Back Surgery Alternative for Degenerative Disc Disease.

Have you been told that you will just have to live with chronic pain related to degenerative disc disease? Is back surgery your only option? The DRS Protocol™, an innovative back surgery alternative, may be the answer you've been looking for. Before making a decision about spinal surgery, obtain the opinion of a doctor of chiropractic and find out more information about this back surgery alternative.

McKim Chiropractic is a health care Back Surgery Alternative Nampa ID vital to the injured athlete with Family Chiropractors Nampa ID concern deliberate for your particular problems.

Degenerative disc disease is the term used to describe the normal changes in your spinal discs as you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that separate the interlocking bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine and act as shock absorbers, allowing the spine to flex, bend, and twist. As we age, our spinal discs break down, or degenerate, which may result in degenerative disc disease, such as

• Loss of fluid in your discs.
• Tiny tears or cracks in the outer layer (annulus or capsule) of the disc.
• Herniated disc (resulting from an injury or a fall).

Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease:

Some people may have severe pain in the back or neck pain, while others may have no pain at all. Where the pain occurs depends on the location of the affected disc. An affected disc in the neck area may result in neck or arm pain, while an affected disc in the lower back may result in pain in the back, buttock, or leg. The pain may start after a major injury (a car accident), a minor injury (a fall from a low height), or a normal motion (bending over to pick something up). It may also start gradually for no known reason and get worse over time. In some cases, you may have numbness or tingling in your leg or arm.

Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease:

Your doctor should ask about your symptoms, injuries or illnesses, any previous treatment, and habits and activities that may be causing pain in the neck, arms, back, buttock, or leg. Your doctor should also check your range of motion and for pain caused by movement; areas of tenderness and any nerve-related changes, such as numbness, tingling, or weakness, or changes in reflexes, and any other conditions, such as fractures, tumors, and infection. Your doctor may consider imaging tests if your symptoms developed following an injury, nerve damage is suspected, or your medical history suggests conditions that could affect your spine, such as bone disease, tumors, or infection.

To relieve pain, put ice or heat (whichever feels better) on the affected area and use acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen or naproxen). If necessary, your doctor may prescribe stronger medicines. If you develop osteoarthritis, herniated disc, or spinal stenosis, you may need other treatments which would include physical therapy and exercises for strengthening and stretching the back. In some cases, surgery may be recommended to remove the damaged disc, as well as fusing the bone permanently to protect the spinal cord.

At McKim Chiropractic, hundreds of patients suffering from chronic and severe back pain and neck pain have been treated successfully with the back surgery alternative, the DRS Protocol™. Each potential patient is given a thorough examination to determine whether they are a candidate for the DRS Protocol™. Call one of our three conveniently located McKim Chiropractic offices or go to http://www.mckimchiropractic.com for more information about the DRS Protocol™. Our licensed and certified staff is happy to help the residents of Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and Caldwell, ID live life to the full.