Back Pain and Herniated Discs

A 30-year-old mom bends over to pick up her four-year-old and feels a sharp stabbing pain in her lower back. A 60-year-old man bends over to pick up his five-year-old grandchild and feels an electrical shooting pain in his lower back. For both, the pain is so severe they need to sit down.

The next day, both the mom and the grandfather notice they now have pain and numbness radiating down one leg, and they are having trouble walking.

What's going on, how did it happen, and what can be done about it?

First of all, a little basic anatomy is useful. Spinal discs are weight-bearing shock absorbers. They contain a gel-like ball-bearing center, which is surrounded by tough fibrous cartilage, arranged in concentric, criss-crossing circles.1

As a person gets older, the discs naturally lose some of their water content, and cracks and fissures naturally develop in the fibrous cartilage. If a weight-bearing stress is unusual and unexpected, the gel-like material in the center of the disc can push through one of the fissures and possibly irritate a spinal nerve.

If enough of this material pushes through, the nerve can become inflamed and cause symptoms such as radiating pain and/or numbness, and possibly weakness, in one leg.

Typically, such pain and/or numbness radiates down the leg, traveling below the knee and possibly into the foot.

Such symptoms, with or without back pain, are highly suggestive of an inflamed spinal nerve. In fact, the person will usually say the leg symptoms are much worse and of greater concern than any back pain that may be present.

If the MRI confirms the disc herniation and suggests an inflamed nerve, the diagnosis is complete. What's next?

In the best scenario, conservative treatment may be sufficient and the nerve inflammation improves with time.2,3 Anti-inflammatory medication may be helpful. Chiropractic conservative therapy may include physical therapeutic modalities and gentle trigger point therapy to relieve associated muscle spasms.

A spinal surgeon should be consulted to provide an additional opinion and input. If pain is severe and there is neurologic loss, surgery may be the best option.

Of course, the best management, as always, is prevention. Pay attention to safe lifting procedures. Exercise regularly and get sufficient rest. Your chiropractor will be able to provide guidance and recommend effective protocols to help you achieve and maintain good health and wellness.

1Postacchini F: Lumbar Disc Herniation. Springer, 2004, Chapter 2.
2Rothoerl RD, et al: When should conservative treatment for lumbar disc herniation be ceased and surgery considered? Neurosurg Rev 25(3):162-165, 2002.
3Lumbar Disc Herniation. New Engl J Med 347(21):1728-1729, 2002.

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Reviews By Our Satisfied Patients

  • "PAIN FREE! Over the years I have been to several different chiropractors. As a child, I was exposed to chiropractic care through my mother. Having arthritis, chiropractic was the one place she could get relief without drugs. Even so, not all chiropractors are equal and that was never made more clear to me than when I met Dr. Roy. Having complained of lower back pain to a former chiropractor, I was never able to get any relief. It wasn't until I started being treated by Dr. Roy that I was able to go weeks without pain. I even had a manual physical therapist tell me I had scarred tissue and would never truly be pain free. Dr. Roy's methods were new to me and I was a little skeptical at first, but after a month or so of treatment I was able to go for several weeks without ANY pain! I am a believer now and I will be coming back as often as I can!!!"
    Judy Reyes
  • "THE MIRACLE DOCTOR! A friend recommended Dr. Roy to me because I could hardly walk and I was in great pain. He took x-rays and treated me immediately and it really help right away. That was in 2019. He saw me twice a week for many months before I went to once a week. He has educated me on many different situations concerning my back and that's why I call him "The Miracle Doctor.""
    Mary Kathleen Weldon
  • "ALMOST AS GOOD AS NEW AFTER SEVERE CAR ACCIDENT AFTER 2 SESSIONS 5* After decades of chiropractic care, I thought I'd received the best possible outcome for my neck injury from a fall further exacerbated by a severe car accident.
    Little did I know that in just two sessions Dr. Roy would have me almost as good as new!
    Thanks again for hearing my complaint and knowing exactly how to adjust T1/T2/C7 areas on my neck for instant, long lasting relief."
    C Broadway
  • "NO MORE MIGRAINES 5* - Dr. Roy has added a massage therapist and I'm so excited to have that available for my overall wellness care. Dr. Roy always seems to put his finger exactly where I'm needing an adjustment and with his upper cervical adjustments, I've gone from 4 migraines a month to less than one a year! I haven't felt better."
    Chrystal R.
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  • "VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS5* - I know Dr. Roy personally and he does a great job. He is an honorable man who cares about his patients and is an USAF veteran to boot."
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  • "TRUST THEM WITH MY BACK 5* - So love this place! Four days ago I came home from a long trip..my back from hurting from the travel. They were able to take me in for an appointment the very next day and put 2 ribs back in place. Besides that, I love the employees there. They are so refreshing and kind and I highly trust them with my back."
    Sara W. F.
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    Thank you so much Dr. Roy!"
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