Slipped Disc Pain Chiropractor Gold Coast

A slipped disc is more precisely a protrusion, or hernia, of the soft interior nucleus of the vertebral discs, causing irritation of the neighboring nerve roots. After a clinical assessment, with x-rays on the spot to determine whether the nerve is in contact and at what point, the decompression begins.

It is done by means of a specialised drop table, and is called flexion-distraction. It is the result of this treatment that a larger space is made in the disk, and that radicular pains disappear, while the pressure within the disc is relieved, and the fluid changes take place. Acute cases have usually two or three visits a week during the first two weeks, reducing as the leg pain disappears.

Disc pain is centralized by the use of McKenzie extensions. A specific exercise regime is developed, aimed at stabilizing the core and strengthening the lower back. If the patient is a Gold Coast office worker, he or she is taught how to sit and lift properly to prevent the disc from getting pinched. This can be effective for most slipped discs, which resolve over four to eight weeks of proper care and compliance without surgery.

Slipped Disc is a layman's term for disc herniation. This is essentially a protrusion of the nucleus into the canal, which inflames and injures the nerve. Slipped disc is not literally slipped. The annulus has torn or bulged, the interior material has pressed through, the degree of damage is determined by a series of orthopaedic tests, X-rays are taken, and then the patient is given flexion-distraction to reduce the pressure inside and thus restore its motion. Most Gold Coast patients resolve slipped disc pain within four to eight weeks of structured conservative care. The name need not cause alarm, since the vast majority of people recover without surgery.

Every treatment plan is tailored to the individual patient, and the specific service and applicable fee are discussed at the initial appointment — or call our receptionist on (07) 5539 9798 for more details. The patient is seen two to three times a week during the first fortnight, and as the condition improves, is seen weekly.

We accept a variety of referrals including Medicare Chronic Disease Management, DVA and WorkCover QLD referrals, and no GP referral is required to book as a primary-contact patient. Acute Gold Coast patients within our 20 km service radius can usually be seen the same day.

Most conditions are resolved in a regimen of four to eight weeks, with acute attacks abating after three to six sessions. Chronic disorders require eight to twelve sessions with an appropriate home rehabilitation program to ensure lasting results and prevent recurrence.

We take a reassessment of our patients at each visit and, as they improve, reduce the frequency of visits, moving from two visits a week in the acute phase of treatment to monthly in the maintenance phase. Our Gold Coast patients recover more quickly and report a lower recurrence rate than patients who stop their treatment when their symptoms have subsided.

Between the sessions the patient keeps his spine in mind. He avoids sitting for more than twenty minutes, uses a lumbar roll, rises from a side-roll, never lifts from the waist. Daily walks keep up the circulation of the fluid between the disks and prevent stiffness.

We prescribe drills, based on the level of tolerance: nerve flossing for the nerve pain, the McKenzie extension for the disc herniation, the McGill core trio for stability. A close adherence to the home program is the strongest predictor of the recurrence of a Gold Coaster.

Slipped Disc Pain Clinical Overview