Size of Auburn Disc Herniation in Canal Isnt That Important

Disc herniations abound! 76% of us have one. (1) Do all 76% have back pain right now? Thankfully, no! The presence of a disc herniation on imaging isn’t the chief issue. The issue is whether that disc is causing pain either mechanically (by pressing on a nerve) or chemically (by irritating a nerve). Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. determines this in the course of the all-important physical exam. The MRI and other imaging studies are tools that can assist - or distract - the chiropractic back pain treatment approach if the doctor and patient allow it. So let’s not allow it! 

PERCENT OF SPINAL CANAL A DISC TAKES UP DOESN’T MATTER

Some imaging studies or MRI images will illustrate huge discs in back pain sufferers who have little or no pain while back pain sufferers who are in awful pain may show a minimal disc herniation. It can be annoying. Fortunately, research continues to comfort all involved by explaining that size is not everything. A study documented that there was no correlation of pain and disability with the size of a disc herniation seen on MRI. (2) Another study of 368 patients who had a lumbar disc herniation said that 91.3% of them did not have back surgery within a year. The surgery patients’ discs took up 31.5% of their spinal canal while the non-operative patients’ discs took up 31.2% of their spinal canals. That is not much of a difference. Researchers wrote that this doesn’t predict which patients will fail nonsurgical treatment and need surgery within 2 years after getting a lumbar spine MRI scan. (3) With knowledge of these findings, Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. uses conservative treatment of these disc herniations.

CONSERVATIVE CARE EFFECT ON DISC SIZE

Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Auburn chiropractor is the Auburn back pain specialist. Painful disc herniations are welcome at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. as the spinal research shows that, though painful, disc herniations large and small react well to conservative treatment. Actually, in following up with patients who underwent conservative treatment for their disc herniation, 35% to 100% of the cases showed a decrease in the size of the herniation. (4) Two years after conservative care, herniated disc patients had a 16.5% decrease in size. 57% of patients had a reduction, 40% demonstrated no change in size, and 3% showed a bigger herniation. (5) More specifically, conservative treatment of the disc herniation with flexion distraction Cox® Technic produced increases in the dimensions of the spinal canal by as much as 28% in area, 17% in height and 7% in width. (6) Auburn back pain sufferers are grateful for such improvement in their disc herniations as pain relief results.

CONTACT Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C.

Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. George Joachim on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson. Dr. Joachim shares the case of a patient with a disc herniation resulting in spinal stenosis that generated considerable pain and alteration to her lifestyle which was enhanced with his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your Auburn chiropractic appointment today. No matter its size, your disc herniation is in good company and in good hands at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C..