Manchester Chiropractic Care for Thoracic Disc Herniation
The thoracic spine, the middle part of your spine, gets overlooked. “Mid back pain” doesn’t simply roll off your tongue in quite the same way as “neck pain” and “back pain” or “arm pain” and “leg pain”. But the thoracic spine can have pain of its own. A thoracic disc herniation may be associated with seemingly dissimilar conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, painful or frequent urination. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries does talk about the thoracic spine and its mid-back pain. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries gently treats the thoracic spine’s mid-back pain to successfully relieve it.
THORACIC DISC HERNIATION
The rate of thoracic disc herniation in asymptomatic people is 11-37%. It is not as rare as we think. Two studies reported abdominal wall bulges: A patient later found to have a thoracic disc herniation at T11-12 on MRI imaging came to the doctor with a lateral abdominal wall bulge that shrank 8 months later as the disc herniation got better. (1) Another two similar cases with herniations at T12-L1 and T10-11 and T11-12 had paresis of the abdominis muscle. After conservative treatment, muscle strength returned to normal in 3 to 6 months. (2) Symptoms of thoracic disc herniation can vary from abdominal pain, constipation, urinary incontinence, anesthesia or lack of anal reflex, bowel dysfunction, nausea, to irritable bowel among other issues. (3) A couple other studies report on the occurrence of gastrointestinal and gastrourinary issues with thoracic disc herniations. In a study of 100 patients with thoracic disc herniation, 95% had one or more digestive-urologic symptoms, but only 3% had the diagnosis of thoracic disc protrusion. 70.76% of thoracic disc herniations occurred below the T7 level. Most were central herniations (65.25%). 85% of thoracic disc herniation patients with abdominal pain tested positive in the DN4 test for neuropathic pain in contrast with only 8% in the control group. 77% of the patients experienced abdominal pain (and 16.88% of them had gone through a surgery to relieve the pain to find that they still have the same pain after surgery). 90% of thoracic disc pain patients report back pain, 43% have pubic pain, 35% report genital area pain, 66% have lower limb pain. (4) Thoracic disc herniation sufferers often have these issues – chronic abdominal pain, digestive issues, and urological symptoms. Another researcher reported on two patients with T10-11 herniations who showed moderate lower extremity weakness, increased patellar tendon reflex, and sensory disturbance of the whole lower extremities. (5) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries does a complete examination to figure out just how a thoracic disc herniation is affecting our Manchester chiropractic mid-back pain patients.
EXAMINATION
Gastrointestinal surgeons are quite likely to see patients with thoracic disc herniation since their symptoms are gastrointestinal and/or gastrourinary in nature but without any organic reason for them. A reliable test to see if the abdominal pain is related to issues with the abdomen or a visceral issue is Carnett’s Sign. It is highly documented for its sensitivity of 78 to 85% and specificity of 88 to 97%. (6) It directs the examining physician to the source of pain! For Manchester patients with mysterious abdominal pain or strange abdominal wall bulges, consult Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries who understands the connection of these problems to the thoracic disc herniation. Gentle, chiropractic spinal manipulation with Cox® Technic to the thoracic spine may help ease pain and symptomatology of the thoracic disc herniation.
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson who really knows and understands the unusual but important thoracic disc herniation. Dr. Olding defines the thoracic disc herniation and its symptomatology as well as its relieving treatment with Cox® Technic.
Schedule a Manchester chiropractic appointment at Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries for your thoracic spine and its mid-back issues. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries doesn’t ignore the thoracic spine, and you should not either!
