Chiropractic Care and Disc Herniation Treatment

Dr. Six sees many people weekly in our busy Great Falls chiropractic office who are looking for relief from the discomfort and issues they feel due to herniated discs. Our experience isn't unique; the medical literature confirms that chiropractic therapy is a successful way to treat herniated disc pain.

Don't Suffer! Dr. Six and Chiropractic Care Helps With Disc Herniation

One particular research project involved 27 people, 8 male and 19 female, who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirming a disc herniation in either their neck or lower back. The men and women reported that they were experiencing pain, limited range of motion, and sensory problems bad enough to keep them off work.

Over the course of the research study, the subjects were managed using one of two common chiropractic practices: traction for herniated discs in the cervical area or flexion distraction for the people who had herniation issues in the low back.

Each person was seen four or five times per week for the first two weeks, then three times weekly, and then as needed for the rest of the study. Depending on the seriousness of the disc herniation, therapy ranged anywhere from six weeks to six months, with MRIs being performed at various stages to determine what effect, if any, the chiropractic care was having in regard to the disc herniation.

Research Proves Chiropractic Therapy Helps With Back Pain and Herniated Disc

The authors reported that 80% of the patients obtained a "good clinical outcome," meaning reduced pain and a reduction in other issues, such as numbness. Furthermore, 77 percent of these men and women also showed MRI evidence that their disc herniation was either reduced or resolved completely. This resulted in 78 percent of the study subjects being able to return to their place of employment and led the authors to conclude that chiropractic adjustments is both "safe and helpful" for disc herniations.

If you have a herniated disc and suffer from chronic back pain and are near Dr. Six in Great Falls, contact our office today to see what chiropractic adjustments can do for you!

Reference
BenEliyahu, DJ. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19(9):597-606.