By Sumaiya Farheen and Andrew Siyabalawatte, April 2023.
If you have been told that you have a slipped disc, or you have been experiencing back pain with pain, tingling or numbness travelling into your leg, one of the first things you are likely to search for is:
“How do I get my slipped disc back in place?”
It is a completely understandable question.
When your back suddenly becomes painful, particularly when the pain travels into the buttock or leg, it can feel as though something has moved out of position and needs to be put back. Many people imagine that a slipped disc is like a dislocated joint that needs to be clicked or pushed back where it belongs.
Fortunately, that isn’t really what is happening.
A slipped disc, more accurately described as a herniated or prolapsed disc, does not simply slide out of your spine. A disc can become weakened or damaged, and part of the disc can bulge or protrude beyond its normal boundary. If that protrusion irritates a nearby nerve, it can produce the familiar symptoms of sciatica, including pain, tingling, numbness and sometimes weakness in the leg.
So the question isn’t really about finding somebody who can “put your disc back”.
The more useful question is-
What can you do to reduce the irritation of slipped disc, improve the way your back is moving and loaded, and give the body the best opportunity to recover?
That is the approach we take at Back to Health Wellness in Guildford.
We have been working with people with back pain and posture problems for many years, and our philosophy has always been that there is more to back health than simply treating the place where somebody happens to feel pain.
What Is a Slipped Disc?
Your spine is made up of a series of bones called vertebrae. Between most of these vertebrae are small discs which act as cushions and help the spine tolerate the loads placed through it every day.
These discs are not indestructible.
As we get older, the discs naturally change. Repeated loading, certain types of physical work, previous injuries and other individual factors can also contribute to disc problems.
The outer part of the disc is made from tough fibrous tissue. Inside is a softer, more gel-like centre. If the outer portion develops a tear or weakness, the inner material can protrude through it.
This is what people commonly refer to as a slipped disc.
You may also hear the terms-
- herniated disc
- disc herniation
- disc prolapse
- disc protrusion
- bulging disc
These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, although they describe slightly different appearances of the disc.
It is also worth knowing that having a disc bulge does not automatically mean you will have pain. Some people have disc changes on an MRI scan without experiencing any symptoms at all. The important question is whether the disc changes correspond with your symptoms and clinical findings.
Does a Slipped Disc Actually Need to Be Put Back?
A slipped disc does not always need to be physically put back into place. Research shows that, in some cases, herniated disc material can gradually reduce in size and be naturally reabsorbed by the body.
A 2024 systematic review found evidence of spontaneous resorption of lumbar disc herniations and highlighted the role of the body’s natural healing response. The process appears to involve several biological mechanisms, including changes to the herniated disc material, new blood-vessel formation and the activity of immune cells that help break down and remove the exposed material.
The likelihood of resorption can also vary depending on the type and severity of the disc herniation. This is one reason why many people with a slipped disc can improve with appropriate conservative treatment rather than needing the disc to be physically pushed back into position.
Can A Chiropractor Help With A Slipped Disc?
This video demonstrates decompression techniques that may help reduce pressure on spinal structures and support recovery.
Although a slipped disc can be very painful, the majority of people feel much better with just a few days, weeks or months of nonsurgical treatment such as seeing a chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist and massage therapist. Disc surgery should be considered after all nonsurgical interventions are attempted.
What is Happening When You Slip A Disc?
When a disc begins to degenerate, its jelly-like nucleus pushes against its outer ring due to wear and tear or a sudden injury. This pressure against the outer ring may cause lower back pain. If the pressure continues, the jelly-like nucleus may push all the way through disc’s outer ring or cause the ring to bulge.
This puts pressure on the spinal cord and nearby nerve roots. Not only is this a mechanical compression of the nerves, but the disc material also releases chemical irritants that contribute to nerve inflammation. When a nerve root is irritated, there may be pain, numbness, and weakness in one or both of your legs, a condition called sciatica.
