Disc Problem Relief in East Brunswick

woman in gray shirt holding lower back Spinal discs are ligaments. They are unique-made of a liquid center held in place by rings of cartilage. They attach to and hold one spinal bone to another, provide shock absorption to the spine, and separate the spinal bones so nerves can exit without irritation. Because discs are relatively soft, and carry the body’s weight, certain problems can occur with them that can have serious consequences – causing excruciating back and neck pain, sciatica, numbness and tingling, and even loss of bowel and bladder control.

What Are the Common Causes?

Disc problems can occur from a fall, accident or injury. They can occur from poor posture, pregnancy, or carrying too much weight over a prolonged period of time. Sitting on a wallet in the back pocket or wearing very high heeled shoes can also place a great deal of abnormal stress on the spinal discs and can cause problems.

However, the most common cause of disc problems is a condition called vertebral subluxation complex, or subluxation. Subluxation happens when the vertebrae misalign and are stuck out of their proper position.

This puts pressure on the discs, causing serious effects:

Disc bulge or protrusion. If you held a balloon in one hand, and squeezed it, it would bulge out on the open side, much like the bubble on the side of a car tire. This is what happens when the vertebrae misalign, squeeze the disc, and cause it to bulge or protrude into the spinal nerves or spinal cord. This irritates the nerves and can cause pain, impaired movement, prolonged healing, and body malfunction.
Herniated or prolapsed disc. If the bulging disc is the bubble on the side of the car tire, a herniated disc is a blowout. In a herniated disc, the rings of cartilage fail to hold the liquid center in place, causing the liquid and disc material to ooze into the area occupied by the spinal nerves and/or spinal cord. Like a bulging disc, it is serious, especially when it irritates the nerves, because it leads to a serious impairment in body function. Like an egg that’s broken, once the disc suffers a herniation or prolapse, no doctor, regardless of their area of expertise, can restore it to its original condition and put the yolk back in the egg.
Premature degeneration and wear. If the front end of your car remained out of alignment, eventually you would notice that the tires are wearing unevenly. The same is true for your discs. Keeping the spine properly aligned and balanced prevents accelerated degeneration of the discs, bulging, herniation, and the agony that can result from years of spinal neglect.

Dr Freedman adjusting persons neck

The Importance of Chiropractic

How can you tell if your discs are in distress? In many cases, you can’t. In most cases abnormal spinal alignment and subluxation produce no pain until the problem is well-established. So people who have had repeated bouts of neck and back pain have learned the hard way that prevention is better than cure. Periodic chiropractic checkups protect you from crippling back or neck pain, expensive and time-consuming physical therapy, harmful drugs and risky surgery, along with other conditions that could be prevented by allowing the nervous system to work without irritation from disc problems.

Chiropractic care has saved many people from spinal surgery. Getting in for care, the sooner the better, can lead to better outcomes. Dr. Freedman’s care is personalized toward each patient’s clinical needs and personal preferences.

What Patients Can Expect

First, we take a thorough history, and then Dr. Freedman performs a chiropractic checkup, which can include:

Specialized chiropractic analysis and testing
Orthopedic and neurological testing
Dr. Freedman’s evaluation of your findings, with a report and recommendations
Ordering of x-rays or other imaging studies, depending upon your findings

Once Dr. Freedman has reviewed all of the findings, along with his 40-plus years of experience caring for similar cases, he will determine and recommend your best course of action. If he sincerely believes he can help you he’ll tell you, and if not, he’ll tell you that, too. “If I can’t help that person, I’ll refer them to the appropriate health care provider to get the immediate help they need,” he said. Once that patient’s emergency treatment is finished, he’ll discuss with them the importance of a regular program of spinal wellness care, so they are healthier and minimize the possibility of future recurrence.

FAQs

How long will it take to get better?

It depends. Each person is unique. They respond based on the severity of their condition, if it’s chronic or developed recently, how well they follow Dr. Freedman’s personalized recommendations, and the strength of their capacity to heal.

How much will it cost?

A chiropractic checkup and care is very affordable, much safer, and less time intensive compared to drugs, physical therapy, and surgery. Most insurance covers chiropractic care, and many patients use funds from their Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Savings Account (FSA) to pay for their services. Cash and personal checks are also accepted. Chiropractic patients report much higher satisfaction rates compared to the care they received from medical providers. You will find that especially in today’s impersonal, managed care healthcare landscape, Dr. Freedman’s fees are extremely reasonable, considering his years of experience and the high quality of service his office provides.

What about just taking pain medication?

Pain medications don’t make the pain go away. They make your ability to feel the pain go away-for a while. The pain is still there, and that is why the pain “returns” after the effect of the medication has worn off. Pain is nature’s way of alerting and protecting you, preventing you from doing more damage. Taking pain medication strips your body of this natural defense, like taping over the warning lights on your car’s dash telling you the engine is overheating. It also defers proper treatment and can cause greater injury by allowing the condition to persist and worsen. Medication doesn’t address the underlying cause.

Book an Appointment

If you’re experiencing a disc problem, we want to help. Our practice offers morning, afternoon and evening hours. In most cases, we can see patients the same day or the next day. Contact Freedman Chiropractic today to schedule an appointment!
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