Regrettably, many of our Rochester Hills patients know the pain associated with a herniated disc all too well. Fortunately, Dr. Dalton has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of research studies have confirmed that chiropractic can help people recover from this kind of condition.
In one study, researchers from Switzerland recruited 148 patients who were suffering with pain in their lower back and legs due to a herniated disc (which was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI). Each person then received chiropractic adjustments that focused on the location of his or her disc herniation.
Results were gathered after the preliminary treatment session at set intervals--namely, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year--to establish what kind of short-term and long-term effects, if any, chiropractic offers when it comes to treating this particular problem. Among the data obtained was the individual's self-reported changes in both low back and leg pain.
The authors found that, as a whole, the study participants reported "significant improvement" for both types of pain every time the results were collected. In fact, over 90% of the individuals claimed that their pain "improved" within the first three months, with 88% still citing improvement one year after their first treatment session.
Even those patients who were defined as "chronic" still claimed an improvement in pain at a rate of 89 percent one year beyond when treatment first began. This is the same positive effect that was found in the following case study.
In this paper, a 26-year-old male had presented with disc herniation symptoms such as pain in the low back, left leg, and left groin area, along with left foot drop and muscle weakness. He had suffered with these symptoms for more than two years after sustaining a sports injury, and his herniated disc was confirmed via MRI.
After receiving chiropractic care, "The patient responded favorably and his multi-symptom complex resolved within 90 days of treatment." Furthermore, the patient was still experiencing relief one year after the chiropractic intervention.
Studies like these show how helpful chiropractic can be when it comes to alleviating herniated disc pain and reducing the symptoms they bring about. So, if you are suffering from back pain caused by a herniated disc and wish to find some relief, chiropractic may well be an effective solution.
Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Rochester Hills office a call today at (248) 977-7039 for a consultation or appointment.
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Dr. Dalton
Chiropractors, often considered alternative or complementary medicine practitioners, are primary care doctors who focus on good health through proper nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle factors. The chiropractic philosophy is based on the idea that when nerves emerging from the spinal cord are compromised (known as a subluxation), the affected individual might experience pain, disability and an overall decrease in the quality of life.