Peterson Chiropractic Answers Questions About Herniated Discs

If you experience pain somewhere in your body, you might have a herniated disc. Peterson Chiropractic provides you answers to common questions about herniated discs.

chiropractor explaining herniated discs of a spine

What Exactly is a Herniated Disc?

A healthy disc has a soft gel center and a tough exterior. A herniated disc usually is characterized by a tear through which the gel material oozes onto nearby nerves. This often results in pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the lower back, arm, or leg. However, you might for a long time not even feel any symptoms at all even if you were to take an X-ray or another imaging test.

How Did I End Up with a Herniated Disc?

Sometimes it just happens with age, especially if you performed heavy labor for most of your life. However, you could end up rupturing a disc by incorrectly lifting an object wrong just once. If you notice pain occurring after weight gain, this could also cause a herniated disc.

 

Falling on your spine in a certain way or being a car accident victim could also cause a disc to rupture. In any case, any wear and tear on your discs cause you to lose water content that can result in less flexibility. Disc stiffness is another symptom that increases the possibility of injury from the strain.

How Does a Chiropractor Diagnose and Treat Disc Herniation?

A chiropractor might start with a reflex test and a muscle strength evaluation. Then, you might receive a monitoring of your ability to walk and feel light touch, needle pricks, and vibration. Imaging tests such as X-rays, MRI, or CT-Scan will help us pinpoint additional problems. After diagnosis, your herniated disc might be corrected using the following treatments:

  • Massage therapy – Touch therapy by massaging usually involves applying weight and rubbing on muscles to relieve tension and stiffness. This also can alleviate nerve problems.
  • Spinal decompression – This involves gentle spine stretching to make space between your vertebrae. This can relieve pinched nerves and relieve pressure that causes pain.
  • Physical therapy – Your chiropractor can provide you help with performing exercises. These can stretch and strengthen the areas affected by a herniated disc.

Contact Our West Valley, UT Office for Disc Herniation Treatment

If you have pain please call our West Valley, UT office at 801-972-1222. You also can stop in and visit Peterson Chiropractic in person to make an appointment.

Peterson Chiropractic is led by Doctor Bradley Peterson, who grew up in Davis County and attended the University of Utah.