Spinal Discs are the flexible "bushings" between your vertebrae.  Their to main jobs are to create space for the spinal nerves as they exit the spinal cord through bony windows called Intervertebral Foramen (IVF), and to act as shock absorbers.  The discs are made up of two distinct parts

• ANNULUS FIBROSUS:  The Annulus is the outer part of the disc.  It is made up of ligamentous rings (like the rings on a tree).  The center-most portion of the Annulus Fibrosis contains the.........

• NUCLEUS PULPOSUS:  The Nucleus is the jelly center that is contained within the Annulus. Fluid cannot be compressed, thus these jelly centers are tremendous shock absorbers. 

As you bear weight, the pressure pushes the Nucleus toward the outside of the disc in 360 degrees.  When you bend forward (which we all do far more often than bending backwards), the Nucleus is pushed more towards the back of the disc.  The Annular fibers are typically tough enough to contain the disc during normal activities, including work.  But when stressed by too much discal pressure, these layers of ligaments can begin to fail from the inside out.  As the innermost layers of the Annulus start to tear, the Nuclear Jelly begins to "bulge" towards the outsides (right or left or both) of the rear of the disc.  The greater the tearing, the greater the bulge.

The injuries that cause Spinal Discs to bulge / herniate can be due to either acute trauma or repetitive physical stresses.  These mechanical stresses overcome the injured or weakened Annular Ligaments and allow the Nuclear Jelly to bulge outward.  If the bulge (often referred to as a DISC HERNIATION) protrudes in a small area (less than 25% of the disc's circumference), we refer to it as a Focal Disc Bulge.   But all too often, the Spinal Disc may bulge or "herniate" over a large area (up to 50% of the disc's circumference).  This is called a Diffuse Disc Bulge aka a Broad Based Disc Bulge.

As you can imagine, the differences in the two are not insignificant.  Focal Disc Bulges are more localized, causing pain that tends to be focused to only one area.  This is because there are fewer nerves involved.  Be aware, however, that a Focal Disc Herniation can and often does cause SCIATICA.  Because Diffuse Disc Bulges take up more space, they tend to cause a wider array of symptoms. The pain is often on both sides, and because the herniation often involves pressure on the cord itself, the pain and other symptoms can give the appearance of coming from multiple spinal levels of nerves.

Although it is not critical, it helps to know what kind of DISC HERNIATION you are dealing with.  This is because despite the fact that they are treated in essentially the same manner, the recovery time may be longer for a Broad Based or Diffuse Disc Bulge than it is for a Focal Disc Bulge. For a Free consultation with Dr Schierling, please call Tracy at (417) 934-6337 to schedule an appointment. I will take a few minutes to talk to you, look over your MRI, and briefly examine you.  Please be aware that only about 50% of the people I consult with are allowed to become Spinal Decompression patients.  This is because NOT EVERYONE IS A GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy.  If I do not think that Spinal Decompression will help you, I will tell you up front.

The importance of listening to my patients hit me full in the face this week.  On Monday, I had a new patient present with horrendous low back pain.  He had been to an Emergency Room the previous day, was examined, sent home, and told to take high doses of Ibuprofen.  He came to see me the next day because despite being a tough-as-nails saw mill worker, he could no longer tolerate the pain.  Although I see people in terrible pain each and every day I am in the office, this person also presented with........

• BILATERAL SCIATICA:   Any time SCIATICA is bilateral, it starts to raise a red flag.

• SADDLE PARESTHESIA:  He had abnormal sensation on the inside part of his legs that would come in contact with a saddle if he were riding a horse.

• TESTICULAR ANESTHESIA:  He could not feel his testicles. 
  

• ANAL ANESTHESIA:  He could not feel it when he wiped his rear end. 
  

• ANAL LEAKAGE:  He was leaking feces ---- and could not feel it happening. 
  

Any one of these is a potential Red Flag, but when put all together it is like a huge, glowing, UFO camped out just over your house.  I gave this individual a letter outlining my findings that took me two minutes to scrawl on office letterhead.  I also told him to go to a different Emergency Room and give the letter to whomever they came in contact with first --- immediately.  Mind you, I did not actually do an examination on this person.  There was no need.  I simply got this information from what he told me during a three minute consultation. 

