Using Chiropractic Treatment to Alleviate Bulging Disc Symptoms

If you’ve been diagnosed with a bulging disc, chiropractic care can help manage the symptoms. Oftentimes, bulging or herniated discs don’t cause any symptoms until they press on a nerve or the spinal cord. At that point, they can begin to cause shooting pain, numbness and tingling, and muscle weakness. Chiropractic treatment aims to relieve pressure on the problem area, thus alleviating these painful and bothersome symptoms.  

Bulging discs are most often treated with non-surgical interventions at the outset, in the hopes of avoiding costly surgery and recovery times, making chiropractic care an attractive choice for many. Chiropractic care is nonsurgical and drug-free, and takes a holistic approach to the whole body. A chiropractor can advise patients on posture, lifestyle habits, nutrition and supplements, exercises, and ways to reduce the effects of stress on the body.

Chiropractic adjustments cannot put a disc back into place, but they can go a long way to managing the painful symptoms. Bulging discs occur when the outer layer of the disc deteriorates, resulting in the inner layer becoming displaced. The disc may become compressed between the edges of the vertebrae, or press against the spine. Chiropractic adjustments can create more space between vertebrae, lessening the pressure on the disc. Chiropractic care can be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment, such as physical therapy or massage therapy. Some forms of chiropractic adjustments that may be used to manage bulging disc symptoms include:

• Flexion-distraction: this manipulation is a classic chiropractic method that lengthens the spine, decompressing the pressure on the disc.
• Pelvic blocking: involves changing a patient’s posture in the office to move the disc off the nerve.
• Manipulation under anesthesia: this form of treatment occurs under a short duration of anesthesia, when the spine and the surrounding muscles are at their most relaxed.

Before performing adjustments, a chiropractor will want to verify your diagnosis with an exam, medical history, and possibly x-rays or imaging studies. As always, please consult your physician before beginning a new treatment for any condition.

Located in Bettendorf, Iowa, Arndt Chiropractic Center is a Quad City Times’ Reader’s Choice Award winner, and proudly serves the Quad Cities area. For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.arndtchiropractic.com or call (563) 332-2211.

Wellness awaits you!