Can Spinal Decompression Help a Bulging Disc? – La Jolla, CA

If You've Been Told You Have a Bulging Disc, What Do You Do Next?

Finding out you have a bulging disc can leave you with more questions than answers.

Is the disc actually causing your pain? Can it get worse? Is that why you're having sciatica or numbness? Do you need an injection? Is surgery eventually going to be necessary?

And if you've heard about Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, there's another obvious question:

Can spinal decompression actually help a bulging disc?

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has spent more than 20 years working with patients with bulging, herniated, protruded and extruded discs.

His answer is that Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option for the right patient.

But having the words “bulging disc” written on an MRI report does not automatically make someone a candidate.

The first step is figuring out whether the disc is actually contributing to your symptoms and whether your particular condition can be treated safely.

She Travels From the United Kingdom for Treatment

Lisa S. has three bulging discs, including one she says is touching a nerve.

She travels from the United Kingdom to San Diego to receive care from Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

She wrote:

“I travel from the UK to see Dr Boelk and his wonderful team. I have 3 bulging disc and one is touching the nerve. I have the spinal decompression treatment and it really helps keep me in my active life.”

She finished her review by saying:

“I will not go to anyone else for back treatment, this place is number one and they genuinely care about their patients.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Lisa S., United Kingdom

Have an MRI? Bring It With You.

If you live in La Jolla and have been diagnosed with a bulging or herniated disc, schedule a No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

Bring your MRI if you have one.

The consultation gives you an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC, talk about what you're experiencing, review your available imaging and find out whether you may be a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

There is no obligation to begin treatment.

Call 619-298-0800 to schedule. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Hablamos Español.

A Bulging Disc on an MRI Doesn't Tell Us Everything

One thing that can be confusing about disc problems is that the MRI and the pain don't always line up as neatly as people expect.

Some people have disc bulges without significant symptoms.

Others have a bulge or herniation in a location that irritates a nerve and causes significant pain.

That's why Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC doesn't simply look at an MRI report and say, “There's the bulge. That's the problem.”

He wants to know where you hurt.

Does the pain travel?

Are you experiencing numbness or tingling?

Is there weakness?

What makes the symptoms better or worse?

And does what we're seeing on the imaging make sense with what you're describing?

The MRI is important. It just isn't the entire evaluation.

Why Can a Bulging Disc Cause Sciatica?

A bulging disc itself isn't necessarily painful.

The bigger problem can be what happens when that disc begins affecting the structures around it.

In the lower back, a disc problem may contribute to irritation of a nerve that travels into the buttock and leg. That's when someone may begin experiencing sciatica.

Symptoms can include:

• Low-back pain

• Buttock or hip pain

• Pain traveling down one leg

• Numbness or tingling

• Burning or electrical pain

• Symptoms extending into the foot or toes

• Leg weakness

• Difficulty sitting

• Difficulty standing or walking for longer periods

Some patients barely notice their back and primarily feel the problem in their leg.

That's another reason it's important to look beyond where the patient says it hurts.

How Does Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Fit In?

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression uses controlled decompressive forces directed at specific areas of the spine.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC does not describe the goal as simply “pushing the disc back in.”

Treatment is more involved than that.

Before recommending decompression, he looks at the location and type of disc problem, the patient's symptoms, neurological findings, spinal stability, previous treatment and available imaging.

Then he determines whether the case appears appropriate for decompression and, if so, how treatment should be approached.

This is one of the reasons experience with disc cases matters.

“I've Already Tried Traction.”

A lot of patients have.

Some have used home traction devices. Others have been put on traction tables at another chiropractic or physical therapy office.

That doesn't necessarily mean they've received the same type of treatment we provide.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego exclusively uses DRX9000 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression systems.

Our office has seven DRX9000 systems—four lumbar and three cervical.

But Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC will also tell you that owning a decompression machine doesn't make someone an expert in treating disc injuries.

Knowing who to treat, how to progress treatment and when not to treat someone matters just as much as the equipment.

A Herniated Disc Had Taken Away His Everyday Life

Paul C. came to the office with back pain from a disc herniation.

His mobility had become so limited that even putting on his shoes was difficult, and the pain was interfering with everyday life.

