Disc Problems: Slipped Discs, Herniation and What May Help

If you have been told you have a “slipped disc in your back” there is likely and understandable that you found the words alarming, more than the problem warrants. Many people arrive at my clinic with an MRI report full of unfamiliar medical language, convinced there is something seriously wrong with their spine and that surgery is the only way out. The reality is far more reassuring.

Disc problems are common, most settle with time and sensible care and the scan rarely tells the whole story. This page is the umbrella for the various names you may have heard for disc problems, slipped disc, herniation, disc prolapse, disc bulge, disc protrusion and degenerative disc disease and they all describe points spinal disc issues and complaints.

My aim within this page is to explain what a disc problem is, when it needs urgent attention and what conservative care and chiropractic treatment can and cannot offer.

“he is extremely knowledgeable and very reassuring.”
“I had been struggling with a bad back for over a year, when finally I tweaked it even more and was in agony! Leslie saw me quickly and helped me understand what had happened, he is extremely knowledgeable and very reassuring. I felt better even by the end of the first session! And subsequently almost brand new! …couldn’t recommend Leslie enough, you will be in very capable hands!”
Angela P

What is a Disc Problem?

Your spinal discs are the cushions that sit between the vertebral bones of your spine. Each has a tough outer ring and a softer gel-like centre and together they support your back allowing it to bend, twist and absorb load. A “disc problem” means that some part of this mechanism has weakened, bulged or torn, sometimes allowing the inner material to press outward toward a nerve.

The terminology is where much of the fear comes from, understandably. Firstly, a disc bulge can mild and can be extremely common. A disc protrusion, disc prolapse or disc herniation means the inner material has pushed further than a bulge. A disc extrusion or disc sequestration is even more pronounced. “Slipped disc” is the popular term, though it is misleading, because the disc does not slip out of place like a tile. Degenerative disc disease sounds like an illness but is largely the normal drying and thinning of vertebral discs with age. These findings turn up frequently on scans of people with no pain at all, which is why the diagnostic terminology could matter less than how you actually feel.

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What Causes a Disc Problem?

Most disc problems are not caused by a single dramatic injury. Far more often they develop gradually as the discs lose water content (dehydrate) and become less supple with age, a process that begins earlier than most people expect. Genetics can play a larger role than lifestyle in how quickly this happens. On top of this, a specific bend, lift or twist can be the moment symptoms appear, though the disc was usually already vulnerable. Heavy repetitive loading, prolonged sitting, travelling and even the hidden negatives of holidays and uncomfortable, unfamiliar beds and mattresses, driving long distances and smoking can all associated with faster disc degeneration. Sometimes there may not be clear or apparent exact trigger and it may be a result of an accumulation of events over time.

In summary, other causes of a disc problem and back pain may include; age related degeneration, scoliosis, heavy lifting, repetitive movements, poor posture, trauma or injury, excessive body weight, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, family history, occupational and work factors, poor flexibility and muscle imbalance and also underlying medical conditions, which are a less common cause.

a anotomical model of a spine showing the vertabral discs and bones and nerves to explain disc problems

Symptoms of a Disc Problem

A disc problem can cause anything from mild stiffness to a sharp, disabling pain. When the vertebral disc is irritating a nerve root, the defining feature is that pain, pins and needles, numbness or weakness travels along that nerve, often down into the buttock and leg rather than staying in the back. That leg-dominant pattern is what most people call sciatica and I cover this in detail on my sciatica page. Where the disc is causing back pain without nerve involvement, the ache tends to be central, worse with sitting, bending or coughing, and can easier when walking or lying down. A disc seen on a scan is not always the source of the pain. Back pain may be an indication that there are disc changes. However, pain free people can actually show a disc problem on an MRI scan and not necessarily have any symptoms of pain at all. Therefore scan findings have to be matched carefully to your actual symptoms by a radiologist.

How Chiropractic May Help Your Disc Problem

What careful, conservative chiropractic care may offer is help with the pain, stiffness and movement restriction while your body heals. That healing is real and well documented. A meta-analysis of eleven studies found that around 67% of herniated discs shrink on their own over time with conservative management, with the more severe herniations often resorbing most readily. My role is to support and encourage that natural course rather than interrupt it. Chiropractic care cannot repair a torn disc or push herniated material back into place and any claim to “fix” a disc should be treated with caution.

In practice that means a thorough assessment first, then a mix of gentle manual therapy or mobilisation where appropriate, specific exercise and clear advice on movement and activity. UK guidance recommends this kind of exercise and manual therapy package, alongside staying active, as first line care for disc related back and leg pain. High-velocity techniques are not suitable for every disc presentation, so the approach is tailored to what I find and where care is not appropriate or is not working, I say so and refer you on. A realistic timeframe is usually weeks rather than days and I will give you an honest estimate after examining you.

