Discs are simply the spacers between your spine.  They act as shock absorbers.  Have you ever ridden in or seen a car with bad shocks?  It is extremely uncomfortable as you go over bumps.  This is similar to a problem when discs are not working properly… your spine compresses together.

diskThere are different types of damage that can occur to the discs.

Herniation or slipped disc is when the disc protrudes or bulges which can cause a lot of pain or discomfort.

Degeneration is when a disc is literally wasting away by drying out, being worn out via misaligned vertebrae or abnormal compression. It is literally dying. This can cause pain in the area of the damage.

Signs of a disc problem in the neck

  • Pain that radiates down the arm.
  • Pain when lifting up the arm.
  • Numbness or tingling along a certain defined area of the arm as outlined below.
  • Intermittent numbness in the fingers of one hand and not the other
    • 4th and 5th finger(pinkie) of hand
    • Middle finger
    • Thumb and index finger
    • Combination of any of the above

Signs of a disc problem in the Low Back

  • Low back pain above the beltline
  • Pain radiating down a leg. Usually one or the other. Rare to have it in both.
  • Numbness or burning sensation over a defined portion of the leg. Eg: Upper thigh but not the lower leg.
  • Difficult getting out of a sitting position
  • Pain when you have a cough, sneeze or hard bowel movement
  • Numbness in the toes

Do You Have Disc Problems?

If you are having trouble with your discs or you suspect that you may have disc problems, your only 2 options are a chiropractor or a major surgery (which may or may not work).  Spine magazine published a study recently outlining how patients faired two years after low back surgery.

Here’s what they found:

  • Only 26{9af40bf80e52f11aa5d7472b6ee2426c1e641e46093dbc3d29b8bc21a0ebb17e} of surgery patients were able to get back to work.
  • 36{9af40bf80e52f11aa5d7472b6ee2426c1e641e46093dbc3d29b8bc21a0ebb17e} had some kind of post-surgical complication and 27{9af40bf80e52f11aa5d7472b6ee2426c1e641e46093dbc3d29b8bc21a0ebb17e} needed another operation.
  • 76{9af40bf80e52f11aa5d7472b6ee2426c1e641e46093dbc3d29b8bc21a0ebb17e} needed opioid pain medication after the surgery (opioid use increased by 41{9af40bf80e52f11aa5d7472b6ee2426c1e641e46093dbc3d29b8bc21a0ebb17e} after the surgery).
  • 11{9af40bf80e52f11aa5d7472b6ee2426c1e641e46093dbc3d29b8bc21a0ebb17e} were permanently disabled.

disk-2Do not let them cut you!

Before you arrange to have yourself put under a knife, check out the non- invasive option of chiropractic. You cannot “uncut” and even those commercials that say minimally invasive surgery for spinal problems, they are still cutting you. It is just with a laser instead of a knife.

But without seeing a doctor, how would I know if a disc was involved with my low back pain?

Let me repeat some of the tell – tell signs of a disc involvement.

If any of the descriptions listed below give you pain when you do them, then it is highly probable that your disc is being irritated. The more you have, the worse you are.

  1. A cough or sneeze
  2. Difficulty getting up out of the sitting position
  3. A hard bowel movement
  4. Bearing down or straining
  5. Is your body bent in an awkward position? In others words, are you NOT straight when you look at yourself in the mirror?

There is a Safe and Natural Solution…

No drugs, no surgery, no recovery time, no permanent scarring and tissue damage.  Try Dr. Chris Hawn before giving up or giving in. We will take care of YOU, using the latest safest and most gentle chiropractic techniques available today.  Chiropractic is the SAFE and Natural approach to health care.  Better health can lead to not only more years in your life, but more life in your years!

 “Back surgery can generally cost, for those over 50, anywhere from fifty thousand dollars to ninety thousand dollars. It can be more or less depending on the age of the patient and the specific surgery.”

Reference: health.costhelper.com

Is This The Right Place For Disc Pain?

Disc pain is truly a “pain in the neck”.  Or for you, it may be a pain in your back.  Wherever your disc pain or trouble is, it definitely requires attention before it worsens and spreads.

Have you ever met anyone who has said they have had a successful back or neck surgery?  Have you ever known anyone that has had back or neck surgery period?

  • Did they seem to have a better quality of life afterwards?
  • Did they have greater range of motion afterwards?
  • Less physical complaints?
  • Did they tell you that they had multiple surgeries because the first, second or third one didn’t go right? The crazy stuff is that they all say their surgeon is the greatest. I don’t understand those people.

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