Low Back & Pelvis
Lumbar Disc Herniation
Also called: Slipped disc, ruptured disc
A disc in the low back bulges or ruptures, often irritating the nerve to the leg. Frequently follows loaded flexion (lifting with a rounded back) or accumulates over time. Important truth: most herniations shrink and heal — large ones often reabsorb best — and most people recover without surgery.
Common signs
- Low back pain, often with leg pain worse than back pain
- Pain radiating below the knee, sometimes to the foot
- Numbness/tingling in a specific part of the leg or foot
- Worse with sitting, bending, coughing, sneezing
- Sometimes a visible lean away from the painful side
Seek help now if
- Saddle numbness, bladder retention or incontinence, bowel changes — cauda equina syndrome, go to the ER now
- Progressive leg weakness or foot drop
- Both legs symptomatic
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- Get a neurological exam mapping strength, sensation, and reflexes — this baseline tracks recovery
- Find your directional preference (many centralize with repeated extension) and use it frequently
- Modify sitting: shorter bouts, lumbar support, stand often
- Expect meaningful improvement over 6–12 weeks; leg pain retreating toward the back is the healing signature
If it's become chronic
- Persistent leg symptoms past 6–12 weeks: MRI to correlate with exam, continue progressive care, consider co-management
- Long-term success comes from hinge mechanics, core endurance, hip mobility, and graded return to loading
- Surgical consult for progressive deficits or intractable radicular pain — conservative care continues either way
Natural healing options we use
- Flexion-distraction and specific chiropractic care
- Directional preference exercise (commonly McKenzie extension)
- Attended e-stim and PEMF for pain and inflammation
- Nerve glides for the leg
- Collagen, omega-3, vitamin D, and hydration for disc and nerve recovery
About imaging
MRI when red flags, significant weakness, or symptoms persisting despite 6+ weeks of care. Findings must be matched to your exam — discs on imaging are common in pain-free people.
Daily self-care
- Walk often; avoid prolonged sitting
- Directional-preference exercises in frequent small doses
- Absolute technique discipline with any bending/lifting
How we can help
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Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.