logo

Oshkosh Office

2100 Omro Road STE. B

Oshkosh, WI 54904

(920)426-9898

Neenah Office

1426 S. Commercial St

Neenah, WI 54956

(920) 725-0800

Appleton Location

1801 N. Richmond St

Appleton, WI 54914

(920) 831-4110

Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet the Doctors
    • Meet the Staff
    • Testimonials
    • Payment Options
  • Patient Resources
    • About Chiropractic
    • Links
    • Spinal Wellness Tips
    • Vertebral Subluxation Complex
    • 3D Spine Simulator
    • Q & A
    • Educational Videos
    • Exercise Videos
  • Services
    • Injuries
      • Auto Injury
      • Personal Injury
      • Sports Injury
    • Electrical Stimulation Therapies
      • Electrical Muscle Stimulation
      • Interferential Current Therapy
      • Microcurrent Therapy
    • Cold Laser Therapy
    • Degenerative Disc Disease
    • Neuropathy
    • Spinal Adjustments and Manipulation
    • Therapeutic Exercise
    • Therapeutic Ultrasound
    • Treatment of Common Chiropractic Conditions
    • Functional Nutrition
    • Low Back Pain Treatments
    • Neck Pain Treatments
  • New Patients
    • Patient Forms
    • PPO Provider List
  • Patient Education
    • All Articles
      • Educational Videos
      • About Chiropractic Care
      • Common Conditions Treated
      • Common Injuries
      • Therapies And Techniques
      • Wellness And Prevention
      • Glossary
  • Contact Us
    • Appointment Request
  • Welcome To Our Practice >
  • Articles >
  • December 2022 Chiropractic Newsletter

December 2022 Chiropractic Newsletter

Help for Herniated Discs

Herniated discs are a common reason for people to seek the help of a chiropractor, although usually when they arrive, they can only suspect that is the problem. Many of the symptoms caused by a disc herniation, also known as a slipped or ruptured disc, can have other potential causes, as well. Chiropractic is centered on the belief that the body is capable of healing itself when it is put in the best position to do so, and major intervention for herniated discs is usually not necessary. However, patients should know they don’t just have to tolerate pain, either, and that a chiropractor can help them recover and lower their risk of recurrence.

How do Herniated Discs Happen?

The spinal discs are the shock absorbers located between each of the articulated vertebrae, save for the top two. (Articulated means those that move independently, as opposed to the fused structures of the sacrum and coccyx below the spinal cord.) Spinal discs are made up of gelatinous fluid surrounded by rubbery fibers. When the fibers wear out or are injured, the gel can push through, distorting the shape of the disc and making it less functional. Spinal discs naturally lose fluid as people age, and it’s not always possible to determine exactly what caused them to rupture. But risk factors include both a sedentary lifestyle and lifting heavy objects, as well as excess weight.

What Happens When a Disc is Herniated?

Herniated discs are not always noticeable, but they may cause localized soreness and the leaking gel can trigger an inflammatory reaction in nearby tissue. Even more concerning, the herniated material could compress a nerve near where it emerges from the spinal cord. The most common place for a herniated disc is in the lower back, so it is often one of the sciatic nerves, which run from the back down each leg, that gets pinched. However, a herniated disc in the neck could compress one of the nerves that travel into the shoulders and arms. Pinched nerve symptoms include radiating shocks, numbness, and tingling. It may also be harder to move muscles that receive messages from that particular nerve.

Diagnostic and Treatment

Discs don’t show up on x-rays, but your chiropractor may want to order them to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms. Since herniated discs usually only affect one side of your body, if you are having problems in your lower limbs, your chiropractor may perform a straight leg raise test. This simply means lifting one leg at a time to test them for differences.

Chiropractors are trained to perform spinal decompression therapy to help discs move back into place. Opening up space between the vertebrae may be done with traction, for which chiropractic offices are equipped with specialized equipment to perform safely. This simply means a patient will lie strapped on a table while its separate panels move in different directions. Chiropractors may also perform spinal adjustments to realign the vertebrae and discs.

Many offices will also offer ways of controlling inflammation. Depending on the disc’s location and the particular practice, these therapies may include electric muscle stimulation, ultrasound, or trigger point stimulation. Chiropractors will also frequently recommend therapeutic exercises to strengthen the core and other back muscles. These will reduce the risk of overburdening the discs in the future and help to ensure a complete recovery.

Our Locations

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Find Out When We Are Open

Oshkosh Clinic

Monday:

9:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Tuesday:

Closed

Wednesday:

9:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Thursday:

Closed

Friday:

9:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Neenah Clinic

Monday:

8:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Tuesday:

Closed

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Wednesday:

8:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Thursday:

Closed

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Friday:

8:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 5:00pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Appleton Clinic

Monday:

9:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Tuesday:

Closed

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Wednesday:

9:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Thursday:

Closed

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Friday:

9:00am - 12:00pm

2:00pm - 5:00pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

logo
  • Copyright © 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Baystone Media.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map