Can A Chiropractor Help With A ‘Slipped Disc’

Whilst not all ‘slipped disc’ issues can be treated by chiropractic care – chiropractors can’t for example do any surgery or prescribe medications – it can often help relieve some of the pain and discomfort associated with ‘slipped discs’.

In this post, we dive into how chiropractic care may improve spinal alignment, reduce pain, and improve overall spinal function. These can potentially provide many therapeutic benefits if you suffer from a slipped disc.

What Is a ‘Slipped’ Disc?

‘Slipped’ disc is a bit of a misnomer because spinal discs don’t ‘slip’ out of place. The more correct name for this condition is ‘herniated’ disc. It occurs when a small crack or tear in the shell of the disc allows the soft inner nucleus to poke through.

If the displaced material presses against spinal nerves, it can lead to a lot of pain, discomfort, and numbness.

This condition is distinct from a bulging disc, where the inner core bulges out against the shell, displacing it but not poking through. But, like a herniated disc, seeing a chiropractor for bulging disc pain can help if the ‘bulge’ is pressing on nerves.

Symptoms of Disc Protrusion or Herniation

Symptoms of herniated discs will vary depending on where the herniated disc is, and the degree of herniation. However, you’ll probably notice a sharp pain wherever the affected disc is. It could be in your cervical (neck) spine or your back.

The pain will most likely radiate down your arms or legs, and you may also have some muscle weakness. If there is accompanying tingling or numbness, that’s a good indication there is some nerve impingement happening as well.

What Causes a Disc Protrusion Or Herniated Disc?

Herniated discs are usually the result of age-related wear and tear, or direct trauma.

Over time, the outer shells of your spinal discs lose some of their moisture and flexibility. This increases the risk of cracks or splits occurring.

Injury or trauma can also damage the outer shell of the discs, creating small tears, or exacerbating existing damage. Heavy lifting and sudden trauma are common triggers here.

A sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, and repetitive movements may increase the risk of damage to spinal discs too. For instance, if you:

• Spend most of your time sitting down and don’t compensate with adequate exercise, muscles and ligaments that support your spine may not be as strong and flexible as they should be. This can make your spine, and its discs, more vulnerable to damage.
• Having poor posture creates uneven pressure in the spine, which increases abnormal wear and tear on the discs. This can cause the outer shells to crack or tear.
• Continually perform repetitive movements that affect your back (bending, twisting, lifting etc), it can strain your spinal discs and create small tears in the outer shells over time.

What Chiropractic Treatment Can Help Slipped Disc?

As we mentioned earlier, chiropractic can’t repair a herniated, or slipped disc. However, seeing a chiropractor for a herniated disc conditions can help reduce the pain and inflammation caused by them. Here are a few of the chiropractic treatments that can help a slipped disc.

Flexion-Distraction Technique (Cox Technique)

The Flexion-Distraction technique uses a special table that gently and rhythmically bends and separates the vertebrae. The technique has 2 aims:

• Improve overall spinal movement and flexibility (bending, or flexion); and
• Reduce pressure on the discs (separation, or distraction).

There is evidence to support the underlying concept of this technique – namely that expanding the intervertebral space around a herniated disc creates a negative pressure within the disc that can help retract the herniation.

This then reduces pressure on the surrounding nerves and allows the vertebrae to be correctly realigned.

Spinal Decompression

Although similar in aim to the Cox Flexion-Distraction technique, spinal decompression focuses on stretching the spine to increase intervertebral space and relieve pressure on herniated spinal discs. This allows the discs to move away from nerves, reducing irritation and pain.

The technique uses a special machine to do the (gentle!) stretching.

This technique was researched in the same project that studied the Cox Technique above. The 2 were found to have similar effects overall with respect to expanding intervertebral space.

Pelvic Blocking Techniques

Pelvic-blocking techniques are often used to help reposition herniated discs in the lower back away from surrounding nerves to reduce pain and inflammation. It is commonly used for sciatica.

These techniques involve placing cushioned wedges, or blocks, under the front of the pelvis to tilt your spine slightly. This opens up the intervertebral spaces around herniated discs, helping passively reposition the protruding material away from irritated nerves.

This is a passive technique in that it doesn’t rely on manual manipulations or adjustments.

Manual Therapies

Chiropractors can also use techniques like massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy (TPT) to:

• Help reduce muscle tension: when the muscles around your spine are tight and tense, they can compress vertebrae and put pressure on herniated discs, causing them to press against and irritate nerves. Relieving muscle tension allows your spine to relax, which creates more space for the discs, and potentially moves them away from nerves.
• Improve circulation and blood flow to the area for improved healing: increased blood flow delivers more nutrients and healing compounds to inflamed areas whilst removing toxic waste material; and
• Improve overall mobility: our bodies have natural pain relieving mechanisms and compounds. Manual therapies can help stimulate these, allow the body to self-manage pain and inflammation, and begin healing itself.

Therapeutic Exercises and Stretches

Chiropractors can suggest you do specific exercises and stretches that will help strengthen your core muscles, improve flexibility and mobility, and support your spine.

This translates into a supple, well-supported spine that can move freely, is less rigid and thus less prone to developing problems like herniated discs.

Conclusion: Can A Chiropractor Help With A ‘Slipped Disc’?

Chiropractors have several non-invasive techniques they can use to help with a slipped disc. Or, more correctly, help with the pain and inflammation caused by one.

Notably, chiropractors can use techniques like flexion-distraction, spinal decompression, and pelvic blocking to gently stretch your spine to help widen the gaps between vertebrae (intervertebral spaces).

This gives spinal discs more room and can encourage herniated discs to move away from irritated nerves. It may also produce ‘negative pressure’ within herniated discs that ‘suck’ the herniated material back inside.

Additionally, chiropractors can use various manual therapies (massage, TPT) and offer advice about exercise and lifestyle to help improve your spinal health.