If disc problems in your back are getting in the way of things you would rather be doing, come and talk it through. I offer a free 15-minute consultation, you can come in for a short no-obligation chat with no examination or treatment.

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Or call for a chat on 01202 937568

Red flags: when to seek medical attention first

Most disc problems, however painful, generally settle and are not dangerous. There is one rare emergency that anyone with a disc problem should be able to recognise. Cauda equina syndrome occurs when a large disc herniation compresses the bundle of nerves at the base of the spine. It needs hospital treatment within hours to prevent permanent damage. Go straight to A&E if you develop numbness around the saddle area between your legs, difficulty passing or controlling urine, loss of bowel control or new weakness or numbness affecting both legs. Progressive, worsening weakness in a leg also warrants urgent GP or NHS 111 contact the same day. These signs are uncommon, but they are the ones where speed changes the outcome.

Your first chiropractic appointment

Your first chiropractic visit focuses on working out whether a disc is genuinely the source of your symptoms and whether conservative care is suitable. I take a detailed history, then carry out a physical and neurological examination, checking reflexes, muscle power, sensation and nerve tension tests such as the straight leg raise, so we are not relying on a scan report alone. I explain what I find, flag anything that needs onward referral or perhaps specialist or another type of practitioner and we agree a plan together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chiropractic care may help with the pain and stiffness a disc problem causes, but it cannot repair or reposition the disc itself and I would be wary of anyone who claims otherwise. After assessing you at my Bournemouth clinic, I use gentle manual therapy, exercise and advice to support your recovery and refer you on if that is the safer route.

Often, yes. The body reabsorbs herniated disc material surprisingly well, and around 67% of herniated discs shrink over time with conservative care rather than surgery.[3] Recovery usually takes weeks to a few months, not days. Care aims to keep you comfortable and moving while that natural process happens.

Usually not. Disc bulges and degeneration show up in a large share of people with no pain at all, appearing in roughly a third of symptom-free adults in their twenties and the majority by their eighties.[2] A scan is reserved for cases with red flags or where surgery is being considered, because for most people it changes nothing about the treatment plan.

A disc problem is a structural finding in the spine, whereas sciatica is a symptom, the leg pain that can result when a disc or another cause irritates the sciatic nerve. You can have a disc problem with no sciatica and sciatica from causes other than a disc. That distinction guides how each is assessed and managed.

Go straight to A&E if you develop numbness around the saddle area, loss of bladder or bowel control or new weakness or numbness in both legs. These can signal cauda equina syndrome, a rare emergency needing treatment within hours. A disc problem is only a chiropractic matter once those serious signs are excluded.

Whatever's behind your disc problems, come and find out

There are a lot of possible causes behind disc problems and the right first step is nearly always a proper assessment. If that's getting in the way of your day-to-day, I'd happily see you to find out whether chiropractic may help. During your consultation I'll take a full medical history, examine you carefully and answer your questions about what is going on. Before that, if you are uncertain or have questions, I offer a free chat.

Disc problems are a very common reason people come through my door here in Bournemouth and Poole.

In many of the cases I see, chiropractic care is a very well-tolerated option worth considering and I'll explain clearly whether it's likely to help in your particular case. If I think you'd be better served by your GP, a specialist or another practitioner, I'll say so and help point you in the right direction. Either way, you'll leave knowing more than when you arrived.

There's no pressure and no obligation, just come in, get assessed and let's find you a way forward.

The first step is just a conversation. Call, message or email, whatever's easiest and we'll take it from there.

References

[1] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management. NICE guideline NG59. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng59

[2] Brinjikji W, Luetmer PH, Comstock B, et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(4):811-816. https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A4173

[3] Zhong M, Liu JT, Jiang H, et al. Incidence of spontaneous resorption of lumbar disc herniation: a meta-analysis. Pain Physician. 2017;20(1):E45-E52. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28072796/

[4] Brinjikji W, Diehn FE, Jarvik JG, et al. MRI findings of disc degeneration are more prevalent in adults with low back pain than in asymptomatic controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(12):2394-2399. https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A4498

Medical Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, or guidance from a qualified healthcare practitioner. If you have any health concern, please consult your GP or another appropriately qualified clinician. Chiropractic treatment isn’t suitable for everyone. Suitability is assessed at your initial consultation, with referral to another healthcare professional made where appropriate. Treatment outcomes vary between individuals, and no guarantee of results is made or implied.

Practitioner: Leslie Budzynski D.C. | Doctor of Chiropractic | GCC registration: 00043 | BCA membership number: 0072

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