Should I Walk With a Herniated Disc? | San Diego, CA

If you have a bulging or herniated disc in your lower back, should you keep walking, or should you rest until the pain goes away?

It is a question Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC hears frequently, especially from patients who are worried that walking could make their disc injury worse.

In most cases, spending the entire day sitting or lying down and waiting for the pain to disappear is not a great long-term strategy. On the other hand, forcing yourself through a three-mile walk while your leg pain, numbness or tingling continues to increase isn't a good strategy either.

Walking can be an excellent form of movement for someone recovering from a lumbar disc injury, but the amount matters. The terrain matters. Your stride can matter. Most importantly, how your back and leg symptoms respond matters.

Dr. Boelk has worked with patients suffering from lumbar disc injuries, herniated discs and sciatica for more than 22 years and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments. One of the things he regularly helps patients determine is how to remain active without repeatedly aggravating an already irritated disc or nerve.

 

From Walking With a Limp to Walking Normally Again

Calder Pearce had been dealing with lower back problems for more than five years and had already seen multiple doctors looking for an alternative to surgery.

He described his experience this way:

“Dr. Boelk and his team are the best in the business! I have had lower back problems for over 5 years and been to 6 other doctors seeking options other than surgery. I came in early January not able to bend and walking with a limp. By February I was able to bend again with minimal pain and by March I am now able to bend without any pain and am able to walk normally.”

— Calder Pearce, San Diego, CA

Being able to walk normally again is a meaningful goal. But before deciding what treatment someone needs, the first question should be why walking is difficult in the first place.

Start With a No-Charge Consultation

If walking is becoming increasingly difficult because of lower back pain, sciatica, numbness, tingling or weakness, patients can begin with a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

You do not have to commit to treatment before coming in.

The purpose of the consultation is to understand what is happening, review the information you already have and determine whether your condition appears appropriate for the type of care provided in the office.

During the consultation, Dr. Boelk may review:

• When and how your symptoms started

• Where the pain begins and where it travels

• How far you can currently walk

• What happens to your symptoms as you continue walking

• Whether sitting or resting relieves the symptoms

• Numbness, tingling, burning or weakness

• How standing, sitting, bending and other activities affect you

• Treatments you have already tried and how you responded

• Existing MRI images, X-rays and radiology reports

• Whether your imaging findings correspond with your symptoms

• Whether additional examination or imaging may be appropriate

• Whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option

• What Dr. Boelk believes would be an appropriate next step

If you already have a lumbar MRI, bring the actual images along with the radiology report. Dr. Boelk prefers to look at the images himself and compare the findings with what the patient is actually experiencing.

If you do not have an MRI, you can still schedule the consultation.

Not everyone who comes into the office is accepted for spinal decompression. If Dr. Boelk does not believe you are an appropriate candidate, he will tell you.

Because Dr. Boelk personally performs these consultations and reviews each patient's available imaging, a limited number of No-Charge Consultation appointments are available during the weekly clinic schedule.

Call 619-298-0800 to ask about the next available consultation.

Why Walking Can Be Helpful With a Bulging or Herniated Disc

The spinal discs have very little direct blood supply. They rely heavily on diffusion for the movement of water, oxygen and nutrients.

Normal movement and the repeated loading and unloading of the spine are part of this process.

That is one reason Dr. Boelk generally does not want patients spending the entire day on the couch simply because they have been diagnosed with a disc bulge or herniation.

Movement matters.

But that does not mean more movement is always better.

A person who can walk comfortably for 20 minutes does not necessarily benefit from forcing themselves to walk for an hour while their symptoms progressively worsen.

The better goal is to find the amount and type of movement the spine currently tolerates and build from there.

Walking Mistake #1: Sitting or Lying Down All Day

Pain changes behavior very quickly.

Someone who normally exercises, works and walks regularly can develop severe back pain or sciatica and suddenly become afraid to move.

There may be times when relative rest is appropriate, particularly when symptoms are acutely aggravated. But relative rest is different from spending most of the day in bed or on the couch for an extended period.

If walking is reasonably comfortable, shorter periods of movement throughout the day may be better tolerated than long periods of inactivity followed by one large burst of activity.

The goal is not to walk through significant pain. It is to keep moving within a range your body currently tolerates.

Walking Mistake #2: Assuming More Walking Must Be Better

Dr. Boelk also sees the opposite problem.

Some patients are so determined to remain active that they continue their usual walking routine regardless of what happens to their symptoms.

If you normally walk for an hour but your sciatica begins increasing after 15 minutes, repeatedly forcing yourself through the remaining 45 minutes may simply keep aggravating the problem.

Try changing the dose.

You may tolerate a five- or ten-minute walk several times throughout the day.

If your eventual goal is an hour of walking, two 30-minute walks may be better tolerated than one continuous hour. Someone else may need to begin with considerably less.

There is no universal walking prescription for a herniated disc.

The appropriate amount depends partly on what happens while you are walking and how you feel afterward.

Walking Mistake #3: Ignoring Hills, Declines and Stride Length

Sometimes walking itself isn't the problem.

The way you are walking may be contributing.

Steep hills and declines change the demands placed on the spine and lower extremities. Taking unusually long strides can also aggravate symptoms in some people.

If walking on level ground feels good but a steep hill causes your sciatica to increase, pay attention to that.

You may temporarily do better with flatter terrain, a slightly shorter natural stride, a comfortable pace and a gradual increase in distance.

There is no benefit in choosing the steepest hill in the neighborhood simply because it makes the walk feel like a better workout.

Right now, the goal is not to make walking harder.

The goal is to make walking productive.

How Do You Know When You're Walking Too Much?

This is where patients need to pay attention to more than just the number of steps on a watch.

