January 2026 Healthy News from OrthoIllinois Chiropractic: Safe, Beneficial Help for Low Back Pain due to Disc Herniation
SAFETY OF CHIROPRACTIC SPINAL MANIPULATION FOR LUMBAR DISC ISSUES
Good news for back pain sufferers: chiropractic spinal manipulation, like Cox® Technic that we use here at OrthoIllinois Chiropractic, proves itself to have a beneficial safety profile for patients with lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, and radiculopathy, with really low rates of serious concerning side-effects. A retrospective cohort study of over 168,000 adults with low back pain treated at US academic health centers found no cases of cauda equina syndrome following chiropractic spinal manipulation, yielding an upper 95% confidence interval of 2.2 cases per 100,000 patients. (1) This is positive! More precisely, among patients with lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, or radiculopathy, the risk of cauda equina syndrome following chiropractic manipulation was assessed as 0.88 per 100,000 patients, which was statistically comparable to the risk linked with physical therapist-led exercise (0.44 per 100,000). (2) These results denote that spinal manipulation, when delivered by trained chiropractors, carries minimal risk even in vulnerable populations with significant spinal pathology. The evidence suggests that concerns about complications from chiropractic care for these conditions may be overdone, supporting its consideration as a conservative treatment selection within appropriate clinical guidelines and patient selection criteria. (1,2) As a chiropractic patient at our McHenry clinic, you are in well-trained, well-experienced hands to manage your condition safely and successfully!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Brandon Skiles on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about the gentle, safe, effective care of a disc herniation following the protocols of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: A New Exercise Approach for Chronic Disc Pain Relief
If you're struggling with chronic disc pain, a new exercise approach called dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) may well be the answer you've been searching for to add to your spine’s exercise routine. This method retrains your body's normal movement patterns—similar to how babies learn to stabilize their spine before walking. A recent study reported that patients doing DNS exercises had significant pain relief, more mobility, and stronger core muscles. What makes DNS different is that it does not just strengthen muscles; it teaches your body to move correctly again by reinstating natural coordination and core stability, potentially providing lasting relief from chronic back pain. (3) Let’s chat at your next chiropractic visit about the appropriateness of this exercise for you and your spine before you try this.
We wish you a happy 2026 and are so grateful for your making us a part of your spine’s healthcare team!
Schedule your McHenry chiropractic appointment with OrthoIllinois Chiropractic now!