I wrote on the letter that I believed he had CAUDA EQUINA SYNDROME; a serious condition that requires immediate surgical intervention. The cause of the Cauda Equina Syndrome?   After having an MRI done, they discovered a tumor pressing on his spinal cord. 

His wife called our office yesterday and told Tracy the story, who then relayed it to me.  He is scheduled for surgery later this month.  Needless to say, she was extremely grateful we actually took the time to listen to them; and then she thanked us for going out of our way to help him get the help that he needed. 

Interestingly enough, I had another patient whom I examined yesterday and who will start her Decompression Protocol on Monday.  She was excited because someone had actually "examined" her in a thorough fashion as opposed to a tap of her reflexes, bend forward, and here's a prescription for pain pills, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatory drugs.  Unlike him, I am completely convinced she is a GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression and will get dramatically better with a good SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROTOCOL.

Unlike most other doctors who do Spinal Decompression Therapy, I do not require an MRI.  Although there are numerous reasons for this, the chief one is that between 50%-70% of the adult population of America has DISC HERNIATIONS that show up on the MRI ---- yet cause no back pain, SCIATICA, or other overt symptoms (HERE).  Disc Bulges on MRI are an easy thing to point to as the cause of pain, when the reality is, it can be QUITE DIFFICULT TO TELL WHICH TISSUE IS CAUSING A PATIENT'S PAIN ---- frequently to the point of being impossible.  So, what's a person to do if MRI cannot be trusted to deliver as accurate a result as you have been led to believe?  How about a good Physical Examination and some inexpensive x-rays?

Although spinal x-rays cannot show us Disc Herniations, they do a fabulous job of showing DISC DEGENERATION (sometimes called "Spondylosis").  However, there are some very basic Examination Findings that provide a big clue as to whether or not a person is dealing with a Disc Problem.  Although there are all sorts of Neurological and Orthopedic tests that can provide some valuable clues, there are three chief signs that your problem is likely disc-related.  If you have all three, you can be pretty sure that you are dealing with at least some degree of DISC RUPTURE.

If you might be wondering whether or not Spinal Decompression Therapy might be the solution for you, please call Tracy at (417) 934-6337 to set up a free, no-obligation, consultation with Doctor Schierling.  Not everyone is a GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy.  If he thinks that you can be helped, he will tell you so.  If not, he will tell you that also. 

If you suffer from chronic, unrelenting low back or neck pain, you very well may have heard these two excuses before from your doctor.  They're convenient.  They blame the situation wholly on you.  Not to mention they require no effort as far as finding a solution to your problem.  No solution, of course, other than drugs or surgery ---- things we know not only do not help large percentages of suffering people, but frequently result in making things worse (HERE).  No, I do not even hope to claim to have all the answers, but in all honesty, why would you not try our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROGRAM before jumping in to a SPINAL SURGERY?  Although Spinal Decompression Therapy routinely helps people who have already had spinal surgery, the odds of you getting better with conservative means begins to decrease sharply each time you go under the knife.  Oh, and here are The Big-Two Excuses.

• Well, Mrs. Jones, you just aren't as young as you used to be.
• I'm sorry Mrs. Jones, but you are just going to have to learn to live with the pain.
  

Like I said, excuses like these are simple.  They require little from your doctor.   They put all the blame back on you.  After all, you're just "too old" to have any hope of improvement.  Mind you that you will hear this excuse whether you are 35 or 85.  It's usually a simple cop out.  And because doctors are more than aware of just how poorly their bag of tricks for dealing with THE BIG FOUR really is, they tell you to just learn to live with it.  Listen up folks; don't take this sort of advice lying down.  Your health is up to you.  Leave it solely up to your doctors and you'll end up like so many patients I have seen over the years ---- Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead!

Of course, you should watch our videos and think seriously about Spinal Decompression Therapy.  But the truth is, I am not interested in helping people who refuse to help themselves.  Sounds callous doesn't it?  It's not.  The promise of modern medicine is, "What can you do for me doc?".   For many people this means, "What can you prescribe me or do to me that will fix my back pain and sciatica but let me continue to live the same self-destructive lifestyle I always have?".   If people are not willing to take some baby steps and do some of the things required to help their own cause, odds are I will not be able to help them.   What can people do to help their cause?  Glad you asked!

