Herniated Disc Treatment St. Louis
A herniated disc can cause intense back pain, stiffness, and even pain that radiates into your arms or legs. Many patients in St. Louis are told to “just rest” or consider surgery—but there are effective, non-surgical options.
What Is a Herniated Disc?
Your spine consists of 24 individual vertebrae stacked on top of each other. Flexible cushions called “discs” live between each set of vertebrae. When the disc’s outer fibers become strained or frayed it can create a weakness, and when the disc is compressed, the outer fibers may “bulge” or “protrude” like a weak spot on an inner tube. If more fibers are damaged, the jelly within the disc may “herniate” outward and irritate nearby nerves. Most lumbar disc problems occur at one of the two lowest discs – L5 or L4.
Symptoms of a Herniated Disc
Since the spinal cord and nerve roots live directly behind the disc, bulges accompanied by inflammation will likely create lower back pain that radiates into the buttock or the entire lower extremity. If the disc bulge is significant enough to make a mechanical compression of your nerve, you may also experience loss of your reflexes and weakness. Other symptoms include:
- Localized back or neck pain
- Pain radiating into arms or legs
- Pain with sitting, bending, or lifting
- Numbness or tingling
Treatment Options We Use
Our goal is to get you back to normal as soon as possible. To do that, we will likely recommend one or more of the following treatments:
- Joint Manipulation to gently restore movement to your spine.
- Therapy Modalities to ease your muscle tightness, pain, and swelling
- Spinal Decompression to change pressure in the discs
- Myofascial release or dry needling to remove your long standing tightness
- Therapeutic exercise and performance programming to help strengthen the area
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a herniated disc heal without surgery?
Yes, many herniated discs respond well to conservative care like decompression, chiropractic treatment, and rehab.
How do I know if I have a herniated disc?
Common signs include localized back or neck pain, along with pain, numbness, or tingling that travels into the arms or legs.
What makes a herniated disc worse?
Prolonged sitting, poor posture, and heavy lifting with improper mechanics can increase pressure on the disc.
How long does recovery take?
Recovery varies, but many patients begin to feel improvement within a few weeks of consistent treatment.
Looking for herniated disc treatment in St. Louis? We help patients across South County get back to normal activities without surgery. Schedule your appointment today!