Herniated Disc Treatment in Jacksonville

Holistic Care for Degenerative Disc Disease

Our Jacksonville chiropractors at Amazing Spine Care provide a holistic approach to care for a herniated disc. Discs are located between the vertebrae of your spine and through natural use and age, the discs begin to degenerate.

These changes are due to a slight hardening of the cushiony discs, which can compress the vertebrae’s discs and can lead to pain. The pain occurs when the discs interfere with nerves that exit the spine or when the cushioning has decreased and you begin to feel more stress on each vertebra.

Left untreated, disc degeneration can aggravate or lead to other spinal concerns such as sciatica, spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis of the spine.

To learn more about our chiropractic care in Jacksonville, contact us online or call (904) 320-0808 today.

Herniated vs. Bulging Discs

Your spinal discs absorb forces, reduce friction, and maintain joint space in the spine. A disc has two basic parts:

• the inner gel-like fluid called nucleus pulposus
• the outer cartilaginous layer called the annulus fibrosis

When a disc herniates, the annulus fibrosis tears and the nucleus pulposus leaks out. This is different than a disc bulge, wherein the pulposus simply moves out of place but does not actually break through the outer layer. Both bulges and discs can present similarly. “Slipped” disc, on the other hand, is just a misnomer for either herniated or bulging disc.

Causes & Symptoms of Disc Herniations

Disc herniations can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it can happen due to some sort of acute trauma, such as a car accident, awkward lift, or slip and fall. In other cases, disc herniations can occur “out of the blue” following a history of poor posture and other common stresses to the spine.

When a disc herniates, back pain and stiffness at the level of the disc can occur. The muscles over the injured disc may become tense and tender as they try to stabilize and overcompensate for the injury.

If the herniated disc is impinging on a nearby spinal nerve root, additional symptoms related to nerve compression can occur, including:

• Numbness
• Tingling
• Pain
• Weakness in the limb innervated by that nerve

When to Seek Treatment for Herniated Disc

Herniated discs are sometimes managed surgically, but usually only after conservative measures have been attempted first. Our Jacksonville chiropractor offers non-invasive methods to heal an injured disc so that symptoms improve and nerve compression is alleviated. He does this through a variety of services, including spinal decompression/traction, stabilization exercises, and even nutritional counseling to promote healing at the cellular level.

Schedule a same-day appointment in Jacksonville, contact us online or call (904) 320-0808 today.