• LOSE WEIGHT:  I had a patient who had incredible results with Spinal Decompression Therapy.  Unfortunately, he was severely overweight ---- all right in the belly.  I warned him that this would affect his results.  It did.  After a few months, he weighed more than when he started our program, and was right back where he started as far as his pain was concerned.  To learn how to get excess weight off and keep it off, visit THIS PAGE.
  

• EXERCISE:  This is not just a weight issue.  All the joints in your body (including your Spinal Discs) require motion / movement to remain healthy.  Without some exercise of some sort, healing a Disc Problem is going to be difficult.  By the way, sitting puts four times the amount of mechanical stress on your spine as standing does.  If you can stand it, walking is great exercise for a disc --- just try to stay off concrete.

• AVOID INFLAMMATION:  Inflammation is not synonymous with swelling, it is a group of normal Immune System chemicals that attract swelling to them.  Although using local ice is beneficial to help limit these chemicals, you will have to avoid the foods that cause INFLAMMATION.  This means that you need to be avoiding sugar and junk, while eating lots of vegetables and a certain amount of lean protein.  You will also have to learn the difference between good fats and bad fats (HERE), because this is a factor that can seriously drive inflammation or substantially inhibit it.

• GIVE UP THE CIGS:  I know that this is a tough one.  Unfortunately for you, the research says that if you smoke, you will have significantly greater amounts of SPINAL DEGENERATION in your spine than your non-smoking counterpart.  The disc has a poor blood supply to begin with.  This is why we use OXYGEN THERAPY as part of our standard DISC PROTOCOL. 

• TRY INVERSION:  I bought my first Inversion Table years ago.  It is interesting to note on the "customer comments" sections of huge sites such as Amazon dot com, just how many people with the same problems you are dealing with are helped by this simple / inexpensive therapy.  However, it must be done correctly.  HERE is my Blog Post on which table to buy and how to use it properly, as well as the best research studies on the topic. 

• USE AN EXERCISE BALL:  The instability of the ball builds stability into your back.  Also, the bouncing motion pumps fluid in and out of the disc.  This is how exchange takes place in a disc in lieu of a blood supply.  CORE STRENGTH AND EXERCISE BALL PAGE
  

When the things above do not work, it is time to move to plan "B".  All I mean by Header Title is do your own research.  Do not automatically assume that any doctor you consult with is telling you the truth or looking out for your best interest --- after all; Spinal Surgery can be a huge money maker.  I personally want patients who ask questions and do their own research.  The truth is, CHRONIC PAIN patients are a group of people who are easily taken advantage of.  This is what desperation brings out in people.  At Schierling Chiropractic, LLC, my goal is to not only help you as much as you can be helped, it is to help you help yourself. 

After a free consultation where I review your history and tests (MRI's, CT's, X-rays, etc), I will tell you whether you are a GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy.  Unfortunately, for all sorts of reasons, about half of the patients I consult with are not good candidates.  If I think I can help you, I will tell you.  And if I think I can't, I will tell you that also.  We had a person recently, whose problem was not disc related, but instead a PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME that was easily resolved with TISSUE REMODELING.  If you would like to schedule a free, 100% no-obligation consultation with Dr. Schierling, just call Tracy at (417) 934-6337.

If you read any of the comments from my LAST BLOG POST, you are aware that the blog was partially in reference to Chiropractic Marketing expert, Ben Altadonna and his relationship with Axiom; creator of the DRX9000 Spinal Decompression Table. Although the DRX9000 is great equipment (HERE), I am not convinced that it is any better than most other Spinal Decompression Equipment on the market today.  Anyway, from what I have been reading and hearing, it seems like the Marketing Campaign that Altadonna created for Axiom's DRX9000 was simply based on information that he was given by Axiom --- and at the time could not have known was not true.  

After checking around, most people think that Ben is a stand up guy ---- a guy who was essentially railroaded into a settlement with the government (something that is increasingly happening in numerous professions, including chiropractic).  For more on this, please read the comments under my last Blog Post.  Someone even wrote that, "Ben's one of those guys. Extremely successful but last time I checked, just drives a big truck and likes fly fishing."  Hey, sounds like my kind of guy.  Ben; if you ever get a hankering to come do some fishing in my neck of the Ozarks (HERE & HERE), just look me up.

