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Injuries

Disc Injury in Tucson AZ?

Disc Injury at Tanque Verde Chiropractic Clinic in Tucson, AZ

Are you living with a slipped disc or another disc injury in Tucson AZ? Whether you suspect your chronic back pain is coming from a disc or you already have a diagnosis confirming it, good chiropractic care is likely to help.

Mild or severe, a disc injury is worth dealing with promptly so it does not progress into more permanent damage. Below we go through the symptoms of a disc injury to help you understand what you are dealing with, and how chiropractic care can offer both immediate relief and longer-term recovery.

What to know about disc injury

01

Types of Disc Injury

The small pads sitting between your vertebrae are the intervertebral discs. Each has a tough outer ring and a soft, gel-like centre. Their job is both to join your vertebrae and to keep them apart — they are the cushions and shock absorbers that stop the bones from grinding together as you move, lift and bend. Without them you would not be able to move your upper torso at all.

A protruding disc is one that has become asymmetrical, with the gel pushed out or bulging. A herniated disc is one where the disc material has ruptured far enough that the gel pushes outward. A disc extrusion is the most severe: the gel balloons well beyond the vertebrae or separates from the disc entirely.

02

Signs and Symptoms of a Disc Injury

All of these injuries tend to produce considerable back pain, numbness and a reduced range of motion, because the nerve roots at the site of the injury are irritated and the surrounding tissue is affected.

The symptoms that follow include back pain, neck pain, weakness in the legs or feet, pain, numbness and tingling running into the leg and foot (sciatica), and — in serious cases — loss of bladder or bowel control.

03

Chiropractic Care for Disc Injury

Chiropractic care in Tucson AZ has a proven track record with disc injuries, for both short-term pain relief and long-term recovery. It starts with a thorough assessment: medical history, x-rays and a physical examination to establish the extent of the injury and what care is appropriate.

The approach is tailored to your particular injury and always includes gentle adjustments to the spine to take pressure off the nerves and address the pain. If you have a disc injury, call our team at Tanque Verde Chiropractic Clinic for a consultation and start on the path to recovery.

When to seek care for disc injury in Tucson AZ

Disc injuries get harder to resolve the longer they are left. Book an evaluation if you have:

  • Back or neck pain that has not settled after a week or two
  • Pain, numbness or tingling travelling down a leg or into a foot (sciatica)
  • Weakness in a leg or foot, or a foot that catches when you walk
  • Pain that worsens when you sit, bend forward, cough or sneeze
  • A diagnosis of a bulging, herniated or extruded disc that has not been addressed
  • Any loss of bladder or bowel control — this needs urgent medical attention, not a wait-and-see approach

Call Tanque Verde Chiropractic Clinic at (520) 749-2929 to arrange a consultation, examination and x-rays.

Common questions

A protruding or bulging disc has become asymmetrical, with the gel centre pushed out of shape but still contained. A herniated disc has ruptured far enough that the gel pushes outward. A disc extrusion goes further still, with the gel ballooning outside the vertebrae or breaking away from the disc.

Chiropractic care for disc injuries has a track record of both short-term pain relief and long-term recovery. Care starts with history, x-rays and a physical examination so that the extent of the injury is known before anything is done, and gentle adjustments are used to relieve pressure on the affected nerves.

The injury irritates the nerve roots where it occurs. When that happens in the lower back, the pain, numbness and tingling travel along the nerve into the leg and foot — what most people know as sciatica.

Serving Tucson and the surrounding area

  • Tanque Verde
  • Catalina Foothills
  • Sabino Canyon
  • Rita Ranch
  • Vail
  • Oro Valley
  • Marana

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