Size of Minster Disc Herniation in Canal Is Not 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 concern is whether that disc is causing pain either mechanically (by pressing on a nerve) or chemically (by irritating a nerve). Minster Chiropractic Center determines this during the all-important physical exam. The MRI and other imaging studies are extras that can help - or distract - the chiropractic back pain treatment approach if the doctor and patient let it. So let’s not let it!
PERCENT OF SPINAL CANAL A DISC TAKES UP DOESN’T MATTER
Some imaging studies or MRI images will show very large discs in back pain sufferers who have little or no pain while back pain sufferers who are in excruciating pain may have a small disc herniation. It can be frustrating. Luckily, research continues to comfort all involved by explaining that size isn’t everything. A research paper 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 reported 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 occupied 31.2% of their spinal canals. That is not much of a difference. Researchers report that this doesn’t predict which patients will fail nonoperative treatment and need surgery within 2 years after getting a lumbar spine MRI scan. (3) With knowledge of these findings, Minster Chiropractic Center uses conservative treatment of these disc herniations.
CONSERVATIVE CARE EFFECT ON DISC SIZE
Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Minster chiropractor is the Minster back pain specialist. Disc herniations causing pain are welcome at Minster Chiropractic Center as the spinal research indicates that, though painful, disc herniations big and little react nicely to conservative treatment. Actually, in following up with patients who had conservative treatment for their disc herniation, 35% to 100% of the cases showed a reduction in the size of the herniation. (4) Two years after conservative care, herniated disc patients had a 16.5% reduction 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 measurements of the spinal canal by as much as 28% in area, 17% in height and 7% in width. (6) Minster back pain sufferers are grateful for such improvement in their disc herniations as pain relief results.
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
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 preoducing spinal stenosis that created significant pain and alteration to her lifestyle which was enhanced with his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Minster chiropractic appointment today. Regardless of its size, your disc herniation is in good company and in good hands at Minster Chiropractic Center.