After reviewing his imaging and agreeing on a treatment plan with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC, Paul underwent Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

He later wrote:

“The spinal decompression has relieved all the pain I felt in my lower back. I can walk, run and exercise without any pain and I'm able to get back in the gym and continue my daily routines.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Paul C.

His experience is a good reminder of what many people with disc problems are really looking for.

It's not simply a better MRI.

They want to get back to their lives.

Why Patients Seek Out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and difficult disc-related conditions have been a major focus of Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC's practice for more than two decades.

Credentials & Experience

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiography Licensed Doctor

• 20+ Years of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Experience

• 100,000+ Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Treatments Performed & Supervised

• Instructor of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Protocols & Techniques to Other Doctors

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC also has extensive personal experience rehabilitating his own significant neck and lower-back injuries.

Patients seek out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC from throughout San Diego County, across the United States and internationally for his experience with difficult spinal and disc-related conditions.

Sometimes the Right Answer Is Not Spinal Decompression

This is important enough that we include it in these articles.

Not everyone who walks into our office is accepted for treatment.

Jan H. came to Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC following a serious motocross neck injury. He had already been evaluated at a hospital and was looking for another opinion.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC reviewed his MRI and discussed what he saw.

But he did not treat him.

Jan had a neck fracture that first needed to heal. Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC also recommended that he obtain another opinion from a neurosurgeon.

Jan later wrote that although Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC couldn't treat him at that time, the “professionalism, compassion, caring and knowledge” he experienced were exceptional.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Jan H., San Marcos, CA

That's what patient selection is supposed to look like.

If Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC believes decompression isn't appropriate—or simply isn't appropriate yet—he'll tell you.

What If You've Already Tried Physical Therapy, Chiropractic or Injections?

That's actually how many patients arrive at our office.

They've already tried something.

Sometimes they've tried almost everything.

The fact that another treatment didn't provide lasting relief doesn't mean it was necessarily the wrong treatment. It also doesn't guarantee that spinal decompression will be the answer.

It simply means we need to look at your case.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC wants to understand what's been tried, what your imaging shows, whether your symptoms match those findings and whether there are any reasons decompression shouldn't be performed.

Only then does the treatment conversation make sense.

Do You Need Surgery for a Bulging or Herniated Disc?

Sometimes.

There are situations where surgery is the appropriate recommendation, and Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC will tell a patient when he believes that's the case.

But an MRI showing a bulging or herniated disc doesn't automatically mean surgery is your only option.

There is a lot of ground between ignoring a disc problem and having an operation.

For an appropriate patient, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be one of the conservative options worth considering.

The key is figuring out whether you are that patient.

What Happens at the No-Charge Consultation?

The consultation isn't a treatment appointment.

It's an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC and get a better understanding of what you're dealing with.

Your consultation includes:

• One-on-one consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

• Discussion of your back or neck problem

• Review of pain, numbness or tingling traveling into an arm or leg

• Discussion of treatments you've already tried

• Review of your available MRI or X-rays

• Discussion of how the imaging may relate to your symptoms

• Determination of whether additional examination or imaging may be appropriate

• Discussion of whether you may be a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

• Time to ask your questions before deciding what you want to do next

There is no obligation to begin treatment.

Bulging Disc Treatment Without Surgery Near La Jolla, CA

If you live in La Jolla and have been diagnosed with a bulging, herniated, protruded or extruded disc, our office is located nearby in Kearny Mesa.

You may be dealing with back pain.

You may have sciatica.

You may have numbness or tingling.

Or maybe your MRI simply scared the hell out of you and you want someone experienced with disc conditions to take a look at it.

That's a perfectly reasonable reason to come in.

Bring your MRI and let's figure out what you're actually dealing with.

Schedule a No-Charge Consultation

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC
Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor
Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist
Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

24/7 Answering Service

Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call 619-298-0800 anytime to request your No-Charge Consultation.

Hablamos Español

Spanish-speaking patients are welcome. Hablamos Español.

Have a Bulging Disc? Find Out If You're a Candidate.

Call 619-298-0800 to schedule a No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

If you already have an MRI, bring it with you.

We'll review what you have, talk about what you've already been through and determine whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression makes sense for your particular condition.