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Conditions We Treat
Disc Injury Treatment in Pawleys Island, SC
Bulging, herniated and degenerated discs are the conditions the DRX9000 was built for.
What happens to an injured disc
Each disc is a cushion between two vertebrae. Under sustained pressure it loses height and hydration, and the softer inner material can push outward against the tough outer ring, which is a bulge. If that ring tears and material escapes, it is a herniation.
Neither is necessarily painful on its own. The pain comes when displaced material presses on a nearby nerve root.
Disc Conditions
The Different Kinds Of Disc Problem
These terms get used interchangeably and they should not be. They describe different stages, and they respond differently.
Bulging disc
The disc presses outward beyond its normal boundary while the outer ring stays intact. Often painless until it contacts a nerve.
Herniated disc
The outer ring tears and inner material escapes. More likely to produce radiating symptoms because the escaped material is chemically irritating to nerves.
Degenerative disc disease
Not a disease so much as a description: the disc has lost height and hydration over years. Common on imaging in people with no pain at all.
Annular tear
A tear in the outer ring without material escaping. Can be very painful and typically worsens with sitting and bending.
Spinal stenosis
Narrowing of the canal the nerves travel through, often from arthritic change alongside disc height loss. Classically eases when leaning forward.
Pinched nerve root
The end result of most of the above: a compressed nerve producing pain, numbness or weakness along its specific path.
Signs of a disc problem
- Back or neck pain with radiating pain into a limb
- Numbness, tingling or weakness along a nerve path
- Pain that worsens with sitting, bending or lifting
- Symptoms that ease when lying down
- A previous MRI or X-ray showing disc changes
Why decompression rather than surgery first
Spinal decompression is non-surgical, requires no recovery downtime and carries none of the risks of an operation. For many disc patients it is a reasonable first step before considering anything invasive.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Nothing actually slips. A disc is firmly attached to the vertebrae above and below it. A bulge means the disc has deformed outward, which is why the phrase persists even though it describes something that does not happen.
Frequently not. Most disc herniations improve without an operation. Non-surgical decompression is a reasonable first step for many patients, and Dr. Fico will refer you for a surgical opinion where the findings genuinely warrant it.
Not necessarily. Degenerative change appears on imaging in a large share of people with no symptoms whatsoever. What matters is whether it correlates with your symptoms, which is what the examination establishes.
Discs have limited blood supply, which is why they heal slowly. Decompression works by improving the exchange of fluid and nutrients into the disc, which supports repair. Results vary by patient, disc and how long the problem has been present.
Meet Your Chiropractor
Dr. Neil Fico, D.C.
Dr. Neil Fico has cared for patients on the Grand Strand for nearly 30 years. Pawleys Island is both where he practices and where he lives, and he personally evaluates every new patient who walks through the door.
His approach is integrative: corrective chiropractic adjustments, Summus laser therapy and DRX9000 spinal decompression, chosen to relieve the pain and correct what is causing it. If chiropractic care is not right for your condition, he will tell you.
New Patient Special
Start With A $49 First Visit
Before any treatment plan, Dr. Fico sits down with you to find out what is actually causing the pain. That first visit, the consultation, full exam and X-rays if you need them, is $49 instead of $250.
- One-on-one consultation with Dr. Neil Fico
- Complete orthopedic and neurological exam
- Digital X-rays if clinically indicated
- Sit-down report of findings and care plan
No obligation to start treatment. If chiropractic care is not right for your spine, Dr. Fico will tell you and point you where to go next.
Prefer to talk first? Call (843) 979-CARE (2273). Mon and Wed 8am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm, Tue and Thu 9am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm, Fri 8am to 1pm.
LIMITED TIME OFFER
New Patient Special
Initial Consultation, Exam & X-Rays
$250 ValueONLY $49
Receive an initial consultation, chiropractic exam and X-rays, if needed, for only $49.
