Baton Rouge Chiropractic Care for Thoracic Disc Herniation
The thoracic spine, the middle part of your spine, gets ignored. “Mid back pain” does not easily come out of your mouth 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 unrelated conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, painful or frequent urination. Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers does talk about the thoracic spine and its mid-back pain. Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers gently cares for the thoracic spine’s mid-back pain to successfully relieve it.
THORACIC DISC HERNIATION
The incidence of thoracic disc herniation in asymptomatic people is 11-37%. It’s not as infrequent 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) An additional 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 reports describe 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 just 8% in the control group. 77% of the patients experienced abdominal pain (and 16.88% of them had had a surgery to get rid of the pain to discover that they still have the same pain after surgery). 90% of thoracic disc pain patients have back pain, 43% report pubic pain, 35% report genital area pain, 66% report lower limb pain. (4) Thoracic disc herniation sufferers often experience these issues – chronic abdominal pain, digestive issues, and urological symptoms. Another researcher reported on two patients with T10-11 herniations who displayed moderate lower extremity weakness, amplified patellar tendon reflex, and sensory disturbance of the entire lower extremities. (5) Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers does a thorough examination to figure out just how a thoracic disc herniation is affecting our Baton Rouge chiropractic mid-back pain patients.
EXAMINATION
Gastrointestinal surgeons are very likely to see patients with thoracic disc herniation because 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 due to issues with the abdomen or a visceral issue is Carnett’s Sign. It’s well-known 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 Baton Rouge patients with mysterious abdominal pain or strange abdominal wall bulges, consult Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers who understands the connection of these issues to the thoracic disc herniation. Gentle, chiropractic spinal manipulation with Cox® Technic to the thoracic spine may help relieve pain and symptomatology of the thoracic disc herniation.
CONTACT Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson who really knows and understands the rare but significant thoracic disc herniation. Dr. Olding describes the thoracic disc herniation and its symptomatology as well as its relieving treatment with Cox® Technic.
Schedule a Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment at Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers for your thoracic spine and its mid-back concerns. Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers doesn’t ignore the thoracic spine, and you shouldn’t either!
