Herniated Or Bulging Disc? Get Help Before It's Too Late!

At CT Spine And Disc Center we take Disc Herniations and Bulging Discs very seriously. These conditions usually do not get better on their own and typically get Worse!



To help understand your spine and discs think of your discs as jely donuts. Between each bone of the spine you have one. The discs allow us to move, run, jump, and ack as a shock absorber.

When the disc gets injured (the donut), the jelly breaks free from the crust. So in other words when we have a herniation or protrusion of the disc, the inner gel like material breaks through the outer fibers.

Now, if you squish a donut and all the jelly pushes to one side, the donut will bulge there. So a bulged disc is when the inner material pushes on the outer fibers bulging them outward but not breaking all the way through like a herniation.

Why are these conditions serious?
When you have a disc herniation or bulge your disc space is now smaller; and this decreasses the space your nerve root has as it branches off the spinal cord. Also, the bulge or herniated disc can literally put direct pressure on a nerve.

Remember, different nerve fibers detect and relay pain differently, so you can have a disc problem and not necessarily have that much pain.......Yet, Anyway!

The problem is - If pressure is left on the nerve, the nerve will start to break down or degenerate. The disc will also degenerate as well. Eventually because of this we will now get pain, more pain, or even worse...

The nerves of your lower back also travel to your legs, important body parts like your bladder, intestines, your sexual organs. So if left alone and nothing is done to heal a herniated disc or bulged disc, the pain...and other health problems can and will occur.

If the disc and nerve degeneration get too far along we may not be able to help!

Now, with our DRX9000 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Protocol, we are able to heal herniated and bulging discs, relieving pain and improving one's health.

Do not put off doing something about your back pain because it's "not that bad" or it "only acts up when...". It can get alot worse very quickly, and if left alone too long the breakdown and degeneration of the spine, discs, and nerves, can reach a point where they are too far gone to repair.

At CT Spine And Disc Center we will perform a detailed examination and history, and review all x-rays, MRI's and other imaging studies to determine if we can help!

Medical Advisory Board Doing More Research And Testing With The DRX9000!!

Axion Worldwide, the maker of the DRX9000, now has a medical advisory board continually doing research with the DRX9000. The DRX9000 has had a superb success record for back pain and sciatica sufferers. Because of the success of this non-surgical, natural treatment it has sparked the interest of the "traditional (drugs and surgery)" medical fields, and opened new insight into treating severe back pain and herniated discs.

Dr Joseph Pergolizzi MD of Johns Hopkins is one of the commitee members of this independent medical research advisory board. Listen to top medical school doctors and top name researchers speak on non-surgical Spinal Decompression by clicking here!



The Chiropractors at CT Spine And Disc Center use DRX9000 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression for severe back pain, sciatica and herniated disc. For more information or to see if you might qualify for treatment call 633-8756.

Brooke Burke Gets Chiropractic For Her Foot Injury

Dancing With The Star's Brooke Burke gets adjusted and therapies to help heal her foot so she can dance. 'Click Here For The Video Link From Last Night's Show'

You can see her getiing a foot adjustment and some therapy for her foot at a little after the one minute mark.

Chiropractic adjustments are not only to help the spine heal but can help many other ailments as well. At CT Spine & Disc Center the doctors are trained in extremity adjusting also.

There are many patients who come in with foot and leg problems that have had great results with chiropractic adjustments and therapies.

In addition, some patients are even fitted for special shoe insoles called Orthotics to help foot bone alignment such as flat feet or loss of an arch.

The Chiropractors at CT Spine & Disc Center utilize many Chiropractic techniques and therapies to help their patient's get rid of pain and maintain a healthy life.

What You might Have in Common With Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin

Nastia Liukin, all around gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and her family do many things to maintain a healthy lifestyle and be at the top of their game. According to Anna Liukin, her mother, she wants health and happiness most of all for her daughter, now 18. Anna Liukin discusses the 5 things that she does to maintain optimum health and fitness for her family:

1. Maintain a healthy diet and eat healthy food Nastia’s mom says,"We eat lots of vegetables and fruits and drink a lot of water. We love fresh juice, and we squeeze it ourselves at home. I always tell Nastia: 'Your body is like a car. The fuel you put in is the performance you will get.' "
   
2. Exercise The entire Liukin family is very active. "When she was small, we used to Rollerblade at the park a few times a week as a family. We also try to set a good example by doing our own individual exercises. My husband, he loves fly fishing. I enjoy jogging and Pilates and yoga.”
   
