Our Chiropractor In Kenosha WI Treats Herniated Discs & Bulging Discs

Dr. Janet Jeranek has been a chiropractor in Kenosha, WI for well over 2 decades. In that time, she's spent a lot of time educating her patients about human anatomy. Why? Understanding how your spine and the rest of your body functions can help you take a more active role in your injury recovery--and injury prevention, for that matter.

One of the most common areas of confusion she sees relates to spinal disc problems. The terms "disc herniation" and "disc bulge" sound similar, however the underlying injuries are a bit different.

The Difference Between A Herniated Disc & A Bulging Disc

There are 2 main types of disc injuries:

• With a bulging disc, the gel-like fluid in the middle of the disc literally bulges out of place. This is sort of like squeezing a jelly donut so that the inside jelly moves out of place, but remains inside the dough.
• With a herniated disc, the gel-like fluid actually leaks through a tear in the outer tougher layer of the disc. This is akin to the jelly from inside the donut leaking out.

When a disc herniates or bulges, the abnormally-shaped injured disc may put pressure on nearby spinal joints, nerves, ligaments, and other tissues. This can lead to a variety of symptoms that fluctuate a lot in intensity and type from person to person. The most common signs and symptoms include:

• Back ache and stiffness
• Spinal muscle spasm and tightness
• Leg pain, numbness, and/or weakness (if the disc is pinching a spinal nerve)

A spinal disc may bulge or herniate because of wear and tear with aging, poor posture, or a strained back from repeated spine flexion and extension. Smoking, being sedentary, and being overweight can also increase your risk of a disc problem.

Fortunately, both herniated discs and bulging discs can benefit from chiropractic care. Depending on the degree of injury, a disc herniation may take longer to heal. In either case, however, it's almost always clinically indicated to seek out conservative management first before exploring the idea of surgical intervention (which is typically beneficial in extreme cases only, especially if a person has severe leg pain symptoms).

Call Our Chiropractor in Kenosha Today!

Are you struggling with back pain and other symptoms caused by a disc problem? If so, you should call our chiropractor in Kenosha today at (262) 694-7833 to schedule your appointment. We look forward to meeting with you!