Paul suffers from lower back pain and the doctors said he had a slipped disc. The lower back, the lumbar region of the spine, is the most common area where intervertebral discs will “slip” or more accurately bulge, herniate or rupture. Symptoms of lower back pain are present, with or without leg pain or numbness. Sounds serious? When the topic of spinal surgery is mentioned it becomes serious indeed.
Complicated? Well it could be but fortunately there are spinal experts available to evaluate and recommend treatment. One profession is trained in surgery and the other more conservatively. The former is an orthopedic medical specialist while the latter is a Doctor of Chiropractic; both highly trained offering the patient different spectrums of choices to address the disc condition. We will discuss here the non-surgical treatments.
Chiropractors have been helping people with effective, conservative spinal care since 1895. Although technological advances are always welcomed, Chiropractic methods, including manual manipulation of the spine, have been so effective that little improvements have been needed since 90% of slipped discs respond positively to chiropractic care.
In cases when surgery is unavoidable, a safe and modified course of Chiropractic care will improve the outcomes of most surgeries. So it made sense to Paul consult first with a Doctor of Chiropractic since a slipped or herniated disc was suspected in his lower back problem.
Many MDs will order an MRI to expand their examination and if the radiologist indicates in their report the presence of a bulging or protruding disc, the patient will be confronting a recommendation for therapy and possible surgery. Since 80% to 90% of the time surgery can be avoided, Chiropractic becomes a very cost effective option as the normal cost of Chiropractic care is about 10% of the cost of spinal surgery in most cases . A GOOD THING TO KNOW.
Yours in Health,
docMIKE
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2 Comments
rodell borreta
03/26/2015 at 5:00 amI’ve only visit your clinic for 2 sessions on dec 2014 and discontinued due to my profession as a seafarer (urgent embarkation). Unfortunately, i have this excruciating pain on my right foot and sometimes on the left hip. What should i do just to minimize the pain until i will finished my contract and see you again?
admin
03/26/2015 at 7:59 amDear Rodell, I understand your situation. You can apply ice packs / cold compress 30 minutes 2-3 times a day to your lower back where the nerve is being pinched to run down the leg. You can stretch your hips and lower back by bending your legs one at a time to your chest when lying on your back when you get out of bed – repeat 5 to 10 times holding 10 seconds each time. Avoid any heavy lifting, repetitive bending forward to pick things up or sitting for long times. A light massage can help a little. There would be a medical officer on your ship who can offer you temporary relief medications, just be careful as noted above to not aggravate your condition. docMIKE