DEFINITION OF "ANTALGIA" or "ANTALGIC":   Assuming a specific posture or gait so as to avoid or lessen pain.

One of the three "Cardinal Signs" of disc problems is antalgia.  People who have an "antalgic" posture, are contorting their bodies (this happens automatically or unconsciously) to get away from pain.  When a person has a Disc Herniation we know that the Nucleus Pulposus (the disc's jelly center) begins to break the innermost layers of the ligamentous Annulus Fibrosus.  Although people can have "Posterior Herniations" where the Nucleus ruptures straight backwards into the Spinal Canal / Spinal Cord, Lateral Herniations are far more common.

In the case of a Lateral Disc Herniation, the herniation is slightly offset to either the right or the left.  Because the Spinal Nerves exit the Spinal Cord on both the left and the right side, a Lateral Disc Herniation will tend to compress, pinch, or irritate, those nerves.  Although this nerve irritation will frequently cause Sciatica or Radiculopathy (pain, numbness, tingling, weakness) that runs into the extremities (arms or legs), there is something that typically happens before this or right along with it.  Antalgia.

Because your body does not like pain, it will automatically contort your body into a position where there is less amount of nerve irritation.  It is actually common to see very subtle amounts of Antalgia. I frequently have people lift their shirts up so that I can see their belly button.  Often times the belly button will be pulled slightly out of center even though the body is not in a grossly antalgic posture. 

If you understand this simple drawing above, you already have a basic understanding of the nervous system.  Your brain controls every single function of your body via an electrical wiring harness made up of nerves.  Nerves connect your brain to the various organs, tissues, glands, and muscles of your body so that your body can communicate with the brain ---- and the brain can communicate with the body.  As a chiropractor, I deal with SUBLUXATIONS.  These are bones (usually vertebrae) that are either out of place or not moving freely in relationship to each other.  One of the problems with subluxations is that even in the absence of pain, they can create nerve interference.  Just remember that when you create an interference in the nerve system, you tend to cause at least some degree of dysfunction to whatever gland, organ, or tissue which that particular nerve controls.

RADICULOPATHY DEFINITION:
Radiculopathy not a specific condition.  It is descriptive of the phenomena in which one or more nerve roots are affected at or near the spine. The result can be pain where the nerve root is actually being irritated, but it frequently goes beyond that.  It often causes radicular pain (pain anywhere along the pathway of the irritated nerve), weakness, numbness & tingling, or difficulty controlling specific muscles / movements.  This phenomenon is often called "Referred Pain".  Because these same Spinal Nerves also control organ and glandular function, these can be affected as well. 

DISC PROBLEMS:
Sometimes this nerve interference is not caused chiefly by a Subluxation, but by a Spinal Disc Problem.  Disc Problems that can cause Radiculopathy include "The Big Four" ---- HERNIATED DISCS, DEGENERATIVE DISCS, FACET SYNDROME or SPINAL STENOSIS.   Many people realize that when these problems are in your low back they can cause SCIATICA (pain or symptoms in the leg(s), but fewer people are aware that an almost identical scenario can take place in the neck and arms.  When this happens, the problem is typically referred to as "Radiculopathy" or "Cervical Radiculopathy"

Understanding SCIATICA is simple.  All the nerves from your low back and pelvis grow together into one large nerve.  This nerve is as large as your biggest finger, and travels down your leg; all the way to your toes.  A "Cervical Radiculopathy" acts in a similar fashion.  All the nerves from the lower 2/3 of your neck grow together to form 3 main nerves that eventually end up in your arm and hand (Radial Nerve, Ulnar Nerve, and Median Nerve).  Cervical Radiculopathy will typically manifest with pain, but can also cause pins & needles, numbness & tingling, weakness, burning, and various other paresthesias (odd sensations).  Here are some pictures that will help you understand Cervical Radiculopathy.

To set up a Free, No-Obligation consultation with me (Dr. Russell Schierling), simply call (417) 934-6337 and talk to Tracy.  I will sit down with you and look at your history as well as your tests.  If I can help you, I will explain how and what it will take.  If I cannot help you --- no hard feelings; I will try and get you to someone who can.  Like I have said for a long time; NOT EVERYONE IS A GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy.

