What Is the Best Treatment for a Herniated Disc Without Surgery? – Clairemont, CA

Can a Herniated Disc Get Better Without Surgery?

A herniated disc can cause everything from a nagging backache to severe pain running down the leg, numbness in the foot, weakness, or pain that makes sitting almost impossible. When an MRI finally identifies the problem, many patients assume the next step is going to be an injection or surgery.

That is not always the case.

Many herniated discs are treated conservatively, especially when there is no medical emergency or rapidly progressing neurological problem. Depending on the patient, treatment may include activity modification, medication, physical therapy, rehabilitation, chiropractic care when appropriate, epidural injections, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, or a combination of treatments.

The challenge is deciding which approach makes sense for a particular patient.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has worked with herniated discs, bulging discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, stenosis, and other difficult spinal conditions for more than 22 years. One thing he has learned is that the MRI report is only part of the story. Two people can have an L4-L5 herniated disc and have completely different symptoms, different examination findings, and ultimately need different treatment.

The question is not simply whether there is a herniated disc. Dr. Boelk wants to know whether the disc is actually responsible for the symptoms, whether a nerve is involved, how severe the problem is, whether the spine is stable, and what has already been tried.

Scripps Ranch Patients Can Start With a No-Charge Consultation

Patients from Scripps Ranch can schedule a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC at The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego.

If an MRI has already been done, patients are encouraged to bring the actual images along with the report. Dr. Boelk personally reviews available MRI studies and compares the findings with the patient's symptoms and history. Patients who do not have an MRI can still schedule a consultation.

During the consultation, Dr. Boelk will review:

• Where the pain is located and whether it travels

• Numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness

• How and when the problem began

• What happens with sitting, driving, standing, and walking

• Whether the condition is affecting sleep

• Previous injuries or spinal surgery

• Physical therapy, injections, chiropractic care, medication, or other treatments already tried

• Existing MRI and X-ray findings when available

• Whether the imaging findings appear to match the symptoms

• Whether additional examination or imaging may be necessary

• Whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression appears to be an appropriate option

Patients also have an opportunity to ask questions about the DRX9000, treatment frequency, rehabilitation, and what Dr. Boelk believes would be a reasonable next step.

There is no obligation to begin treatment. Just as importantly, Dr. Boelk does not accept everyone for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression. If something else makes more sense, he will explain why.

Call 619-298-0800 to schedule a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation.

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

Office: 619-298-0800
Call or Text: 619-884-8298
www.SanDiegoBackCare.com

Live 24/7 Answering Service • Hablamos Español

An Extruded Disc Was Pressing on Amanda's L5 Nerve

Amanda had been dealing with severe pain for months before an MRI showed an extruded disc pressing on her L5 nerve. Her doctor scheduled appointments for both spinal injections and a surgical evaluation.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amanda — San Diego, CA

“Last year, I spent three months constantly going back and forth between doctor’s appointments and urgent care. The pain was unbearable—I was taking medication regularly just to get through the day. Getting out of bed was excruciating, and walking or standing felt like torture. Every step filled me with dread.

In December, my doctor finally ordered an MRI. That’s when I learned I had an extruded disc pressing on my L5 nerve, which affects the leg and foot. My doctor scheduled two follow-up appointments: one for pain management (spinal injections), and another to evaluate me for surgery.

Then I discovered spinal decompression therapy. I was thrilled to find a non-invasive alternative. I never ended up needing either of those appointments.

Now, I’m walking regularly, standing up straight—something I couldn’t do before. When I first sought help, I was so hunched over that I had to use a cane just to move forward. Because of the pain, I hadn’t exercised in months. But now, I’m doing a program called 75 hard which requires not one but 2 45-minute workouts per day, and I've even gotten back to lifting weights!

I’m so thankful I found this place. It’s conveniently located near my work, which makes it easy to fit sessions into my lunch break. Dr. Boelk and the staff are incredibly friendly and polite—it’s always a pleasure to come in.

The environment is so relaxing that I look forward to each visit. I truly thank God for leading me to this alternative. It’s made such a difference in my life.”

— Amanda, San Diego, CA

Amanda's story also brings up an important point. Even an extruded disc does not automatically mean that every patient needs surgery. The size and location of the injury matter, but so do neurological findings, spinal stability, overall health, and how the patient is functioning.

The MRI Should Make Sense With the Symptoms

MRI reports contain a lot of terminology: bulges, protrusions, extrusions, annular fissures, foraminal narrowing, stenosis, nerve impingement, degenerative changes and more. Those findings are useful, but they need to be put into context.

This is one reason Dr. Boelk personally looks at available MRI images rather than relying only on the written report.

If an MRI shows a disc problem on the right side and the patient has pain, numbness, or weakness following the corresponding nerve pattern on the right, that finding becomes more meaningful. If the MRI finding and the symptoms do not line up, there may be more to investigate.

