Herniated disc · Olathe, Kansas
Nonsurgical Treatment for Herniated Discs
A herniated disc does not always mean surgery.
If you have been told you have a herniated disc, the next question is whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate for you. An evaluation answers that.
- Built for disc problems that have not responded to rest, medication or therapy
- Seated, nonsurgical treatment — no injections, no incisions
- You find out whether you are a candidate 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 herniated disc?
Sitting through a drive or a workday becomes something to plan around. Sleep gets interrupted. Lifting a child, a bag of groceries or a golf bag feels risky. Exercise stops, and the deconditioning that follows tends to make the back feel worse, not better.
- Pain that runs from your back into a leg, or from your neck into an arm
- Sitting is worse than standing, or the reverse
- Numbness or tingling in one limb
- An MRI report that says herniation, protrusion or extrusion
- Treatment that helped for a while and then stopped helping
Common symptoms of herniated disc
- Back or neck pain that is worse with sitting, bending or coughing
- Pain that travels into the buttock, leg or foot (lumbar) or the shoulder, arm or hand (cervical)
- Numbness, tingling or a "pins and needles" feeling along one limb
- Weakness in a leg or arm, or a foot that catches when you walk
- Symptoms that shift with position — better standing, worse sitting, or the reverse
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 herniated disc is
What herniated disc is, and why it keeps coming back
The discs between your vertebrae have a firm outer ring and a softer center. A herniation means the center has pushed through a weakened part of the ring. On its own, that is not always painful — many people have herniations they never feel. It becomes a problem when the displaced material presses on or inflames a nearby nerve root, or when the disc itself becomes a pain source.
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.
Herniated Disc 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 herniated disc
- Activity modification and a specific, graded return to movement
- Physical therapy focused on the muscles that control spinal load
- Anti-inflammatory medication or an epidural steroid injection, prescribed by a physician
- Non-surgical spinal decompression, which gently separates the vertebrae to take pressure off the disc and the nerve
- Surgical consultation when there is progressive weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, or when a well-run nonsurgical course has not helped
| 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 herniated disc
A herniation on an MRI does not, by itself, tell anyone what to do. The same image can belong to someone with no pain at all and to someone who cannot sit for ten minutes. Treatment decisions depend on which nerve is involved, whether the findings on examination match the picture, how long it has been going on, and how it is responding to load. That is what an evaluation is for.
How we evaluate herniated disc
We take a careful history, examine the spine and the nerves that leave it, and review any imaging you already have. We are looking for agreement between your story, the examination and the picture. When the pattern fits, we explain what we would treat, how, and how we would measure whether it is working. When it does not fit, we tell you that and point you to the right next step.
When additional medical evaluation is necessary. New weakness that is getting worse, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or any change in bowel or bladder control needs same-day medical evaluation, not an appointment here. Pain after a significant fall or accident should be imaged first.
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.
“Foot pain from sciatica used to flare up bad just from standing too long. … that pain's way down now — I can stand and walk around without it acting up, which was the whole reason I came in for the herniated disc.”
Clairelle W.Verified Google review
“… 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
“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 herniated disc
I've already had back surgery. Can you still help?
Do you treat herniated discs?
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?
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 herniated disc.
Back-Trac Spinal Decompression · 1011 E 151st St, Olathe, KS
Or call or text (913) 355-5998