A number of patients have come into our Jonesboro office in search of help from cervical disc herniation, and Dr. Alpert is often able to help relieve the pain by addressing the issue at its source. Apparently, this is no real surprise as chiropractic adjustments has been found to have a great improvement rate when it comes to treating herniated discs in the neck area, with one piece of research published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics citing that number as high as 85%.
Researchers from Zurich, Switzerland studied 50 individuals between 18 and 65 years of age with cervical disc herniation which was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their goal was to determine how effective chiropractic is at alleviating cervical disc herniation issues, generally referred to as cervical radiculopathy, which include pain in the neck and arm area, along with various neurological or sensory issues or changes.
Each person was assessed prior to the study beginning, as well as two weeks, one month, and three months later, giving researchers a clearer view of any changes that occurred to their herniation problems over time. The chiropractic that each individual engaged in was high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation at the rate of 3-5 treatments weekly for the first few weeks, reducing that amount to 1-3 times a week until the patient no longer experienced the originally reported problems.
Two weeks into treatment, slightly more than half (55 percent) of the individuals who were participating reported an improvement in their condition. This amount increased to almost 69% when questioned at the one month interval, growing even more to just over 85 percent at the three month mark. Even 76% of the chronic cervical disc herniation participants reported favorable effects, including not as much neck and arm pain, as well as less disability.
As a side note, no adverse effects or negative responses to the treatment were noted. This suggests that chiropractic therapy is a safe as well as effective remedy for people suffering from symptoms commonly associated with cervical disc herniation.
If you're having trouble with cervical disc herniation, contact us at (770) 472-8989 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Alpert today!
Reference
Peterson CK et al. (2013, October). Outcomes from magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed symptomatic cervical disk herniation patients treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative therapy: a prospective cohort study with 3-month follow-up. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 36(8), 461-467, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.07.002