Although you might start seeing a change in the way your back feels almost immediately after starting your SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROTOCOL, healing will take longer ---- actually much longer.  This is critical for you to know and understand.

HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES FROM CIGNA INSURANCE COMPANY.  OTHER INSURANCE COMPANY'S GUIDELINES WILL BE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL.
MY COMMENTARY IS IN RED

• Rest if you have severe pain. Otherwise, stay active. Staying in bed for more than 1 or 2 days can weaken your muscles and make the problem worse. Walking and other light activity may help [This is actually pretty good advice.  If you have been paying attention, you already know that DISC DEGENERATION is caused by loss of normal joint motion over time.  Ultimately, the thing that is going to help you heal is a restoration of joint motion.].
• Try using a heating pad on a low or medium setting for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 or 3 hours. Try a warm shower in place of one session with the heating pad. You can also buy single-use heat wraps that last up to 8 hours. You can also try an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes every 2 to 3 hours [Quick question:  What does an ankle do when you injure it?  That's right; it swells.  What does a Spinal Disc do when you injure it?  It does the same thing --- the only difference is that the swelling is deep where you cannot see it visibly.  If you want to understand this issue, read our ICE -vs- HEAT article.  I am all for heat as long as it's done the right way.  Do it the wrong way and it will make you worse.]
  
• Do the exercises that your doctor or physical therapist suggests. These will help keep your back muscles strong and prevent another injury. [Hey, I can't argue with this.  If you can do these exercises, by all means do them!  Just be aware that often times people who are suffering with HERNIATED DISCS cannot do the exercises without causing immense amounts of pain.  Also be aware that giving everyone the same set of generic exercises is not the answer.  There are no one-size-fits-all exercises.  And do not under any circumstances to crunches of situps (DR. STUART MCGILL'S ARTICLE)]
  
• Ask your doctor about medicine to treat your symptoms. Medicine won't cure a herniated disc, but it may help with pain and swelling. [There is no dishonor in taking pain meds for severe pain.  However, not only are NARCOTICS dangerous, they are addictive as well.  And the commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs?    The less powerful ones do not provide any much benefit at all, and the more powerful ones (CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS) are so degenerative and dangerous that good doctors will explain to you why they can only give you a couple of them --- even if they actually help with your symptoms.]
  

Usually a herniated disc will heal on its own over time. About half of people with a herniated disc get better within 1 month, and most are better within 6 months. Only about 1 person in 10 eventually has surgery.  Be patient, and stay with your treatment. If your symptoms don't get better in a few months, you may want to talk to your doctor about surgery.  [I find this paragraph highly problematic.  Sure, a HERNIATED DISC is going to eventually heal on its own over time.  The same can be said for almost any injury.  In fact, you could say the same thing about a person whose broken arm is bent at a 45 degree angle.  Just give it some time and it will heal --- improperly!  If left to their own devices, nearly all injuries will heal.  The real question though is how they heal.

The truth is that even though surgeons are suggesting and doing Spinal Surgeries at an ever increasing rate (EIGHT FOLD INCREASE IN SPINAL FUSIONS SINCE 2003), more and more people are putting off these surgeries because they have been made aware of just HOW POOR THE OUTCOMES ARE.  And isn't it funny how Insurance Companies are willing to make the leap from "walking", "physical therapy", and "medications" (things that all of you reading this post have already tried), to surgery, without first suggesting something that is not only shown by large amounts of SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH and ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE to be effective for helping heal disc problems?  SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY costs less than 5% of what the average Spinal Surgery is going to cost.  I always thought insurance companies were interested in saving money!

I did not understand their mindset when I started practice two decades ago, and I still do not understand it today!  If insurance companies were interested in what's best for their clients (as well as saving a boat-load of money in the process), they would be "making" their clients who are diagnosed with "THE BIG FOUR" (HERNIATED DISCS, DEGENERATIVE DISCS, SPINAL STENOSIS, or FACET SYNDROME) try a round of Spinal Decompression Therapy before they could as much as speak with a surgeon.]

 
I want you to notice something that is said (or rather, not said) in the section above.  Cigna states that, "About half of people with a herniated disc get better within 1 month, and most are better within 6 months."  This is a true statement.  But it does not tell the whole truth.  What does the word "better" really mean?  Does it mean that the disc is healed?  Or does it just mean that their pain is less severe now than it was on the day they herniated the disc?  You know; the week they could not get out of bed, get dressed, or even get to the toilet.  Sure they're better.  They can at least get out of bed on their own now.  But are they really "better "?   Not always.