3. Rest "We're all pretty good sleepers. And we never cut sleep time for anything. Even now when Nastia is on the road for the 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars tour, she takes little naps in between shows."
   
4. Listen to your body "If something hurts, you need to take care of it right away. But we try to avoid medications unless necessary. First we try alternative methods like acupuncture or going to a chiropractor."
   
5. Enjoy your life "Even if you eat well and exercise and rest, if you are not happy, a big piece will be missing. Enjoy the moment. Don't forget to stop and smell the roses. If you want to have a cookie, have a cookie. Just don't have five and sit on the couch without exercising!"
   

Most top athletes whether Olympians of pro football players regularly go to the chiropractor. When competing against the best of the best anything that gives you the slightest edge over the competition becomes huge.

Chiropractic not only helps athletes recover from injury quicker but also helps them to prevent injury. Not only that but for your body to function at its best, the spine needs to be in normal alignment with no pressure on your nerves. At this day in age the majority of all professional teams and college teams have a team chiropractor on staff or one they regularly use.

Source: The Hartford Courant October 2008
Picture Courtesy of: Jodfevic on Flickr.com

Dr Bellinger and his team at CT Spine and Disc Center in Glastonbury CT will keep you at optimum health. He treats patients with neck pain, headaches, lower back pain and other symptoms. His office is located near Hartford, CT. Call his office at 860-633-8756 for a complimentary consultation to see if you are you are a candidate for treatment at CT Spine and Disc Center.

A Good Lumbar Support Belt Can Prevent Your Back Pain From Getting Worse

Throghout the years many patients have asked me about wearing a lumbar belt to help or prevent back pain. With so many products on the market, and so many different patients with different lifestyles and back conditions, it's hard to know what might be best for you!

I've used many different types of suppot belts and have alot of experience with all different types. The Corfit Lumbosacral Low Back Support Belt is the one we recommend the vast majority of the time.

It's not too hard or restricting, is very thin so you can wear it under clothes and no one will notice, is easy to put on and take off, and is easily cleaned. Often times patient's who have come to our office for Chiropractic Care or Spinal Decompression will use a lumbar support belt during the early stages of their care.

It helps them heal quicker, and helps prevent any additional injuries and strains while their back is healing.

For more information and information on how to wear your lumbosacral support belt click HERE!

If You Ignore Your Pain…It Can Soon Be A Disaster Just Waiting To Happen!

Pain is a symptom or in other words your body trying to tell you something. Some people ignore their pain thinking “It’ll go away on it’s own” or “I’ll deal with it later, it’s not that bad”; this is often a big mistake.

It’s sort of like, if your oil or engine light is going off- just covering part of the dash so you can’t see the light. Then one day what might happen? You’ll be on the road and your car dies; or worse, it starts smoking and the engine starts on fire. The car engine is completely destroyed and unsalvageable.

Good news is, you can buy another car. Bad news is…you can’t buy another spine. Some of us out there I think actually take care of our cars better than our bodies!

Don’t ignore your pain…99% of the time it won’t cure itself…and if left alone most times it gets worse.

Visit the doctors at CT Spine & Disc Center in Glastonbury Connecticut to find out if they can help you get rid of your pain before it gets any worse.

Getting Rid Of The Trigger Points In Your Lower Back Can Help Relieve Lower Back Pain.

Trigger points are knots in the muscle that can often be sore or painful. When they are present the muscles of the low back become more rigid and tight, causing more pressure and inflammation to accumulate on the nerves. This in turn can make your back or leg pain worse.

Most consistently the trigger points we find in people’s backs are in the lower back on each side of the spine just above the pelvis.

The reason we get these trigger points in the back, to begin with, can be from a lower back strain, past injury, or disc herniation, that puts pressure on the nerves.
If there is pressure on nerves going to the muscles of your low back, these muscles don’t get 100% of the information being sent to them. This causes muscle imbalances, tightness or trigger points.

If it’s a strain or misalignment of the spine creating the nerve pressure, chiropractic care can help relieve the pressure and therefore the trigger points in your back. Whether the cause of the nerve pressure is from a herniated disc or degenerative disc, the best option is Drx9000 spinal decompression.

