Herniated Disc & Pinched Nerve

A Disc Problem That’s Pressing on a Nerve

Reviewed by Dr. Dustin Dukart, DC

Someone told you it’s a “herniated disc,” or a “slipped disc,” or a “pinched nerve” — and now you’ve got back or neck pain that travels into an arm or a leg, sometimes with numbness, tingling, or a patch of weakness. It sounds alarming. For most people, it’s more manageable than the words make it feel — once someone actually examines it.

Book Your Visit → or call (612) 314-9482

What These Terms Actually Mean

A disc is the cushion between two spinal bones. When part of it bulges or leaks out and contacts a nearby nerve root, that’s a herniated disc — and a disc is the most common reason a nerve root gets irritated or compressed, which is what “pinched nerve” usually describes. The same thing happens in the neck (where it sends symptoms down an arm) and in the low back (down a leg). The key point most people don’t hear: the large majority of lumbar disc herniations improve over several weeks to a few months without surgery, and the herniation itself is often reabsorbed by the body over time.

What the Evidence Supports

For back and neck pain, including cases with nerve-root involvement, non-drug conservative care is a reasonable first step. The American College of Physicians’ clinical guideline lists spinal manipulation among the first-line, non-medication options for low back pain. For a genuine pinched nerve specifically, the research is more limited: reviews of manual therapy for cervical radiculopathy find low-level evidence for manipulation or mobilization on their own, and better results when hands-on care is combined with targeted exercise — which is how we’d approach it. Reviews of conservative care for lumbar radiculopathy reach a similar place: often helpful for symptom relief, with surgery reserved for cases that don’t respond or that involve a significant neurological deficit. We’ll tell you honestly where your case sits.

The Exam Comes First

Before any hands-on care, we screen for the small number of situations that need a medical referral rather than a chiropractic plan (see below), then do a neurological check — reflexes, strength, sensation — and a cluster of orthopedic tests to confirm whether a nerve root is actually involved and at what level. If the exam points to something that needs imaging or a surgical opinion, that’s the recommendation you’ll get. If it points to a case that conservative care handles well, we build the plan around what your exam actually shows — not a generic disc protocol.

When to See a Doctor First

Most disc-related pain is not an emergency. Get seen the same day — at urgent care or the ER — if back or leg symptoms come with any of these:

• New numbness in the groin or inner-thigh “saddle” area
• New loss of bladder or bowel control
• Progressive or rapidly worsening weakness in one or both legs
• Symptoms that started right after a significant fall or collision
• Fever, unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer alongside the back pain

For neck-related symptoms, sudden severe weakness in an arm or hand, problems with balance or walking, or changes in fine motor control (buttons, handwriting) also warrant prompt medical evaluation rather than waiting it out.

Ready When You Are

Most new patients are seen within a few days.

Book Your Visit → or call (612) 314-9482