HERNIATED OR SLIPPED DISCS

August 7, 2000

It has long been believed that herniation or rupture of a spinal disc is

permanent and has to treated surgically. Recent research with MRI and CAT

scans have shown that this is very often a fallacy. There is now evidence

that herniated discs in the neck and lumbar spine not only reduce in size

after a period of non-invasive therapy, but in many cases actually regress

and disappear, as has been shown by subsequent spinal scans. Here are a few

of the references relating to this issue of so-called slipped (herniated)

discs:

References

1. Ben Eliyahu DJ. MRI and clinical follow-up study of 27 patients receiving

chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniation. JMPT 1996;

19(9):597-606.

2. Bozzao A. Lumbar disc herniation: MRI imaging assessment of natural

history in patients treated without surgery. Radiology 1992; 185:135-141.

3. Bush K. Pathomorphologic changes that accompany the resolution of cervical

radiculopathy. Spine 1997; 22(2):183-187.

4. Ellenberg MR. Prospective evaluation of the course of disc herniations in

patients with radiculopathy. Arch Phys Med Rehab 74; Jan 1993, p. 3.

5. Komori H. Natural history of herniated nucleus pulposus with

radiculopathy. Spine 1996; 21(2):225-229.

6. Maigne JY. CT follow-up study of 21 cases of nonoperatively treated

cervical soft disc herniation. Spine 1994; 19(2):189-191.

7. Matsubara Y. Serial changes on MRI in lumbar disc herniations.

Neuroradiology 1995; 37:378-383.

8. Mochida K. Regression of cervical disc herniation observed on MRI. Spine

1998; 23(9):990-997.

9. Saal J. Nonoperative management of cervical herniated disc with

radiculopathy. Spine 1996; 21(16):1877-83.

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

mcsiff@...

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