Suppose you begin a walk with mild lower back stiffness. After five minutes, the back loosens up and you feel better. You finish the walk feeling as good as or better than when you started.

Now compare that with someone who starts with mild back pain and develops increasing pain through the buttock and leg after ten minutes. At 15 minutes, the foot begins tingling. At 20 minutes, the foot feels numb.

Those are very different responses to walking.

Dr. Boelk pays particular attention when symptoms progressively travel farther down the leg or when numbness or weakness develops.

It is also useful to know what makes the symptoms settle down.

If you can walk for only ten minutes before your leg begins hurting and sitting down for several minutes provides significant relief, tell your doctor that.

That pattern can provide useful information about what may be happening in the lumbar spine.

What About Walking With Sciatica?

Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis.

A herniated disc can cause sciatica, but it is not the only possible cause of pain traveling down the leg.

Spinal stenosis, foraminal narrowing and other lumbar conditions can also affect the nerves.

That is why two people who both say, “My sciatica gets worse when I walk,” may have very different problems.

One patient may be uncomfortable sitting but feel better once walking.

Another may feel almost no pain while sitting but can walk only ten minutes before the leg begins burning or going numb.

The second patient may even find that sitting down for several minutes allows them to begin walking again.

Those differences matter when deciding what should be evaluated and what type of treatment may be appropriate.

A Herniated Disc Does Not Automatically Make You a Candidate for Decompression

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be considered when a patient's symptoms are associated with an appropriate lumbar disc or degenerative condition.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego uses the DRX9000 exclusively. The office has four treatment tables, with four lumbar and three cervical DRX9000 systems, allowing several patients to be treated at the same time.

But seeing “disc herniation” on an MRI report is not enough to decide someone should receive decompression.

Dr. Boelk looks at the actual images when available, the location of the disc problem, the symptoms, neurological findings, spinal stability, previous treatment and the patient's overall health.

Certain conditions can make lumbar decompression inappropriate, including an unhealed fracture, significant osteoporosis, unstable spondylolisthesis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, pregnancy, certain malignancies and other medical or structural concerns.

Previous spinal surgery also needs careful consideration, particularly when metal hardware or fusion is present at the level that would need to be treated.

Sometimes the correct decision is not to treat.

When Dr. Boelk Says No to Treatment

Toni W. came to the office to determine whether spinal decompression could help her. Because of the hardware in her back, she was not an appropriate candidate.

She still felt the consultation was worthwhile:

“Very nice Dr. and Honest ! I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn't had metal put in there back in a surgery to go to him and give his program a shot. I believe it would definitely help. Just not in my personal case. As I have a lot of hardware in my back. But I'm glad I took the time to meet with him. It was very informative all around.”

— Toni W., Lake Elsinore, CA

That is an important part of the evaluation process. The objective is not to put every person with back pain on a decompression table. It is to determine whether the condition is one Dr. Boelk believes he can appropriately treat.

Patients Also Travel to San Diego for Spinal Decompression

Not every patient Dr. Boelk treats lives in San Diego.

Some patients travel considerable distances because they are looking for a doctor with extensive experience specifically in Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and disc-related conditions. The clinic has treated patients who have traveled from other states and internationally for care.

Lisa S. travels from the United Kingdom:

“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 . 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

For patients traveling from outside San Diego, the first step is still determining whether the condition is appropriate for the type of care provided in the office before making plans for treatment.

Should You Stretch Before You Walk?

Not necessarily.

This is another area where people with disc injuries can get into trouble.

An irritated sciatic nerve can create a pulling or tight sensation through the hamstring or calf. It can feel remarkably similar to a tight muscle.

If you aggressively stretch that leg and the result is more burning, tingling, numbness or pain traveling farther toward the foot, continuing to stretch harder may not be helping.

Before a walk, the goal should generally be to get the body moving comfortably rather than forcing the lower back or leg through an aggressive range of motion.

Start gradually and pay attention to what happens during the first several minutes.

If the symptoms begin settling down as you move, that is useful information.

If they progressively worsen, that is useful information too.

When Walking Problems Need More Immediate Attention

If walking is becoming difficult because one leg or foot is progressively losing strength, that deserves evaluation.

Difficulty lifting the foot, catching the toes while walking, a noticeable change in gait or increasing weakness should not simply be treated by adding more walking.

Rapidly progressing neurological weakness, new bowel or bladder dysfunction, difficulty urinating, or numbness involving the groin or saddle region requires prompt medical attention rather than waiting for a routine spinal decompression consultation.

About Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has more than 22 years of experience with Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments.

His professional background includes:

• Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC)

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiation Supervisor & Operator

His experience with spinal injuries is also personal. Dr. Boelk suffered an L5 compression fracture at age 16 and later experienced disc injuries and sciatica himself.

He remains active with surfing, hockey and regular exercise, which is one reason his approach is not simply to tell patients with disc injuries to stop moving. The goal is to determine what is wrong, what the spine currently tolerates and how the patient can progressively return to the activities that matter to them.

Should You Keep Walking With a Herniated Disc?

For many people, some walking can be a valuable part of remaining active with a lumbar disc injury.

But there is a big difference between staying active and repeatedly aggravating an irritated nerve.

If you can walk comfortably for ten minutes, start there. If hills consistently make you worse, choose flatter terrain. If a long stride bothers you, shorten it. If shorter walks are better tolerated than one long walk, break the walk into smaller sessions.

And if walking is becoming progressively more difficult despite those changes, find out why.

Patients can begin with a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC. Bring your MRI images and report if you already have them. If you do not have an MRI, you can still schedule the consultation.

Because Dr. Boelk personally conducts these consultations and reviews the patient's available imaging, only a limited number of new-patient consultation appointments are available within the weekly clinic schedule.

Call 619-298-0800 to ask about the next available No-Charge Consultation.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

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