Question
Hi,

I have a herniated disk, L5/S1, and it is pressing on my Sciatic nerve causing pain and some numbness in my right foot.  Its been a week now, and the pain is only bad in the morning, but the numbness continues in my foot througout the day and night.  

I am concerned that this numbness may become permanent.  What can I do to minimize this risk?  Should I have surgery as soon as possible?  Is it possible that I have already waited too long?

Please help!

Answer
Dear J,

I don't know how long you have had this problem, or what the magnitude of the disk bulge is, but often chiropractic care will improve the neurological symptoms by relieving pressure on the nerve roots.

This can be accomplished with spinal adjustments, Cox flexion/distraction technique performed with a special table, or spinal traction with the aim of decompression of the low back.  Although conservative care won't work for every case, these are all options that you should pursue unless you have a disk fragment in the spinal canal.  Only an MRI will be able to diagnose a fragment vs. a bulge/herniation, and if there is a fragment, then you should have a surgical consult.

Please research Cox Flexion technique and decompression therapy...you can easily find more information on the internet.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net