Nashua Chiropractic Care for Thoracic Disc Herniation

The thoracic spine, the middle part of your spine, gets overlooked. “Mid back pain” does not simply come out of your mouth 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 related to seemingly unrelated conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, painful or frequent urination. Moriarty Chiropractic does talk about the thoracic spine and its mid-back pain. Moriarty Chiropractic gently treats the thoracic spine’s mid-back pain to successfully ease it.

THORACIC DISC HERNIATION

The rate 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 presented with a lateral abdominal wall bulge that shrank 8 months later as the disc herniation healed. (1) Another 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 occurrence 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% had the diagnosis of 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 compared with only 8% in the control group. 77% of the patients had 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 have back pain, 43% have pubic pain, 35% report genital area pain, 66% report lower limb pain. (4) Thoracic disc herniation sufferers often have these issues – chronic abdominal pain, digestive issues, and urological symptoms. Another researcher reported on two patients with T10-11 herniations who showed moderate lower extremity weakness, increased patellar tendon reflex, and sensory disturbance of the whole lower extremities. (5) Moriarty Chiropractic does a complete examination to determine how a thoracic disc herniation is affecting our Nashua chiropractic mid-back pain patients. 

EXAMINATION

Gastrointestinal surgeons are very likely to see patients with thoracic disc herniation as their symptoms are gastrointestinal and/or gastrourinary in nature but without any organic reason for them. A dependable test to discover whether the abdominal pain is related to issues with the abdomen or a visceral issue is Carnett’s Sign. It’s well-known for its sensitivity of 78 to 85% and specificity of 88 to 97%. (6) It directs the examining physician to the source of pain! For Nashua patients with unexplained abdominal pain or strange abdominal wall bulges, consult Moriarty Chiropractic 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 relieve pain and symptomatology of the thoracic disc herniation.

CONTACT Moriarty Chiropractic

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 Nashua chiropractic appointment at Moriarty Chiropractic for your thoracic spine and its mid-back concerns. Moriarty Chiropractic does not overlook the thoracic spine, and you shouldn’t either!