Disc Herniation is commonly known as slipped disc. It is a medical condition affecting the spine in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc. When a disc herniates, it causes the soft, central portion to bulge out beyond the damaged outer rings. Disc herniation can happen anywhere along spine and put pressure on spinal nerve roots as well as the spinal cord itself.
Common symptoms of a slipped (herniated) disc in the lower back usually include:
- pain and numbness, most commonly on one side of the body
- pain that extends to your arms or legs
- pain that worsens at night or with certain movements
- pain that worsens after standing, sitting or walking
- pain when walking short distances
- unexplained muscle weakness
- tingling, aching, or burning sensations in the affected nerve root distribution
This is exactly what Mr. Lim was experiencing. He was introduced to our clinic by an existing patient who have gained enormous benefits from Chiropractic care. At that point, Mr. Lim was diagnosed with disc herniation at L4/5 and L5/S1 and was told his condition is to be treated by surgery. His low back ache started in late August 2016 with the pain slowly progressing to the pelvic and lower limb.
He was limping into my clinic when we first met, mainly due to the pain into the leg and muscle weakness. He refused and disagreed that surgery is the only option to get rid of the pain and numbness. After a thorough analysis of his condition, I decided to treat him conservatively with what I have as a Certified Chiropractic BioPhysics Doctor. I know Chiropractic care can help him in regaining his health once again.
The first two sessions of treatment didn’t show great improvement and disappointed him a little. However, with patience and perseverance he returned for the treatment and that was when we started to observe some very positive outcomes.
Here are some of the milestones we have achieved from the treatment for his disc herniation:
- After the 5th treatment, he reported that the numbness in his foot has greatly reduced.
- After the 8th treatment, he was able to walk faster and longer without the pain into his thigh.
- After the 10th treatment, he noticed he was able to climb up the stairs without support and muscle strength has improved.
- At the same time, he was sleeping longer and deeper throughout the night.
It was very encouraging to witness how conservative treatment like Chiropractic is able to help a person with such condition. This again shows that surgery is definitely not the only option for disc herniation. If you are suffering from a disc injury or know someone with this condition, don’t hesitate to give us a call to find out how we can successful help with Chiropractic care.
