Can chiropractic help a herniated disc?
Absolutely, a herniated disc usually refers to a bulge in the annulus or the fibrous lining of the disc. The worst cases occur in chronic subluxations misalignment of the spine repetitive stress irritation vibration and trauma. When the spine is out of alignment there is undo pressure and the disc, which causes the inner jelly-like fluid to push to one side. This stresses the disc fibers over time until the pressure of the inner jelly-like fluid causes a bulge, similar to bubbles in a weak tire. This bulge puts pressure on the nerve or spinal cord, causing pain, numbness, weakness and dysfunction. Chiropractic gets excellent results reducing the bulge by restoring alignment of the vertebrae to establish future disc and spinal stability. In most cases, chiropractic saves people from having surgery. However, in some cases, the disc fibers rupture or tear, causing their inner jelly-like fluid to leak or the disc could fragment, causing free floating tissue. In these cases, surgery would be recommended. However, chiropractic adjustments would still be needed to restore spinal alignment post surgically to minimize the problem from returning.