In the mean time to help relieve some pressure temporarily there are ways of decreasing those trigger points. I can show you a quick way to help. With a little practice you can reach around to your low back and feel the trigger points. I say “a little practice” because it may take a couple times to realize what and where those trigger points are.

It will feel like a hard ball of muscle and it will move slightly when you press on it.

Once you find the, the best way to help loosen the muscular trigger points is to press on them and hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat this action 1-3 times. You will notice that the trigger point gets smaller and harder to stay on. You may notice it breaking up under your fingers as well. If you are having trouble locating the trigger points it sometimes helps to bend slightly forward. This pushes the muscle more to the surface.

The muscle fibers should be smooth when they are knotted up it not only causes muscle tension, but it will create more pressure on nerves and more pain. Breaking up those trigger points will help relieve your pain.

Does Your Back Pain Control Your Life?

For many, their back pain has taken over their lives. It’s the first thing they think about when they wake up, it’s the last thing they are thinking about when they go to bed and it also might be what they’re thinking about at 3am when they wake up from pain.

The pain prevents them from enjoying themselves, seeing friends and family, exercising, and even becoming more successful in their career.

I’ve treated hundreds of patients with the DRX 9000 and I can tell you with absolute certainty that back pain can not only control one’s life but it can destroy it as well.



Now, because of the advanced technology we have available, back pain sufferers can get their life back! It’s easy to do, 100% natural, non-surgical, and there are no documented side effects.

Dr Matthew Bellinger and his staff at CT Spine & Disc Center have helped hundreds of patients with severe back pain in Connecticut. If your livelihood has suffered because of back pain call our office immediately…Don’t suffer anymore!

The Two Best Stretches For Sciatica Relief

Stretching helps relax the muscles giving some relief to sciatic pain. Relaxing the muscles of the low back, buttocks and hamstrings relieves pressure on the lower nerves, relieving pain.

Stretch#1: The Knee To Chest Stretch


To perform this stretch lay on your back. Bring one knee up toward your chest, and with both hands pull that knee toward your chest. Hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds, relax, and repeat one or two more times again holding 10-20 seconds.

Pull your knee toward your chest by grabbing your leg underneath your knee. Grasping on top of the knee is ok also but if you suffer from knee pain, arthritis or other knee problems, grasping underneath the knee may be more comfortable.

You can do this particular strecth on the floor, in the bed, even standing if you prefer. Stretch one leg at a time and then also pull both legs up simultaneously while laying flat. This stretch you will feel in your low back, gluteus (buttocks), and hamstring muscles.

Stretch #2: The Piriformis Stretch


Perform stretch #1 with one leg crossed over the other. For example, cross your Left leg over your Right leg and pull your Right knee toward your chest.

This will stretch your Left piriformis muscle. Keep in mind that this stretch is significantly harder to do than stretch #1. Some may not even be able to perform this stretch, and if trying it causes you pain I would stop immediately.

If you can perform this stretch, it is often a huge benefit. You'll feel this stretch in the gluts (butt muscles - the piriformis is located at the lower buttocks), where the sciatic nerve starts out.

For more information on low back and sciatica stretches and or sciatica relief treatment visit www.ctbackdr.com. You can also call the office at 633-8756 and one of the doctors can help you with a customized stetching routine for your back.

Finally...A Successful Treatment For Low Back Pain - The DRX9000!

If you have severe back pain, leg pain, or sciatica, don't make a quick decision to opt for surgery!

A good surgeon will tell you: "I'm not going to perform your surgery until you've tried every else that may possibly help your pain."

Because the DRX9000 Spinal Decompression treatment is still relatively new, most pain sufferer's have tried alot of other treatments before they make it into our office for a consultaion.

The great news is that it is one more option to try before opting to do surgery that we now have.

What we have seen with our years in the world of medicine is that spinal surgery is very dangerous and not very successful at relieving back pain. I just saw the news a couple nights ago and they talked exactly about this. Here's the link: NBC Back Pain Series

They explain how when it comes to back surgey we are really just scratching the surface.

I cannot stress enough that you should exhaust all your options before electing to go ahead with surgery.

With back surgery your chances of getting better are less than 50/50; with the DRX9000your chances are closer to 80%. I almost forgot to mention...there's no chance of getting worse...unlike surgery, which can even be life threatening!!

To email our office with any questions you may have about the back or leg pain you or a loved one may be suffering contact us at info[at]ctbackdr[dot]com(change [at} to @, change dot to .)