The same is true with severity. Some patients have significant-looking degenerative changes on an MRI but relatively manageable symptoms. Others have a smaller, more strategically located disc injury that produces severe sciatica.

A good treatment plan has to account for both the imaging and the person.

What Are the Main Nonsurgical Options?

There are several reasonable approaches to a herniated disc, and they are not necessarily competing treatments.

Time and Activity Modification

Some recent disc injuries improve as the inflammation settles and the body has time to heal. This generally does not mean weeks of bed rest. Remaining reasonably active while avoiding activities that repeatedly aggravate the problem is often a better approach.

The direction of improvement also matters. A patient who is steadily getting better each week is in a different situation from someone whose symptoms are becoming more intense or beginning to include weakness.

Medication

Anti-inflammatory medication, oral steroids, muscle relaxants, and other medications may be used to help control an acute episode. For some patients, this provides enough relief to stay active and begin rehabilitation.

When medication is needed repeatedly just to make it through the day, however, it may be time to look more closely at why the symptoms are continuing.

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is an important part of recovering from many spinal injuries. Strength, movement, mobility, and spinal stability all become important if the goal is getting someone back to normal life rather than simply reducing pain temporarily.

There are times, however, when a severely irritated disc or nerve makes exercise difficult. If every attempt at rehabilitation causes a major flare-up, Dr. Boelk may look at whether the irritated spinal structures need to settle down before progressing the rehabilitation program.

Epidural Steroid Injections

An epidural injection can be useful for certain patients with significant nerve inflammation. Some people experience substantial relief, while others experience temporary or limited improvement.

Whether an injection makes sense depends on the individual case.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

For patients who meet the proper criteria, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is another conservative option. Dr. Boelk uses it primarily for disc-related conditions including herniated and bulging discs, disc protrusions, certain extrusions, degenerative disc conditions, disc-related sciatica, and selected cases involving foraminal narrowing or stenosis.

It is not appropriate for every person with one of those diagnoses.

Why Sitting Can Be So Difficult With a Herniated Disc

One of the questions Dr. Boelk frequently asks patients with lumbar disc problems is what happens when they sit.

Some people can walk for 30 minutes without much trouble but cannot sit in a car for 15 minutes. Others feel relatively comfortable when they first wake up and develop worsening sciatica after sitting at a desk.

That information can be useful.

Sitting changes the position of the pelvis and lumbar spine and can increase stress on an injured disc. Driving can be particularly aggravating because the patient stays in the same position while also being exposed to vibration from the road.

Breaking up long periods of sitting is often worthwhile. Standing up, walking for a few minutes, and changing position throughout the day may be better tolerated than remaining seated for several hours at a time.

Patients should also be cautious about repeatedly stretching a painful leg without knowing what is causing the tightness. What feels like a tight hamstring can sometimes be tension or irritation involving the sciatic nerve.

Severe Sciatica After an Accident

Abel came to the office after an accident with severe lower-back problems and pain radiating along the sciatic nerve.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Abel T. — San Diego, CA

“I had really bad back problems to the point I couldn’t sleep, also had pain radiating along the sciatic nerve which ran down one leg from the lower back—caused by an accident.

I came in and talked to Dr. Cassidy about my back problems. He evaluated me and mentioned I was a good candidate for this treatment. After the first 2 decompression sessions my sciatic pain was gone and we were able to work on the root of the problem. I did a total of 24 sessions, after which I was able to start rehabilitation training to strengthen my core.

The office is super nice and the staff’s customer service is above and beyond.

Back and neck issues are horrible to live with—trust me, I know firsthand. I gained weight, took pain killers, went into depression, and had major anxiety. I’m over it now—feeling better, walking, sleeping well, and starting to have a better social life as well.

The experience for me has been nothing but excellent. Dr. Cassidy Boelk is hands down amazing—super glad I came here.”

— Abel T., San Diego, CA

Abel's experience also shows why rehabilitation remains important. Reducing severe sciatic pain is only part of the process. Once the patient is able to tolerate more activity, strengthening and restoring function become part of getting back to normal life.

How Dr. Boelk Uses the DRX9000

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego uses DRX9000 spinal decompression systems exclusively.

The DRX9000 allows controlled decompression and relaxation cycles to be directed toward a specific region of the spine. Treatment parameters are not identical for every patient, even when two people have a herniation at the same spinal level.

Depending on the case, Dr. Boelk may consider the disc level, location of symptoms, body size, treatment angle, positioning, starting force, treatment cycles, patient tolerance, and response to previous sessions. Those parameters can then be adjusted as the patient progresses.

This is an important distinction when comparing spinal decompression offices. The equipment is certainly important, but experience, patient selection, treatment protocol, progression, and rehabilitation are just as important.

