TJ Delorie sees many patients weekly in our busy Olympia chiropractic office who are looking for relief from the pain and agony they feel due to herniated discs. Our experience isn't unique; the scientific literature verifies that chiropractic care is a successful way to treat herniated disc problems.
One particular research project involved 27 people, 8 male and 19 female, who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirming a disc herniation in either their neck or lower back. The subjects reported that they were experiencing pain, limited range of motion, and sensory problems bad enough to keep them off work.
During the course of the research period, the participants were treated using one of two common chiropractic techniques: traction for herniated discs in the cervical area or flexion distraction for the people who had herniation issues in the low back.
Each man or woman was seen four or five times per week for the first two weeks, then three times each week, and then as needed for the rest of the study. Depending on the seriousness of the disc herniation, therapy ranged anywhere from six weeks to six months, with MRIs being performed at various stages to determine what impact, if any, the chiropractic care was having in regard to the disc herniation.
The authors reported that 80 percent of the patients experienced a "good clinical outcome," meaning reduced pain and a reduction in other issues, such as numbness. Furthermore, 77 percent of these men and women also showed MRI evidence that their disc herniation was either reduced or resolved completely. This resulted in 78 percent of the study subjects being able to return to their place of employment and led the authors to conclude that chiropractic adjustments is both "safe and helpful" for disc herniations.
If you have a herniated disc and you're near TJ Delorie in Olympia, contact our office today to see what chiropractic can do for you!
Reference
BenEliyahu, DJ. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19(9):597-606.