The disc is made up of an outer Annulus that is comprised of layer upon layer of ligaments.  the ligaments of the Annulus hold the jelly center (Nucleus) in place.  When these ligaments start to tear, the Nuclear Jelly is allowed to "bulge" or HERNIATE toward the outside.  The more Annular tearing that occurs, the further the Nucleus pushes its way out of the disc.   The Nucleus frequently ends up compressing the Spinal Nerves, the Spinal Cord, or both.  Not fun!

Now that we've ascertained that the part of the disc that actually tears or ruptures is the ligaments, let's discuss what it takes to get injured or torn ligaments to heal.

Most of us have heard the old adage, "You would have been better off to break your bone than to tear the ligaments that hold the bones together".  Why is this?  Why have doctors been making this or similar statements for decades?  It has to do with blood supply.  Ligaments have virtually no blood supply.  Blood is what brings OXYGEN, nutrients, and water into the disc ---- and carries metabolic waste products out (so that the cells do not become toxic / acidic).   If you have followed this blog, you are already aware that the disc is said to be "avascular".    In simple English, this means that it has no blood supply.

When I was researching this article, I came across a question on a message board about a certain professional athlete.  Someone was wanting to know why so-and-so (a professional football player) had not yet come back from his injury --- an injury to the ligaments of his ankle.  Bear in mind that the ankle is not nearly as complex as the Spinal Disc.  Also bear in mind that a professional athlete is going to have the best surgeons, the best and most up-to-date rehab, and he will be treated 6-8 hours a day, every day, for months on end!  On top of that, he was already a well-trained athlete in superb physical condition.  Listen to the response by a bioengineer (expert in biomechanics) commenting on the case.

It is imperative that you notice his last sentence.  Without oxygen, you're producing about 1/8 the energy that you would have produced with oxygen in the cell.  I am hoping that you are beginning to realize how big a deal this is.  A trained athlete, who has access to the most technologically advanced rehab on the planet ---- for hours and hours a day, is going to take a minimum of 6 months to heal.  And we are to believe Cigna; that if you simply do nothing, most injured Spinal Discs will heal themselves in 1-6 months?  Come on!  Look around you people.  If this were true, you would not see such an absurd number of people suffering with unrelenting Chronic Back & Neck Pain! 

Some of the latest scientific research on the subject says that even though a person with a disc injury might be out of pain in 6-8 weeks, the disc itself will take 300 to 500 days to heal.  And because ligaments (remember, the part of the disc that actually has to heal is made up of ligaments) can only heal to about 60 to 70% of their previous strength and elasticity.  This is why disc injuries can be such a huge deal ----- and why they DEGENERATE if not taken care of properly.

Since the disc has no blood supply, the "cellular exchange" (swapping oxygen, nutrients, and water, for waste products) must take place via the disc's fluid.  How does this occur.  The disc acts as its own pump.  As long as the disc is moving / pumping, the disc is being nourished and oxygenated.  However, abnormal joint motion caused by injury or degeneration is what itself causes degeneration.  This leads to loss of motion, which leads to more degeneration.

If you read the three paragraph explanation from the biomechanical expert (above, red), you are starting to see how big a deal that proper rehab is to achieving proper healing.  This is why we use COLD LASER THERAPY.  Specific frequencies of light from a Cold Laser turns on the cell's MITOCHONDRIA.  This process, called "Photo-bio-modulation" somehow causes the cells to make extra ATP ---- lots of extra ATP.  It helps make up for the fact that without oxygen, the cells can only make 1/8 of the amount of ATP (cell energy) that they otherwise would.  But we do not stop there.

We add Oxygen to our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROTOCOL as well.  Once you understand how critical oxygen is to the healing process, it's a no-brainer.  Because the cerebellum regulates the Spinal Postural Muscles, we also add CEREBELLAR REHAB to our protocol as well.  We also address the problem disc's "Abnormal Motion" issues as well.  This is done via different kinds of CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS and a home exercise program.  The bottom line is that the core of our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROGRAM is geared towards getting more motion, more OXYGEN, more water, and more nutrition into the Disc; while pumping metabolic toxins out of the Disc. 

