Groton Chiropractic Care for Thoracic Disc Herniation
The thoracic spine, the middle section 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. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office does talk about the thoracic spine and its mid-back pain. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office gently cares for the thoracic spine’s mid-back pain to effectively ease it.
THORACIC DISC HERNIATION
The incidence of thoracic disc herniation in people who have no pain 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 healed. (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 range 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 incidence 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% were diagnosed with thoracic disc protrusion. 70.76% of thoracic disc herniations were 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 relieve the pain to find that they still have the same pain after surgery). 90% of thoracic disc pain patients report back pain, 43% report pubic pain, 35% have 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 gave details about two patients with T10-11 herniations who displayed moderate lower extremity weakness, increased patellar tendon reflex, and sensory disturbance of the entire lower extremities. (5) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office does a thorough examination to figure out just how a thoracic disc herniation is affecting our Groton 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 is highly documented for its sensitivity of 78 to 85% and specificity of 88 to 97%. (6) It leads the examining physician to the source of pain! For Groton patients with unexplained abdominal pain or odd abdominal wall bulges, consult Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office 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 Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
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 important thoracic disc herniation. Dr. Olding describes the thoracic disc herniation and its symptomatology as well as its relieving treatment with Cox® Technic.
Schedule a Groton chiropractic appointment at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office for your thoracic spine and its mid-back concerns. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office does not overlook the thoracic spine, and you shouldn’t either!
