Better Posture Can Help Symptoms

Situational factors, such as posture, contribute to the symptoms you experience from a lumbar herniated disc. Find out how poor posture may be aggravating your symptoms.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/how-posture-can-aggravate-lumbar-herniated-disc

Lumbar Herniated Disk

Most cases of lumbar herniated disc symptoms resolve on their own within six weeks, so patients are often advised to start with non-surgical treatments.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/non-surgical-treatment-lumbar-herniated-disc?source=3tab

See other Conditions on our page at Dr. Rick Jardon .com

Spine Herniation

Due to the limited motion in the thoracic spine caused by the bony barrier of the ribs, thoracic disc herniations are relatively rare. However, when they do occur, they can create much pain and dysfunction.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-treatment-thoracic-disc-herniation

Herniated Disks

A herniated disc occurs when the soft, gelatinous inner core of a spinal disc leaks out through the disc’s weakened outer layers and affects a nearby nerve.

www.spine-health.com/blog/understanding-herniated-discs

Herniated Cervical Disk - condition

When a cervical herniated disc is treated, the first methods are often to use physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, activity modification, and possibly anti-inflammatory medications.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/conservative-treatment-a-cervical-herniated-disc

Rhode Island Spine Problem Help

 There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as "herniated disc", "pinched nerve", and "bulging disc", and all are used differently by doctors. Learn the difference:

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/whats-a-herniated-disc-pinched-nerve-bulging-disc

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Recovery

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, or ACDF, is a common type of neck surgery to address pain and other symptoms caused by cervical disc problems. After an ACDF, most patients are able to go home the day of the surgery or the next day, so most of the recovery time is spent at home. Learn the typical considerations and instructions for ACDF postoperative care and rehabilitation.

Featured Article:
ACDF Surgery Postoperative Care

Additional Info

Hospital Care After ACDF Surgery
The goal of the one- or two-day hospital stay following ACDF is to keep the patient as comfortable and mobile as possible while preparing for long-term recovery at home. Learn More...

Getting Adequate Pain Control After Back Surgery
The spine surgeon performing a fusion surgery should have a pain control plan in place prior to surgery and should discuss it with the patient. This includes setting realistic expectations about the type and level of postoperative pain and providing instructions on how to respond when it occurs. Learn More...

Quitting Smoking Before a Spinal Fusion
An extensive amount of research has firmly established that cigarette smoking is bad for patients undergoing spine fusion surgery. But how does it impact a spinal fusion? What do you need to know to help my chances of successfully quitting smoking? Learn More...

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) Video


An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion is an anterior approach to removing a cervical herniated disc in order to relieve spinal cord or root pressure and alleviate corresponding pain, weakness, and numbness. This interactive video provides an overview of anterior cervical discectomy.

Start watching...




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There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as "herniated disc", "pinched nerve", and "bulging disc", and all are used differently by doctors. Learn the difference:

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/whats-a-herniated-disc-pinched-nerve-bulging-disc

Sources of Whiplash Pain

When the cervical spine (neck) is subject to whiplash, there is usually a combination of factors that contribute to whiplash pain in the neck and back, and ultimately need to be addressed individually by a chiropractor, who maintains a "holistic" view of the patient's whiplash pain. This article explains how chiropractors approach treating neck pain, back pain, and/or other whiplash symptoms, and help patients prevent chronic whiplash pain.

Whiplash Pain Management for Joint Dysfunction

Joint dysfunction from whiplash occurs when one of the joints in the spine or limbs loses its normal joint play (resiliency and shock absorption). A chiropractic technique called motion palpation gently moves the joint in different directions and assesses its joint play. When a joint develops dysfunction, its normal range of movement may be affected and it can become painful.

Muscle Dysfunction from Whiplash Injuries

When joint dysfunction develops, muscles are affected by becoming tense and overactive or inhibited and underactive. In either case, these muscles can develop trigger points that may necessitate whiplash treatment involving muscle relaxation or stimulation.

Trigger points are areas of congestion within the muscle where toxins accumulate and can irritate the nerve endings within the muscle and produce pain. This whiplash pain can occur in the muscle itself or can be referred pain (perceived in other areas of the body).

The muscle can also send abnormal neurological signals into the nervous system, which can then cause disruption of the ability of the nervous system to properly regulate muscles in other parts of the body, leading to the development of faulty movement patterns.

Faulty Movement Patterns and Whiplash Pain

It is thought that the intense barrage of pain signals from a traumatic whiplash injury to the cervical spine can change the way the nervous system controls the coordinated function of muscles.

The disruption of coordinated, stable movement is known as faulty movement patterns which cause increased strain in the muscles and joints, leading to neck pain and back pain. They can involve the neck itself or can arise from dysfunction in other areas of the body such as the foot or pelvis.

Instability is also considered part of faulty movement patterns. There are two types of instability that can occur in whiplash:

- Passive—the ligaments of the neck are loosened, making it more susceptible to whiplash pain; and

- Dynamic—the nervous system disruption causes a disturbance in the body’s natural muscular response to common, everyday forces.

Instability can cause even mild, innocuous activities difficult to perform as they often exacerbate the
whiplash pain.

Whiplash Pain from a Herniated Disc

The force of whiplash can cause injury to the discs between the vertebrae, and small tears can develop. If the gelatinous middle of the disc seeps out, it can irritate the nerve endings in this area. This is known as disc derangement.

Occasionally, the gel can seep all the way out and press on a nerve root exiting the spinal cord behind the disc, known as disc herniation.

A herniated disc may involve whiplash pain in the neck as well as sharp, shooting pain down the arm and possibly neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling and muscle weakness.

Chiropractic Treatments for Whiplash

Each case of whiplash is different so it’s not possible to generalize about the chiropractic whiplash treatment.

Chiropractors commonly employ different chiropractic treatments for whiplash, often including:

- Manipulation
- Muscle relaxation and/or stimulation
- Various exercises
- Ergonomic and lifestyle changes.

Preventing Chronic Pain from Whiplash

After sustaining whiplash injuries, it is fairly common for people to suffer from chronic neck pain. Chiropractors can detect certain factors in a patient’s history and chiropractic exam to better determine patients who may be more susceptible to chronic pain from a whiplash injury. This process will identify when aggressive preventative measures should be taken for patients who may be at a greater risk of developing chronic neck pain from whiplash injuries.

Learn more about whiplash and its treatment at http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/what-whiplash

Treating Herniated Disks in the C-Spine

When a cervical herniated disc is treated, the first methods are often to use physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, activity modification, and possibly anti-inflammatory medications.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/conservative-treatment-a-cervical-herniated-disc

Is a Herniated Disc Causing Your Pain?

There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, including "herniated disc," "pinched nerve," and "bulging disc." Rather than try to reconcile the terminology, it's more useful to gain an understanding of the actual cause of the pain. Learn the differences between a herniated disc and a pinched nerve and how each is most effectively treated.

Featured Article:
What's a Herniated Disc, Pinched Nerve, Bulging Disc…?

Persistent leg pain, chiropractic terms, and spinal stenosis

While the term “stenosis” comes from Greek and means a “choking”, spinal stenosis, however, has little in common with choking. So what is spinal stenosis?

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spinal-stenosis/what-spinal-stenosis

Persistent leg pain that is aggravated by walking could be a sign of lumbar stenosis. Read more about how to diagnose this painful condition.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spinal-stenosis/lumbar-spinal-stenosis-a-definitive-guide

There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as "herniated disc", "pinched nerve", and "bulging disc", and all are used differently by doctors. Learn the difference:

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/whats-a-herniated-disc-pinched-nerve-bulging-disc