At First Chiropractic, we see many patients who complain of a slipped or herniated disc. These injuries are most common in individuals aged 35 to 45, whose discs have started to lose some of their protective coating. If you experience excruciating back pain, you may wonder whether you have a slipped disc and what you can do. Here’s what our chiropractors have to say about disc pain and herniated disc treatment options:
Slipped Disc Symptoms
Slipped discs are more common in men than women, and tend to occur more often in individuals who are overweight. Symptoms of a slipped or herniated disc include:
- Pain when walking
- Tingling or numbness
- Pain on one side of the body
- Pain radiating down the arms or legs
- Muscle weakness
- Increased pain at night
- Aching, burning, or tingling along the spine
If you experience any of these symptoms, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. Things will worsen if you do not treat the herniation. You could experience loss of bladder control or permanent nerve damage.
How Our Austin Chiropractor Treats Herniated Discs
We take x-rays and perform a physical examination to confirm whether you have a slipped disk. Some back problems can mimic disk herniation, so we want to make sure we are treating the right condition!
At this point, we will give you lifestyle advice to prevent the herniation from getting worse while we customize a treatment plan. Using a combination of methods — including chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression, ice and heat treatment, and gentle stretching — we will reduce inflammation and treat the problem.
Our adjustments ease pressure on your spine, reduce swelling, and allow the slipped disk to slide back into place. Once your spine is re-aligned, we will counsel you on stretching and strengthening exercises you can do to protect your spine from further problems.
With our help, you can recover from the herniation and wind up in better shape than you were in before.
Have you ever had a slipped disk? If so, how did you treat it in Austin Texas?