January 2026 Healthy News from Johnson Chiropractic: Safe, Beneficial Help for Low Back Pain due to Disc Herniation
SAFETY OF CHIROPRACTIC SPINAL MANIPULATION FOR LUMBAR DISC CONDITIONS
Great news if you're suffering from back pain: chiropractic spinal manipulation, like Cox® Technic that we use here at Johnson Chiropractic, proves itself to have a favorable safety profile for patients with lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, and radiculopathy, with really low rates of serious adverse events. A retrospective cohort study of over 168,000 adults with low back pain treated at US academic health centers found no cases of cauda equina syndrome as a result of chiropractic spinal manipulation, yielding an upper 95% confidence interval of 2.2 cases per 100,000 patients. (1) This is good! More precisely, among patients with lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, or radiculopathy, the risk of cauda equina syndrome after chiropractic manipulation was assessed as 0.88 per 100,000 patients, which was statistically comparable to the risk associated with physical therapist-led exercise (0.44 per 100,000). (2) These results indicate that spinal manipulation, when delivered by trained chiropractors, has minimal risk even in vulnerable populations with significant spinal pathology. The evidence indicates that worry about complications from chiropractic care for these conditions may be overemphasized, supporting its consideration as a conservative treatment choice within appropriate clinical guidelines and patient selection criteria. (1,2) As a chiropractic patient at our Richmond clinic, you are in well-trained, well-skilled hands to manage your condition safely and successfully!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Brandon Skiles on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about the gentle, safe, effective care of a disc herniation following the protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: A New Exercise Approach for Chronic Disc Pain Relief
If you're struggling with chronic disc pain, a new exercise approach called dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) may well be the answer you've been searching for to add to your spine’s exercise routine. This protocol retrains your body's natural movement patterns—similar to how babies learn to stabilize their spine as they learn to walk. A recent study reported that patients doing DNS exercises got significant pain relief, improved mobility, and stronger core muscles. What makes DNS different is that it does not just strengthen muscles; it teaches your body to move properly again by restoring natural coordination and core stability, potentially providing lasting relief from chronic back pain. (3) Let’s chat at your next chiropractic visit about the appropriateness of this exercise for you and your spine before you add it to your exercise routine.
We wish you a happy 2026 and are so grateful for your making us a part of your spine’s healthcare team!
Make your Richmond chiropractic appointment with Johnson Chiropractic today!