Oriental medicine (OM), also known as Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a healing art that existed in some form or other for more than 3,000 years. Some of the earlier texts date back from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 ACE). In the western world, it is commonly known as acupuncture. However, acupuncture is only one of several modalities that physicians of TCM use to treat patients. TCM emphasizes the role of the body in the healing process and uses herbs and natural agents to maintain health. It is an effective form of treatment and a particularly safe form of therapy. TCM is a complete medical system that takes into account every aspect of human life to promote health and well-being. It sees the body as one whole entity like a “Garden” and encompasses its physical, emotional, energetic, as well as its spiritual aspects. It emphasizes on the “Vis medicatrix” the “healing power of nature” better known as “the inborn ability of the human body to respond to the insult of illness or injury and restore itself to health in most episodes of disease or trauma (Whorton, 2002, p. 6).” The goal for treatment is boosting the ecological condition to favor self-regulatory capacity. Physicians in the eastern world are trained to examine skin, complexion, bones, channels, smells, sounds, mental state, preferences, emotions, tongue, pulse, demeanor, and body build to discern patterns that underlie a patient’s complaints. TCM’s wholistic approach to healing addresses the underlying cause of disease, and allows the body to heal itself naturally. Physicians are taught to treat the cause not just the symptoms of an illness so that the body can function more efficiently and therefore ensuring true health.
*24-hour online scheduling! Appointments are immediately confirmed upon booking. Kindly cancel 24-hours in advance if you cannot keep your appointment. Thanks for choosing us :)
Chiropractic | Acupuncture | Massage
Questions?
1898 S Clyde Morris Blvd., Ste. 120 Daytona Beach, FL 386.872.7167
Disc Herniation and Chiropractic
Anyone who has ever suffered a disc herniation (commonly known as a "slipped disc") knows that these conditions can be extremely painful. Without proper treatment, these injuries can lead to even more severe conditions such as sciatica, degenerative disc disease, and in severe cases can require surgical intervention. The good news is that thousands of people have managed to avoid surgical intervention through the use of chiropractic care. Chiropractic treatment, especially early after injury can work miracles for the symptoms associated with a disc injury. But before we dive too deep into this, lets talk some more about what a disc injury is and what might cause you to have one.
​
Disc herniations are most common in the low back. This isn't surprising if we think about all of the stress we put on our low back throughout the day. Between sitting, standing, bending, lifting and twisting, we're putting our low back through quite a bit of abuse! That's not even counting any sporting activities, car accidents or other injuries that might be in the mix! Throughout each of these activities we're putting stress on the discs between the bones in our spines and causing small tears in the disc fibers. This can lead to the beginning of a disc injury, called a disc bulge (shown below). Over time, these micro tears can become larger and eventually rupture, causing the softer material of the inside of the disc to spill out into the joint spaces as shown on the image below.
This rupture of the disc material is called a disc herniation. If this occurs in the low back, you may or may not feel or hear a pop (often not painful) as that disc ruptures. Thereafter you will likely start to feel tightness, swelling and pain in the area as your body begins to react to the injury. If the herniation is severe, you may begin to experience pain or numbness down the back of one or both legs as the disc puts pressure on your sciatic nerve.
​
Chiropractors have an excellent track record when it comes to treating and managing disc herniations. When compared with the high failure rate, cost, and risks associated with back surgery, chiropractic is certainly a much better route for individuals that are good candidates for chiropractic care. If you feel that you may have a disc injury, contact our office to schedule your free initial consultation with Dr. Fleming. If you'd like to proceed with scheduling your first appointment, you may do so online or by calling our office. We are more than happy to assist you in any way we can!
Dr. Alesha Fleming
Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC
Daytona Beach, FL
Dr. Fleming is a family chiropractor in Daytona Beach, Florida. She is passionate about preventative health care and nutrition and enjoys empowering her patients to improve their health and fitness, one day at a time!