Many research projects show conservative chiropractic care is safer and often more effective than back surgery.

The chiropractic approach is to help restore a more normal motion and position of affected spinal bones with specific chiropractic adjustments. The simplicity and success of this approach has been documented in numerous research projects and has helped many patients avoid risky surgery.

Chiropractic doctors often consult with neurologists, radiologists, and orthopedic specialists when designing care programs for patients with disc involvement.

Surgical treatment often involves removing these facet joints, exposing the spinal cord. Another cause of lower back pain can be a bulging disc putting pressure on the spinal cord or a nearby nerve root. The result is often numbness, tingling, or pain down the leg. Cutting away the bulging disc tissue can permanently alter its ability to separate and cushion the adjacent bones. This rarely addresses the underlying structural cause(s) of the problem.

Many of the pain-sensing nerves of the spine are in the facet joints, the two interlocking “fingers” at the back of each spinal bone. The normally smooth surfaces on which these joints glide, can become rough, irritated, and inflamed.