At Balanced Living Chiropractic, we treat disc injuries almost every day. Lower back pain is the most common reason people come into our office seeking help. After all, lower back pain is the #1 cause of disability in America, affecting more than 80% of people at some point during their lives. There are many causes of lower back pain, such as muscle strain or vertebral subluxation, but one of the most severe is an injury to an intervertebral disc.
Before discussing what causes disc injuries and which treatments are effective, it is important to understand exactly what happens to the disc when it becomes injured. Intervertebral discs are made of fibrocartilage and rest between each vertebra in the spine. They act as shock absorbers in the spine, absorbing the stress and pressure that everyday life places on our spine. The disc itself is made of a jelly-like center called the nucleus that is surrounded by several rings of cartilage. The nucleus moves with our movements to maintain balance and absorb force, keeping our spine healthy and strong.
Due to prolonged causes, such as repetitive movements, or to more immediate causes, such as trauma, the cartilage rings can be damaged. When this happens, the disc’s nucleus takes the path of least resistance and pushes into the damaged space. This is typically not symptomatic, so the individual would not know at this time that a disc injury was occurring. As this condition progresses and damage to the last cartilage ring occurs, the disc material pushes out into the spinal canal, where the spinal cord and nerves are. This can be an extremely painful occurrence in the lower back and can even cause pain to travel down the legs as well (sciatica). At this time, immediate intervention is required to achieve the best possible prognosis.
Traditional medicine usually treats disc herniation using opioid medications for pain or steroid injections, but some discs require surgical intervention if less invasive treatments are unsuccessful. However, more conservative treatments are available that effectively address the root cause of the problem, helping the symptoms dissipate. At Balanced Living Chiropractic, we treat people with disc injuries daily, and they are ready to help you, too.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. I Feel Heard & Not Crazy
Many patients tell us this is the first time they’ve felt truly listened to. During your consultation and exam, we slow things down, ask the right questions, and create space for your full story—without rushing, dismissing, or minimizing your experience.
2. You Did More Than The Last 10 Doctors Combined
It’s because we slow down and look deeper. Every exam and X-ray is intentional, detailed, and designed to uncover the root cause—not just manage symptoms.
3. Wow, It Is Already Working
We use X-rays before and after treatment to measure real change. By comparing them, patients can see how their spine responds, helping to build confidence in the adjustments and in the body’s natural ability to heal.
4. I Finally Feel Normal Again
After struggling with chronic pain, headaches, or nerve issues, many patients tell us, “I finally feel normal again.” Our precise adjustments and thorough care help restore balance to the spine and nervous system, allowing the body to function the way it was meant to.
How We Treat Disc Injury in Rochester Hills, MI
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
Yes, it is very important to begin treatment as quickly as possible for a disc injury, but before that, a detailed consultation and exam must be conducted. Our chiropractors must understand your condition and the situation in order to determine whether proceeding with treatment is the appropriate action. Our doctors want to understand your medical history and how this injury occurred. This information helps determine which recommendations for care are needed.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Rochester Hills, MI
Chiropractic care is one of the best ways to naturally treat disc injuries because it addresses the problem directly and seeks to correct it. With disc injuries, subluxation of the adjacent vertebrae is also present. The chiropractic adjustment not only corrects the subluxation but also promotes movement of the disc material back to its correct position between the two vertebrae.
Bear in mind that these subluxations were likely present long before the disc injury, so they are not used to being in proper alignment. Over time, the body adapts to the correct alignment, helping prevent pain from returning. Chiropractic adjustments are both quick and gentle. It does not take much force to adjust someone’s spine, especially with the right technique. This is important because people with disc injuries are typically in a lot of pain.
Specific 3-D Digital X-rays
This is the most important step in our office to determine how to address and adjust your spine and disc issues. We take specific views of your spine to form a 3-D image, and we measure down to the thickness of your fingernail to pinpoint the problem. Looking this close allows us to adjust you without popping, twisting, or cracking. Most of our patients say they can barely feel the adjustment happen, but can start to feel changes instantly!
