Severe back pain or neck pain, leg pain or arm pain, perhaps pins and needles in the legs, feet, arms or hands. It might just be a slipped disc. Your Hertford chiropractor is highly trained and skilled to diagnose and work with this specific type of low back or neck complaint. An accurate diagnosis is crucial if the condition is to be treated successfully. At Advance Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic, Hertford, we’ve witnessed many patients with slipped discs come on by leaps and bounds.

Many who come to Advance Clinic for chiropractic treatment are aware that slipped discs affect the low back. But did you know that a slipped disc can also affect the neck?

What Are the Causes and Symptoms of a Slipped Disc?

Physical stress can be placed on the discs by, for example, activities involving lots of bending and twisting, heavy lifting, as well as excessive sitting with poor posture.

A disc doesn’t actually ‘slip’. The soft centre of the disc breaks through its harder outer shell and traps one or more of the spinal nerves, usually in the low back or neck. This can lead to a variety of symptoms, including:

1. Low back pain
2. Neck pain
3. Leg pain
4. Arm pain
5. Pins and needles or numbness in the legs, feet, arms, or hands
6. Weakness in the arm or leg muscles

It’s important to note that the pain can be severe, or it may be milder in nature. Everyone is different, which is why it’s always crucial to have your pain assessed by a chiropractor.

I have had back pain for over 25yrs. In 2015 I had sciatica pain that went down to my foot…David took my medical history and then gave me some treatment. Within a week the pain had reduced significantly. I have continued with maintenance treatments for a year now. I have not had the sciatic pain since starting with David. – Jeff Macca

Why Is Your Hertford Chiropractor Best Placed to Diagnose Your Slipped Disc? Why Is It Important to Seek Help About Your Back or Neck Pain?

Back pain and neck pain, including a slipped disc can easily be misdiagnosed. If so, the wrong treatment could be given. Less commonly, wrong diagnosis can even lead to permanent damage. Seek out a specialist who is skilled in assessing these types of condition. A chiropractor is perfectly qualified in this respect.

Sometimes a ‘disc’ patient may experience leg or arm pain, but without associated low back or neck pain. While some patients come to Advance Clinic with the ‘classic’ symptoms of a slipped disc, others don’t.

For example, some patients with a slipped disc may come with only moderate low back pain and no leg pain. Some disc problems develop very suddenly, others much more slowly.

Occasionally, a slipped disc can create a medical emergency. This happens when a disc bulge compresses specific nerves in the spine that control bowel and bladder function. When this happens your bowel and bladder function could be disturbed. This is known as Cauda Equina Syndrome.

Without prompt medical treatment, the damage can be permanent, leading to ongoing problems with bowel and bladder function. It’s therefore doubly important that your back and/or leg pain are diagnosed by a chiropractor. We are highly-qualified spinal pain experts.

Back pain and leg pain complaints are hard to diagnose. ‘Sciatica’ just means ‘leg pain’ and is not a diagnosis. Diagnosis needs to be more specific. Your Hertford chiropractor is the best bet for ensuring you obtain the right diagnosis and the right treatment. If you think it’s a disc, think chiropractor.