Bear in mind that the 300 to 500 days it take for a disc to completely heal is a long time.  This is why there is more to our program than simply treating you for 6 or 8 weeks and then telling you to hit the bricks because you feel better.  You will be given specific exercises that not only strengthen the spinal muscles, but actually help put motion back into the disc so that it can "pump" like it is supposed to.  We will talk to you about numerous other things that you can (no, "must") do to continue the disc's healing process.  I will also show you which supplements are the best as far as providing specific nutrients geared toward healing discs / ligaments.  I will also strongly suggest a home-regiment of INVERSION THERAPY.  It's the total package!

Don't continue to suffer.  And before you decide on a RISKY SPINAL SURGERY, you seriously need to consider Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy!  It's both EFFECTIVE and safe, as proven by dozens of SCIENTIFIC STUDIES.  Simply pick up the phone and call (417) 934-6337 to set up a free no-obligation consultation with Dr. Schierling.  He will sit down and review your history and tests, and determine whether or not you are A GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy.

Hey Doc; they fiiiiiiiiinally figured out what's wrong with me!  I got a "Disease" in my spine!

Yep.  I'll never forget the first time I hard this.  Now it's an almost daily occurrence.  About a decade ago, the medical community struck a blow of marketing genius, when they changed the name of this problem from Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine to Degenerative Disc ---- Disease.  Instead of simply having a DEGENERATIVE DISC, you now have a "Disease".  Brilliant!  Just convince people that they have a "disease" in their spine, and that nothing they do except DRUGS & INJECTIONS will help.  Their only hope is to take various medications and pray that someone dreams up a new-fangled surgery to help them.  The only problem is that SPINAL SURGERIES simply don't work, and medication covers symptoms without addressing underlying cause.

Discs degenerate because they have abnormal motion over time.  The longer the time, the more degeneration you will see.  This degeneration is in the form of loss of disc height, thin discs, bone spurs, and calcification (calcium deposits).  And while there are certainly things that contribute to Spinal Disc Degeneration (smoking, sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, etc), the truth is that Disc Degeneration is largely a mechanical problem caused by abnormal joint motion over time.  Let's take a look.

In both of these x-rays, you can see a substantial amount of Spinal Degeneration.  In the picture on the right, we have a side view of a neck.  Compare the disc height at the top to the disc height at the bottom.  Notice the thin discs, calcium deposits, and bone spurs.  The x-ray on the left is a low back.  The person is facing to the left.  Notice the extremely thin L5 disc at the bottom --- just above the tailbone (sacrum).  Compare it to the discs above. 

Although blaming disc degeneration on "Normal Aging Processes" is an absurdly common ploy, this cannot be the case.  How old is the thin disc compared to the non-degenerative discs above?  Let's be honest with each other.  Hey; by now you should realize that diseases are marketable.  Diseases sell products and services ---- including all sorts of really profitable drugs.  Diseases scare people into doing things they would not otherwise do.  Stop.  You do not have a disease!  But if you hope to ever slow down the progression of this problem, you are going to have to step outside of the medical box.  Treatment that does not address the "compressed " nature of these thin and progressively degenerative discs, is never going to make a long-term difference!

Call Tracy at (417) 934-6337 to set up a free, no-obligation consult with Dr. Schierling concerning Spinal Decompression Therapy for your Degenerative Discs.  Check out our TESTIMONIALS.  Look at the RESEARCH.   Schierling Chiropractic, LLC is centrally located in Mountain View, MO (South Highway 17 between the Kingdom Hall & Christian Church --- across from A-1 Storage).  Why drive to Springfield for Spinal Decompression Therapy when you can have it done locally?  Driving times from area towns include....

• WEST PLAINS: (30 minutes)
• WILLOW SPRINGS: (15 minutes)
• SUMMERSVILLE: (15 minutes)
• THAYER / MAMMOTH SPRINGS: (one hour)
• BIRCH TREE: (15 minutes)
• CABOOL: (30 minutes)
• MOUNTAIN GROVE: (40-45 minutes)
• WINONA: (30 minutes)
• EMINENCE: (40-45 minutes)
• VAN BUREN, MO: (45 minutes)