Spinal Decompression
When it comes to disc injuries, one of the most crucial elements of our treatment process is spinal decompression. When a disc is herniated or bulging, a great deal of pressure is applied to it, which contributes to the pain you experience. Also, the nerves can be pinched and compressed when disc material takes up space in the spinal canal, which further aggravates the pain. Decompressing the spine helps to alleviate this pressure.
When your spine is decompressed, it creates negative pressure inside the disc. This negative pressure pulls the disc material out of the spinal canal and back into its proper position between the two vertebrae. Decompression also increases joint spacing, which gives the nerves more room to breathe and function properly. When combined with chiropractic adjustments and exercise, spinal decompression is an extremely effective solution for lower back and sciatic pain related to disc injuries in the lumbar spine.
Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM)
FSM is an exciting new treatment for nerve pain, muscle pain, and many other conditions using specific frequencies and micro-amperage current. FSM also uses the resonance effects of frequencies on tissues and conditions to create beneficial changes to symptoms and health.
Microcurrent is current in millionths of an ampere (amp). Microamperage current is the same kind of current your body produces on its own within each cell. The current is very small. There is not enough current to stimulate sensory nerves, so the current flow cannot be felt. FSM is a very effective tool for reducing inflammation in the disc and helping repair the tissues around it, getting you out of pain faster and allowing your body to repair more completely!
Common Causes of Disc Injury in Rochester Hills, MI
Bulged Discs
Spinal discs wear and tear with age. Over time, discs will dehydrate, and the outer layer of cartilage will stiffen. These changes can cause the outer layer of the disc to bulge out. Some protruding discs can be painless, but if the disc bulges enough, it can irritate nearby nerves, leading to numbness, tingling, weakness, cramping, spasms, and shooting pain.
Age is the most significant risk factor for a bulging disc, making it more common in older people than in younger people. Improper lifting techniques, accumulated trauma from poor posture, obesity, genetics, or acute trauma can also lead to a bulged disc.
Herniated Discs
Bulged discs can worsen to the point of rupture and cause serious symptoms. A disc herniation is more likely to cause pain than a bulged disc. A disc herniates when the outer layer of cartilage tears and the softer, inner, gelatinous material protrudes out of the disc. The disc’s nucleus will irritate nerve roots, causing painful inflammation that could affect your ability to walk or change your bowel and bladder function.
Repetitive Motion
As was mentioned earlier, disc injuries are commonly the result of a gradual process of wear and tear on the cartilage rings surrounding the nucleus. It isn’t so much the incident when you felt pain that is the cause, but rather the thousands of movements before that which slowly caused damage over time. For this reason, certain fields of work tend to have more disc injuries than others. One such example is hard labor jobs, such as roofing, mechanics, and labor.
These jobs require frequent bending, lifting, and twisting throughout each shift. Flexion-forward and rotation at the same time are the primary mechanisms by which disc bulges and herniations can occur. The stress and pressure placed on these discs make them vulnerable and weak over time, to the point where a simple motion can be the final straw that starts a cascade of pain and suffering. If you do this type of work for a living, being conscious of your posture and how you move and lift is paramount to your safety and productivity.
Degenerative Disc Disease
One of the most common types of disc injuries isn’t generally considered to be an acute onset problem. Degenerative Disc Disease is an age-related condition in which the discs of the spine wear down over time, becoming smaller. When this happens, the holes on the side of the spine through which nerves exit get smaller, which can put pressure on these nerves and cause symptoms. Besides repetitive motion and wear and tear, other risk factors that accelerate its progression include being overweight/obese and smoking. Common symptoms include lower back pain, but radiating pain into the hips and legs can also be felt, depending on how much the nerves are affected.
