Visit our Location
#28 4604 37 St SW, Calgary
Give us a Call
(403) 452-7100
Send us a Message
reception@haloclinic.ca

Category: Disc Herniation

HALO Clinic - Life Should Not Hurt!NewsDisc Herniation
By HALO Clinic Disc Herniation

Can Discs Heal?

At Halo Clinic, when we work with patients that have disc injuries the one question that presses on peoples minds is will I get better?  Will my disc herniation heal? Because of the intensity of the pain, the severity of its interference in their life and the loss of sleep from disc injuries, people want some hope.

Disc herniations

Can Disc Herniations heal?

The simple answer is:

YES*

*(This is not the kind of healing we had when as a child we had a scratch and mom put a bandaid on the scrape, blew a kiss over the scratch and we went back to playing)

Often when diagnosing a patient with a Herniated Disc, specialized tests, such as X-rays, or MRIs are used. You are not your MRI, and you are not your X-ray. These specialized tests are akin to a specialized photo, and while they help to diagnose your problem, they are not a complete representation of your health. Have you ever had a bad picture taken?

That is why the chiropractors at Halo Clinic in Calgary often look at a complete picture, including your pain, your diagnostic testing, diagnostic imaging and your quality of life.

When we work with patients recovering from disc herniations we want to know how each aspect of your life is, and not just if you feel pain? How is your;

  • Sleep?
  • Work?
  • Sports?
  • Hobbies?
  • Family Time?
  • Relationship?
  • Sex Life?

When we work with disc patients, we see better results when patients are actively involved. Active participation means doing the things that are necessary to promote healing, such as exercises and following through with your treatment plan. Active participation also means actively avoiding those things that will limit your healing.

Are you worried that you are dealing with a herniated disc? The best thing to do is to seek help early. We always start with a consultation. If we are not the best people to help you with your health challenge, we will let you know who that is, because we want your disc herniation to heal.

Life should not hurt.

By HALO Clinic 0 Comments Disc Herniation

Preventing Disc Herniations

Preventing Disc herniations

What can I do to prevent disc herniations? like all serious health problems, have modifiable risk factors. With all injuries, we like simple explanations; however, with consideration, there is a multitude of reasons why things happen.

Disc Injuries happen when too much force exerts on a disc. (Full Stop).

These injuries can happen to almost anyone.

However, some things may considered to lower your risk for disc injury.

Strengthen your core muscles with a focus on your abdominal muscles. The ultimate goal of any core stabilizing activity is to control the movement so that the proper muscles are targeted. The penultimate (almost or next to the ultimate) goal is to complete the repetitions. Clinically we see the majority of our patients have faulty movement patterns when it comes to core stability. This simple fix alone alleviates many back pain problems for patients, with the additional benefit of decreased risk of disc herniation.

To decrease the risk of cervical spine herniation, ergonomics and proper position are essential. A growing trend amongst those who suffer from cervical disc herniation is that these people work on a computer or in a head forward or head down position.

Lift properly and lift loads that are closer to your body.

Avoid stress, which has an association with body tension and risk for disc herniation.

Stay active and keep your weight in a healthy range. Increased weight will increase your risk for disc herniation.

If you have back pain, whether it is associated with neurological pain, seeking an assessment and an active management plan will help to prevent disc herniations.

We are here for you 100%.

By HALO Clinic 0 Comments Chiropractic, Disc Herniation, Uncategorized

What are Disc Herniations

“Why is my back so sore?”

“Why is my neck so sore?”

While there are many reasons that people have back or neck pain, in this article we want to talk about Disc Herniations.

Intervertebral discs exist in the space between our spinal bones (called vertebrae). They have two components. An outer thicker layer called an Annulus Fibrosis contains a softer middle substance called the Nucleus Pulposus. A Herniation occurs when the integrity of the Annulus Fibrosis damages to the point that the Nucleus Pulposis either bulges the disc or completely pushes through the Annulus Fibrosis, thus extruding disc material.

When the disc herniates or bulges, there is potential for damage to the sensitive structures adjacent to the disc. These include the spinal cord and or spinal nerve roots. Herniations cause problems such as sciatica, and radicular (means radiating) pain. The seriousness of these injuries depends on location and neurological involvement.

Disc herniations represent a common cause of back and neck pain. The highest prevalence of lumbar (low back) disc herniation occurs in 30 to 50-year-olds with males having double the frequency of females.

Magnetic Resolution Images (MRI) used to evaluate disc herniations show that many asymptomatic people have features that support they have herniated discs, “slipped” or bulging discs.

The research shows that herniations are serious and should be evaluated and managed by competent, trained professionals, such as a Chiropractor.

Disc Herniations respond well to conservative care. Conservative care often limits the needs for surgery. There is little evidence to support that disc herniations respond to treatment with pharmaceuticals.

In the clinic, we see many patients who have neck or back pain, where herniation is a component of their pain.