According to a 2012 National Health Interview Survey, chiropractic manipulation of the spine is one of the most common complementary treatment options for both adults and children in the United States. However, a treatment being popular does not necessarily mean that it works, or that it will work for your specific health issue. If you are considering chiropractic manipulation to treat pain from degenerative disc disease, you should first know if chiropractic manipulation for degenerative discs is effective and produces meaningful results.
What is Chiropractic Manipulation?
Chiropractic manipulation is a common procedure performed by licensed chiropractors in which they use their hands or a small instrument to apply controlled, sudden force to the spine or spinal joint.1 This procedure is also known as chiropractic adjustment or spinal manipulation, and can also be performed by other licensed professionals, such as osteopathic physicians and physical therapists.4 The goal of chiropractic manipulation is to improve the motion of the spine as well as your body’s overall physical function. Generally, the professional performing the manipulation will attempt to push the joint past its usual range of motion, causing a popping or cracking sound as joints are moved around. While this procedure is used to treat many conditions, it is most commonly used to treat low back pain, neck pain, headaches, and sciatica.
In order to perform the chiropractic manipulation, your chiropractor will most likely ask questions about your health history, perform a physical exam focused on your spine, and may even recommend X-rays or other tests. However, there are some steps you should before beginning chiropractic treatment in order to ensure that you are getting the right care for your needs. These steps include asking the person performing your chiropractic therapy about their education and licensure and making them aware of all of your medical conditions. You should also ask if they have received specialized training or have experience in treating your specific condition. Finally, be sure to make your chiropractor aware of any medications or supplements that you are taking, and if they suggest a new supplement, ask how it may react with your current medications or supplements.
Is Chiropractic Manipulation Safe?
This is a common question regarding chiropractic manipulation, and the answer is that it is safe when performed by a trained and licensed practitioner. Of course, as with any medical procedure, serious complications have happened, although they are rare. Some of these complications include causing a disc to herniate or worsening the condition of an already herniated disc or cauda equina syndrome. The cauda equina is the name of the bundle of nerves at the end of the spinal cord, and when these nerves become damaged, it causes a syndrome characterized by low back pain, pain that radiates down the leg, loss of bowel or bladder control, and more. It’s also possible for a specific type of stroke called vertebral artery dissection to occur as a result of chiropractic manipulation of the neck, but this is rare as well.
Although chiropractic manipulation is a relatively safe procedure, there are some people who should not undergo this procedure due to conditions that may predispose them to complications. These conditions include severe osteoporosis, numbness, tingling, or loss of strength in an arm or leg, cancer in your spine, a high risk of stroke, or a bone abnormality in the upper neck.1
Your doctor should also confirm that your spine is stable before you undergo chiropractic manipulation for degenerative disc disease. The only way to confirm stability or instability is to stand upright and flex forward and then extend backward, and compare X-rays that are obtained when you are fully flexed and fully extended. If the two x-rays demonstrate a significant shift in one vertebra over another vertebra, this indicates that the spine is unstable. This should not be manipulated.
Experiencing minor side effects after undergoing chiropractic manipulation is normal, so if you have headaches, fatigue, or pain in the areas of your body that were treated, this is not something to worry about.
Chiropractic Manipulation for Degenerative Discs
Chiropractic manipulation for degenerative discs is a common treatment despite the fact that research shows little to no benefits are derived from it. However, the American College of Physicians’ (ACP) guidelines for managing low back pain recommends non-drug options including heat wraps, acupuncture, exercise, and chiropractic manipulation.
This recommendation is particularly interesting considering the fact that an ACP evidence review concluded that conservative treatments like chiropractic manipulation for degenerative discs have a “small to moderate benefit.”3 Further, an author of this review, Dr. Paul Shekelle, chief of general internal medicine for the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, had this to say: “Most treatments — whether they be NSAIDs or muscle relaxants or spinal manipulation therapy — have, on average, small effects.”2
In this review, Dr. Shekelle’s team examined chiropractic manipulation in patients with acute back pain lasting less than. Out of 26 trials, 15 reported that chiropractic manipulation provided mild pain relief. Overall, the results show that although chiropractic manipulation can provide some relief, in the long run, the results are neither significant nor long-lasting.
Does Chiropractic Manipulation for Degenerative Discs Help?
Chiropractic manipulation for degenerative discs can help you maintain spine motion and return to work or activities. It may also allow you to cope with symptoms or return to work or activities. However, there’s no evidence showing chiropractic manipulation’s ability to repair torn discs or correct bulges. Gentle “distraction” or traction helps relax muscles and may improve mobility.
It’s critical to note that twisting spinal discs causes shear forces, torn discs, and worsening disc pathology. Remind your chiropractor to avoid twisting or forward flexing your spine.
The majority of people with low back pain experience relief naturally if nothing’s done, so if they happen to be undergoing chiropractic manipulation, they often erroneously attribute their relief to the ongoing treatment, when it actually occurred naturally.
If your back or neck pain is acute and not related to degenerative disc disease or annular tears, chiropractic manipulation may be a good option. However, if your back pain is caused by degenerative disc disease, your spinal discs will not be healed by these adjustments. Fortunately, the Discseel® Procedure is able to seal and heal torn spinal discs, providing lasting relief from degenerative disc disease pain.
- Chiropractic adjustment. (2018, December 7). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chiropractic-adjustment/about/pac-20393513
- Norton, A. (2017, April 11). Chiropractic Treatment May Help a Bad Back, to a Degree. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20170411/chiropractors-not-magicians-when-it-comes-to-chronic-back-pain#2
- Paige, N. M., Miake-Lye, I. M., Booth, M. S., Beroes, J. M., Mardian, A. S., Dougherty, P., … Shekelle, P. G. (2017, April 11). Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5470352/
- Spinal Manipulation: What You Need To Know. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/spinal-manipulation-what-you-need-to-know
