Neck Herniated Disc Treatment

Neck pain due to herniated disc, which is called bulging disc or disc protrusion, can be one of the most debilitating causes of chronic pain.  Though not as common as low back disc protrusion, it can interfere with all daily activities, including being able to sleep.  Of course, when a person does not get enough sleep at night, it affects his or her performance at home or at work during the day.  Unfortunately many people with a herniated disc in the neck think they have to live with it, or have had risky surgery which is very often unnecessary.  Most rely on pain medication and ongoing pain management.  Moreover, a lot of them are not aware of a chiropractic method that is extremely effective in not only decreasing the pain of acute and chronic herniated disc in the neck, but most importantly, in getting the herniated disc healed.

The chiropractic method I am referring to is called Cox Flexion Distraction.  

The success rate of the use of Cox Flexion Distraction for eliminating neck pain due to bulging disc and significantly reducing neck pain from degenerative disorders of the neck within about 8 to 10 weeks of treatment is impressive.  It is so effective for treatment of the neck or back herniated disc that many patients were saved from having surgery.  Surgeries are not only expensive, they come with great risks.  Having used this method for over 18 years, I’ve saved my patients from the discomfort, temporary disability and expense of neck surgery. 

Cox Flexion Distraction is performed by using a specially designed chiropractic table.  To perform the procedure for the neck, the patient lays face down.  The doctor then gently and slowly moves a section of the table that bends at the front of the patient’s neck.  This has the effect of “suctioning” the herniated disc material away from the nerve being irritated.  An alternative method is to gently move the part of the table below the patients waist, with the doctor’s hand on the patients neck, providing a gentle and comfortable tractioning effect concentrated in the neck.  The term “suctioning” might lead you to believe that this is a painful procedure.  It is actually a gentle and safe procedure.    It gently opens up space in the irritated segment.  It gently provides controlled motion so that any inflammatory byproducts can be mobilized from the area.  I’ve used this on patients with severe acute pain, including frail, older people with osteoporosis with excellent results. 

Not all chiropractors are trained in Cox Flexion Distraction.  For additional information on Cox Flexion Distration, go here.  If you have questions regarding this procedure, or to schedule an appointment at our office, contact us.  If you are outside the San Francisco Bay Area, ask your local chiropractic clinic if they use the Cox Technic. You can also find a chiropractor through the Cox Technic website. Note that not all chiropractors with Cox training are listed in the Cox Technic website.

Dr Husbands is a Chiropractor, a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, an Anti-Aging Healthcare Practitioner and a Functional Medicine Doctor.   For more information, visit http://www.drhusbands.com.

Copyright © 2009; Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN, ABAAHP. All rights reserved.