It’s important to understand that Degenerative Disc Disease cannot be reversed. It can, however, be managed, and its progression can be slowed down. Chiropractic, spinal decompression, and exercise are three fantastic treatment options that can improve range of motion, reduce pain, and enhance overall function. Since the condition cannot be fully corrected, the goal becomes both achieving and maintaining the highest possible quality of life. A chiropractic lifestyle can help make that a reality for you or someone you know who suffers from degenerative disc disease.
Heavy Lifting
Lifting weights is a fantastic form of exercise that has been shown to provide numerous health benefits, both physical and mental. However, heavy lifting also places significant stress on the body, especially the spine. Our spine is always bearing the weight of our head plus the weight of gravity. When we add weight on top of that, we increase the load on the discs in our spine. When a heavy lift is performed, it sharply increases intra-abdominal pressure, which, in turn, increases spinal pressure. If there is a pre-existing disc weakness, the likelihood of disc bulging or herniation increases.
It’s important to remember that heavy lifting doesn’t just occur in the gym. People move furniture around their house or move houses altogether. There are many circumstances in which lifting is necessary. If the lifting is done improperly, the discs are at increased risk of injury. Lifting should always be done primarily with the legs rather than bending at the waist and using the back. This is the best way to avoid unnecessary stress on your lower back.
Respiratory Illness
With respiratory illnesses, it is widely known that two of the most common symptoms are coughing and sneezing. Unfortunately, these two activities can put pressure on the intervertebral discs in the spine.
Coughing and sneezing are two actions that require a sharp increase in intra-abdominal pressure. An increase in intra-abdominal pressure increases pressure in the spine and, therefore, in the discs. If a disc is already damaged, a bout of coughing or sneezing lasting a few weeks can cause further injury due to the constant spinal pressure. If you feel this may have happened to you, Balanced Living Chiropractic is here to help you.
Slipped Disc
A herniated disc is often called a slipped disc. The outer cartilage becomes weak and tears, allowing the inner gelatinous center of the disc to “slip” out. Age is a primary factor in this condition due to general wear and tear on the disc, but repetitive motions or improper lifting techniques can also increase the risk of a slipped disc. An untreated herniated or slipped disc can lead to permanent nerve damage, which is why it’s so important to have any discomfort examined by a chiropractor who can perform imaging if necessary to get to the root cause of any symptomatic pain.
Check Out Our Location Near You
441 S Livernois Rd #205, Rochester Hills, MI 48307
Frequently Asked Questions
Can chiropractors in Rochester Hills, MI help with disc problems?
100%. Our doctors care for patients with disc injuries every day. Our combination of treatments at Balanced Living Chiropractic makes us a premier destination for addressing this type of problem. Chiropractic, exercise, FSM, and spinal decompression are among the many services we offer to help naturally address your disc injury.
How long does it take for a disc injury to heal?
The time it takes for a disc injury to heal can vary greatly depending on the extent of the damage, the age of the problem, and other factors. Older, chronic problems tend to take more time than newer, acute problems. Your chiropractor will discuss treatment recommendations with you and explain how your progress will be documented, so the timeframe for care can be more clearly defined.
Is it safe to go to a chiropractor with a herniated disc?
Yes! In fact, it is recommended that you start with a visit to the chiropractor, because if they can help you with this problem without the need for expensive, risky medical procedures, then it is a no-brainer. More invasive treatment methods are always an option, but you should start with the most conservative approach and work your way up from there.
What are the signs of a herniated disc in your back?
Signs and symptoms can vary from person to person, but generally, herniated discs can cause intense, electric-shock-like pain down into the legs because they affect the nerve. With herniations, there usually isn’t much back pain because the disc material pushes through the last layer of cartilage, but it can be present in some cases.
Can chiropractors in Rochester Hills, MI, make things worse?
The great news about chiropractic is that the worst-case scenario from treatment for a disc injury is that there’s no change. Chiropractic will not make this problem worse, but it may not be effective for a particular case. In these cases, other types of intervention need to be considered. The vast majority of people respond favorably to chiropractic care for disc injuries.
