Why You Must Seek Chiropractic Care for a Herniated Disc
If you are experiencing the symptoms of a herniated disk, do not prolong the symptoms avoiding treatment. Before you make an appointment at a chiropractor, it’s important to understand a little about the spine.
The spine has 24 vertebrae. C1-C7 are the first in the spinal column. This is called the cervical spine, and it supports the neck. The next 12 vertebrae are called the thoracic region which connects with the ribs. The remaining 5 vertebrae are the lumbar region.
The two levels in the cervical spine most often to become herniated are the cervical 5 and cervical 6 levels The next most common is the C4 level, and rarely the C7 level may become herniated.
The nerves that are affected by cervical disc that is herniated are the ones exiting the spine at that level. Cervical herniated discs will often cause pain patterns and neurological problems as follows:
C4 - C5 - Will cause weakening in the deltoid muscles in the upper arms. It will not usually cause numbness or tingling but will cause shoulder pain.
C5 - C6 - Will cause weakening in the biceps and wrist muscles. This will be accompanied by numbness and tingling. Pain will radiate into the thumb side of the hand. This is one of the more common regions for a cervical disc to become herniated.
C6 - C7 - Can cause a weakening in the triceps muscles and in the finger’s extensor muscles. Numbness and tingling are common along with the pain that can radiate down the triceps to the middle finger. This too is one of the most common levels for cervical disc herniation to occur.
C7 – T1 - Can cause weakening of your hand’s grip. Numbness, tingling, and pain will all occur and will radiate down the arm to the little finger.
The symptoms of a thoracic issue often correlate with the size and where the disc herniation occurs. The herniated disk may stick out in a central, lateral, or centro-lateral direction. The majority will stick out in the center.
Typical symptoms for each include:
Central disc protrusion - This kind of herniation will usually cause upper back pain and myelopathy. It all depends on the size of the herniated material and how bad the pressure is on the spinal cord.
There is very much room around the spinal cord in the thoracic spine region, so a thoracic herniated disc can put a great deal of pressure on the spinal cord and impact the related nerves and their function.
Lateral disc herniation - This kind of herniation is associated with cause radiating chest and abdominal pain when it occurs laterally or to the side
Centro-lateral disc herniation - This kind of thoracic herniated disk will present itself with any combination of symptoms of the upper back pain, radiating pains, or myelopathy.
Approximately 9 out of 10 disc herniations will happen toward the bottom of the spine. This is at the L4- L5 lumbar segments.
If are experiencing upper, mid or lower back pain due to an injury, you should consider seeking treatment from a chiropractor right away. In some cases, the affected areas can be worked on with pain and pressure being eliminated. The symptoms will continue to get worse without treatment.
The sooner you get a professional opinion, the sooner your symptoms can be diagnosed and worked on. Let a chiropractor get you back to your old self again.
Tags:back pain,chiropractor,headaches,herniated disc,neck pain,pain
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