Degenerative disc · Olathe, Kansas
Nonsurgical Treatment for Degenerative Disc Problems
"Degenerative disc disease" is not a life sentence.
Discs wear with age, and some of them hurt. The evaluation determines whether a worn disc is the reason you hurt and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate for it.
- For back or neck pain that flares and settles but never fully leaves
- Seated, nonsurgical treatment that unloads the disc
- Candidacy answered at the first visit
- Your first visit is free, and includes your first treatment
Or call or text (913) 355-5998
- Dr. Matt Metcalf, DC
- 20+ years
- 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
- 5.0 on Google
Sound familiar?
Does this sound like your degenerative disc problems?
Degenerative disc pain rarely stops life, but it edits it. You avoid the activities that flare it, you plan around the bad days, and you assume it will slowly get worse. Many people have carried it for years by the time they ask whether it can be treated.
- An imaging report that says degenerative disc disease or disc desiccation
- Years of low-grade ache with flare-ups
- Stiff mornings, sore after sitting
- You have been told it is age and to live with it
- You are avoiding activities you used to enjoy
Common symptoms of degenerative disc problems
- A chronic, low-grade ache in the low back or neck with periodic flare-ups
- Pain that is worse with sitting, bending or lifting and better with walking or changing position
- Stiffness in the morning or after sitting
- Occasional pain into the hip, buttock or shoulder
- Flare-ups that last days to weeks and then settle
If two or more of these are true, a free first visit is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.
What degenerative disc problems is
What degenerative disc problems is, and why it keeps coming back
A healthy disc is mostly water and acts as a spacer and shock absorber. Over time — and faster with heavy loading, smoking or injury — the disc loses water, thins and becomes stiffer. The vertebrae sit closer together, the joints behind the disc take more load, and the openings the nerves pass through get smaller. Any of those can hurt; none of them has to.
Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.
Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.
It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.
How spinal decompression treats it
Non-surgical spinal decompression gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.
Degenerative Disc Problems treatment options
Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.
None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.
Nonsurgical treatment options for degenerative disc problems
- A graded strength and movement program
- Physical therapy focused on how the trunk supports the spine
- Medication, prescribed by a physician
- Non-surgical spinal decompression, which unloads the disc
- Injections or surgical consultation for a minority of patients whose pain does not respond to nonsurgical care
| Usual approach | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rest and ice | Reduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc. |
| Pain medication | Blocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source. |
| Injections | Reduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily. |
| Physical therapy | Strengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver. |
| Surgery | Removes or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated. |
Our approach
Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adapt.
We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.
- 01
Evaluate
Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.
- 02
Treat
Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.
- 03
Measure
Track your response to treatment.
- 04
Adapt
Change the plan based on how you respond.
Why evaluation matters for degenerative disc problems
The phrase on an imaging report tells you what the disc looks like, not whether it is why you hurt or what to do about it. The evaluation identifies which level is symptomatic, whether the pain is coming from the disc, the joints or a nerve, and whether it behaves in a way our approach is suited to.
How we evaluate degenerative disc problems
We examine the spine and the nerves, identify the level and the tissue that reproduces your pain, and compare that with the imaging. If a worn disc is the source and your symptoms are the kind that respond to unloading, we explain the treatment and the measures we will track. If they are not, we tell you and point you to the right care.
When additional medical evaluation is necessary. Back pain with unexplained weight loss, fever, a history of cancer, or pain that is worst at night should be evaluated by a physician before any treatment here. Progressive weakness or bowel or bladder changes need same-day care.
What a spinal decompression visit is like
Non-surgical, with no injections and no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and each visit is built around you. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at your first visit.
Honest about who it's for
It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The free first visit is how we find out whether you are that patient.
Honest about fit
Who this is for, and who it isn't for
Spinal decompression is not for everyone, and we would rather tell you that before you come in.
It is often right for
- Bulging or herniated discs in the lower back
- Cervical disc herniation
- Sciatica, or pain that runs down a leg
- Neck pain that travels into the shoulder, arm or hand
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
- Grip weakness
- Headaches from neck tension
- Pinched nerves
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal stenosis with positional leg symptoms
- Facet pain
- Pain after back or neck surgery, including a fusion once the recovery period has passed
- Pain that hasn't responded to the usual care
It is usually not right for
- Spinal fractures
- Severe osteoporosis
- Tumors or infection
- Spinal instability or cord-level symptoms
- Some conditions we screen for at your first visit
The first visit is where we find out which list you're on. If you've had a fusion or have hardware, we check how long ago and clear it with you at the first visit.
The first step
Start with a free first visit.
Free
Your first visit at Back-Trac Spinal Decompression is free. It includes a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf, a review of your MRI or X-rays if you have them, an exam, and your first spinal decompression treatment the same day. You'll leave knowing whether you're a candidate.
Schedule my free consultationWe text you within a minute to set your free first visit, any hour. If you don't check the text box, we call you back.
What your free first visit includes
- A one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf
- A review of your MRI or X-rays, if you have them
- An exam, with a measured baseline
- Your first spinal decompression treatment, the same day
- A straight answer on whether you're a candidate
- If you are, a plan for what comes next
No obligation. New patients only. Some insurance plans are excluded by law.
What you'll learn
What you walk out knowing
1What is actually contributing to your symptoms
Not a guess from a report: findings from an exam, read alongside your imaging.
2Whether you are a candidate
A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, we tell you and point you to the right care.
3How your body responds
Your first spinal decompression treatment happens the same day, and we record your response.
4What comes next
If you are a candidate, a plan, before you decide anything.
Patient reviews
From patients who came in with the same thing.
Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.
“… first time I went to Dr Metcalf I could barely walk. I literally was able to get around with very little pain after the first treatment. …”
Jeff I.Verified Google review
“Lower back pain used to make everything harder, and I mean everything. … my whole day to day life is just easier — work, home, all of it.”
Patty R.Verified Google review
“Sciatica had me shifting around constantly, especially sitting for any length of time. … the leg pain's way down and I can actually sit through a meeting or a movie without needing to move.”
Aaron B.Verified Google review
FAQ
Questions about degenerative disc problems
I've already had back surgery. Can you still help?
What happens at my free first visit?
Is the first visit really free?
What happens after the free visit?
Will insurance cover this?
How do I set my first visit?
How does spinal decompression work?
Free first visit · New patients only
Schedule your free consultation and treatment
Your first visit is free: sit down with Dr. Metcalf, go over your MRI or X-rays, get your questions answered, and start spinal decompression treatment the same day.
Dr. Matt Metcalf, D.C.
1011 E 151st St
Olathe, KS 66062
By appointment
Your free first visit includes:
- A one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf
- A review of your imaging
- An exam
- Your first treatment, the same day
Prefer to talk? Call or text (913) 355-5998.
Related conditions
Find out whether we can help with your degenerative disc problems.
Back-Trac Spinal Decompression · 1011 E 151st St, Olathe, KS
Or call or text (913) 355-5998