not undergo back surgery within a year. The surgery patients’ discs occupied 31.5% of their spinal canal while the non-operative patients’ discs took up 31.2% of their spinal canals. That is not much of a variance. Researchers wrote that this does not predict which patients will fail nonsurgical treatment and need surgery within 2 years after getting a lumbar spine MRI scan. (3) In light of these findings, Young Chiropractic uses conservative treatment of these disc herniations.
CONSERVATIVE CARE EFFECT ON DISC SIZE
Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Easley chiropractor is the Easley back pain specialist. Painful disc herniations are accepted at Young Chiropractic as the spinal research indicates that, though painful, disc herniations big and small respond nicely to conservative treatment. Actually, in following up with patients who underwent conservative treatment for their disc herniation, 35% to 100% of the cases showed a decrease in the size of the disc. (4) Two years after conservative care, herniated disc patients had a 16.5% reduction in size. 57% of patients had a reduction, 40% showed no change in size, and 3% showed a larger herniation. (5) More specifically, conservative treatment of the disc herniation with flexion distraction Cox® Technic produced increases in the measurements of the spinal canal by as much as 28% in area, 17% in height and 7% in width. (6) Easley back pain sufferers are grateful for such improvement in their disc herniations as pain relief results.
CONTACT Young Chiropractic
Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. George Joachim on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson. Dr. Joachim presents the case of a patient with a disc herniation preoducing spinal stenosis that created significant pain and alteration to her lifestyle which was enhanced with his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Easley chiropractic appointment today. Regardless of its size, your disc herniation is in good company and in good hands at Young Chiropractic.
