Around half of people walking around without any pain at all have a bulging disc, and roughly a quarter have a disc herniation — so a bulge or herniation showing up on a scan isn't automatically the cause of your symptoms. Discs like this only tend to cause problems when they're associated with inflammation, or when they compress a nerve. Inflammation can cause pain, and compression can cause pins and needles or weakness in a muscle.
What chiropractic care can and can't do
A chiropractor may be able to help with the symptoms associated with a bulging or protruding disc, but adjustments or manipulation won't "suck" the disc back into place. What manipulation can do is help increase mobility in the surrounding area and encourage inflammation to move away from the injured site. Herniations can shrink over time; a bulge is less likely to.
Why assessment comes first
It's important not to make things worse. Before any manipulation, a proper clinical exam should establish whether there's a possibility of disc herniation or a fissure — there are reliable tests to check for this. If you're placed in a position for manipulation and your pain escalates, the practitioner should not proceed. Increasing pain is your body's way of protecting you, and there is always more than one way to approach treatment.
Healing takes time
Disc problems can resolve, but like a broken bone, they need time. A fracture takes about six weeks to heal, though it won't necessarily hurt for all six weeks. A disc with a fissure in its wall takes at least three months to heal, though again, it may not stay painful that whole time — some people feel better within days.
We've seen patients with disc herniations causing muscle weakness improve with the help of chiropractic care. Other times, a patient may benefit from a steroid injection to calm inflammation, and occasionally surgical intervention is the right path. Part of our job is recognising which of those situations you're in.
Book an assessment
If you're dealing with back or leg pain that you think may be related to a disc, we can properly assess it and talk you through what's likely to help. Contact the clinic to book in.