A disc herniation is when the softer centre of a spinal disc pushes through its outer wall, sometimes contacting a nerve. Worth knowing before you worry: herniations show up on the scans of large numbers of people with no pain at all, and most herniations shrink on their own over months. The scan is not the problem — the symptoms are, and they usually respond well.

Does this sound like you?

Most people have several of these, not all of them.

Back pain that may be sharp and catching, or surprisingly mild
Leg pain, pins and needles or numbness in a defined band
Symptoms clearly worse with sitting, and often better standing or walking
Pain on coughing, sneezing or straining
Weakness in a specific movement of the foot or leg

Why it happens

Loaded bending and twisting, particularly when fatigued
Gradual age-related change in the disc wall
A sustained flexed posture over a long period
A sudden heavy lift, though often there is no single moment
Smoking, which measurably affects disc health

What we would do about it

Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.

Settling the nerve first, with positions that reduce the leg symptoms
Manual therapy to restore movement in the segments around it
A graded loading program — discs respond well to progressive load
Trunk and hip strengthening once symptoms are centralising
Guidance on lifting and sitting that you can actually keep to
Clear red-flag advice on what would warrant urgent review

See a doctor first if

Your pain followed a significant injury
It is getting worse rather than settling
It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.

A disc on a report is not a life sentence

We see a great many of these and the large majority settle. An assessment tells you where yours actually sits, and what will move it along.

Book a disc assessment Ask a question first

Or call us on 0403 907 587 — we see patients across Seaton.

Other back conditions we treat

Lower Back Pain Sciatica Sacroiliac Joint Pain Spinal Stenosis Upper Back Pain

Back to all back conditions

General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Disc Herniation on Physiopedia.

Disc Herniation