Richmond Disc Herniations Can Go Away

October 10, 2023

“There’s a disc herniation in your spine.” does not have to scare you. Conservative care helps reduce pain and even shrink the disc herniation. Surgery is not always necessary. Conservative care has been shown to shrink disc herniation and its related back pain. Johnson Chiropractic uses gentle spinal manipulation as part of the general Richmond chiropractic treatment plan.

DISC HERNIATIONS RESORB, GO AWAY, WITH CONSERVATIVE CARE: 70.39% WITHIN 6 MONTHS

A recent research meta-analysis report, the top-level review of medical literature on a given topic, reported on the spontaneous resorption of a lumbar disc herniation with conservative treatment. In 31 studies, the researchers revealed that the overall resorption rate was 70.39%. By type of disc, resorption rates varied from 13.33% to 87.77%. The resorption rate was greater for a ruptured, non-contained disc (fragment) than a contained disc. Resorption rates differed by country from 60.68% in China to 83.52% in Korea. (In the US, the resorption rate was 61.66%.) The report stated that the resorption process mainly happened within 6 months of conservative treatment. (1) Another study of patient clinical outcomes in one treatment center were evaluated for response to treatment of giant lumbar disc herniations. 41% of these patients’ "giant lumbar" discs revealed resorption within 6 months, 37% in 6-12 months, and 32% after a year. The range of time for resorption was 1 month to 8 years. 59% of those who underwent conservative care had greater than 30% resorption. 25% experienced greater than 50% resorption. The authors of this study wrote that as long as there is no sign of progressive nerve damage or cauda equina syndrome, conservative care was favored since resorption was more likely with these disc protrusions that extended into the spinal canal. (2) Johnson Chiropractic agrees that when there is no sign of nerve injury and/or cauda equina symptoms, conservative treatment - like our gentle, safe chiropractic spinal manipulation - is effective. Starting with the initial, complete examination of symptoms to the treatment at each visit, our Richmond back pain and neck pain patients with disc herniations often get relief and a decrease in their fear of a disc herniation and its effect on their life.

CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr Coleman Cormier on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates how he used The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management to help a patient with a large disc herniation.

Make your Richmond chiropractic appointment today. We’re here to reduce your fear of a disc herniation and help you realize relief of neck and back pain!

Richmond chiropractic conservative care helps even giant disc herniations go away