Why Patients Seek Out Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Dr. Boelk's practice is heavily focused on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and difficult disc-related conditions. For patients who have already tried several forms of care or are considering a more invasive procedure, that level of experience can become particularly important.

Some of the reasons patients seek out Dr. Boelk include:

• More than 22 years working with spinal decompression and difficult disc cases

• More than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments performed

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist

• Founder of the Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy in San Diego

• Trains other doctors in Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member of the American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member of the International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiation Supervisor & Operator

• Personally reviews available MRI studies when appropriate

• Seven DRX9000 systems dedicated to cervical and lumbar spinal decompression

Dr. Boelk also has extensive personal experience rehabilitating significant neck and lower-back injuries of his own. He has spent thousands of hours studying and working through rehabilitation, spinal mechanics, exercise, and return to activity, both for himself and for his patients.

That combination of clinical experience and rehabilitation experience is particularly useful when the goal is not simply to reduce pain, but to help a patient eventually return to work, exercise, golf, surfing, travel, or whatever activities matter to them.

Seven DRX9000 Systems in One San Diego Office

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego currently has four lumbar DRX9000 systems and three cervical DRX9000C systems.

Seven systems total.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is not a small side service within the practice. It has been one of the primary clinical focuses of Dr. Boelk's office for many years.

The office also incorporates MRI review, weight-bearing spinal evaluation, rehabilitation and spinal stabilization when appropriate, along with careful screening to determine who should and should not undergo decompression.

Patients Travel From Outside San Diego for Disc Treatment

Scripps Ranch is only a short drive from the Kearny Mesa office, but some patients travel considerably farther to see Dr. Boelk. Patients have sought his expertise from other parts of California, other states, Mexico, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Lisa S. travels from the United Kingdom and describes having three bulging discs, including one affecting a nerve.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lisa S. — 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

Just as Important: Not Every Patient Is a Candidate

One of the biggest mistakes with any treatment is assuming it should be used simply because the patient has the right diagnosis written on an MRI report.

Dr. Boelk does not accept every herniated disc patient for spinal decompression.

There are situations where decompression may be inappropriate, including certain cases involving:

• Unstable spondylolisthesis

• An unhealed spinal fracture

• Significant osteoporosis

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm

• Pregnancy for lumbar decompression

• Certain malignancies

• Certain surgical hardware at the proposed treatment level

• Progressive neurological weakness

• Cauda equina syndrome

• Other conditions that could make treatment unsafe

There are also cases where Dr. Boelk wants additional imaging or another medical opinion before deciding what to do.

Sometimes the right recommendation is not decompression at all.

Jeff Traveled From Tucson — and Surgery Was the Recommendation

Jeff J. found the practice through social media and traveled from Tucson to have his condition evaluated. After an honest discussion with Dr. Boelk, they determined that surgery was the appropriate option for his particular problem.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jeff J. — Tucson, AZ

“I found this terrific practice on social media. I followed up and did my own research so I decided to pay them a visit. The place is clean, well organized and run by a very efficient receptionist. I met with the doctor and after a honest and forthright conversation, we both determined that surgery was my only option to correct my back issues. I will return as a customer when the time is right.”

— Jeff J., Tucson, AZ

Jeff's experience is important because candidacy screening should mean something. The purpose of an evaluation is not to find a reason to put every patient on a decompression table. It is to determine whether the treatment is a reasonable and safe option for that particular person.

When a Herniated Disc Should Be Evaluated Urgently

Most herniated discs do not require emergency treatment, but certain neurological changes should never be ignored. New loss of bowel or bladder control, difficulty beginning urination, numbness around the groin or saddle area, rapidly progressing muscle weakness, or sudden difficulty controlling one or both legs can indicate serious neurological involvement.

Those symptoms require prompt medical evaluation. They are not situations where a patient should simply schedule a few decompression treatments and see what happens.

What Should a Scripps Ranch Patient Do Next?

If a herniated disc is interfering with work, sleep, sitting, driving, walking, exercise, or normal daily activities, getting a better understanding of the problem is a reasonable place to start.

Patients who already have MRI images or X-rays should bring them. Dr. Boelk will want to know what treatments have already been tried, what helped, what did not, and exactly how the symptoms behave throughout the day.

From there, the question becomes much more specific: Is this a condition that appears reasonable to treat conservatively, and is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression one of the options worth considering?

That is what the consultation is designed to help answer.

Schedule a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation

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

Office: 619-298-0800
Call or Text: 619-884-8298
www.SanDiegoBackCare.com

Live 24/7 Answering Service • Hablamos Español

Patients from Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa, Rancho Peñasquitos, Poway, Miramar, Carmel Mountain Ranch, and throughout San Diego County can call 619-298-0800 to schedule an available No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.