Can A Prolapse Cause Back and Hip Pain?
Yes. It is not clear how a slipped disc occurs, although improper lifting and weaknesses in the spine often due to repetitive stress movements such as frequent bending are among the main contributors to a disc prolapse.
This is due to the extra pressure on the disc causing it to prolapse. Factors that may increase the risk of developing a slipped disc include: a job involving lots of lifting, a job involving lots of sitting (especially driving), weight-bearing sports (weight lifting), smoking, obesity, and increasing age (a disc is more likely to develop a weakness with increasing age).
What Does A Slipped Disc Feel Like?
What Causes a Slipped Disc?
There is rarely one single cause.
Age is one factor. The discs naturally change as we get older, becoming less hydrated and sometimes less able to tolerate certain loads.
There are also situations where the back is subjected to repeated or unusually high demands.
For example, you may spend much of your working day-
- sitting at a desk
- driving
- lifting
- bending
- twisting
- working in awkward positions
- or performing repetitive physical tasks.
Suddenly increasing your exercise or lifting something unusually heavy can also aggravate an already vulnerable back.
Being inactive, smoking and being overweight are among the other factors associated with an increased risk of disc problems.
That doesn’t mean that poor posture or one particular movement “caused” your slipped disc.
The human body is more complicated than that.
What posture can influence, however, is how you repeatedly load your body.
What Should You Avoid If You Have a Slipped Disc?
There is a tendency when people are frightened by back pain to try everything at once.
- They stretch aggressively.
- They crack their backs.
- They buy an inversion table.
- They spend hours on a foam roller.
- They stop moving completely.
- Or they follow a random slipped disc exercise programme they found online.
The problem is that there is no universal rule saying that any one of these things is right or wrong for every person.
What matters is how your symptoms respond.
If a movement consistently increases your leg pain, numbness or other neurological symptoms, it is sensible to stop rather than repeatedly pushing through it.
Likewise, prolonged inactivity is rarely helpful.
The better approach is usually to find the appropriate level of activity and gradually build from there.
How To Get A Slipped Disc Back In Place
Can Poor Posture Contribute to a Slipped Disc?
We wouldn’t tell somebody that their slipped disc happened simply because they sat with their shoulders rounded or because they had “bad posture”.
That explanation is far too simplistic.
But posture and movement habits can still matter.
If you spend eight or ten hours a day sitting, for example, the way you sit, move and take breaks becomes relevant. The same applies if your work involves repeated lifting or bending.
The body has to deal with whatever demands you place on it.
This is why, when we assess somebody with back pain, we don’t only ask:
“Where does it hurt?”
We want to know:
- How much sitting do you do?
- How much driving?
- What does your workstation look like?
- Do you regularly lift?
- How often do you exercise?
- What happens when you bend?
- How do your hips move?
- How strong are you?
- How flexible are you?
- And, importantly, what happens when your pain settles down?
- “What does your body have to cope with every day?”
Because getting someone out of pain is one thing.
Helping them stay well is another.
How Do You Treat a Slipped Disc Without Surgery?
The good news is that a slipped disc does not automatically mean surgery.
In fact, surgery is not usually required. NHS guidance notes that most slipped discs improve gradually, with treatment potentially including staying active, medication, physiotherapy and other appropriate care. Surgery may be considered in selected circumstances, particularly where symptoms have not improved or where there is worsening weakness or numbness.
The right treatment depends on the person.
Keep Moving Where You Can
When a slipped disc is extremely painful, there may be a short period where you need to reduce what you are doing.
But staying in bed for days or weeks is generally not the answer.
As symptoms allow, gentle movement such as walking can be helpful. NHS guidance recommends gradually returning to activity and gentle exercise rather than remaining inactive for prolonged periods.
You don’t have to run a marathon.
Sometimes your starting point is simply being able to walk around the house comfortably.
The important thing is gradual progression.
Exercise Has an Important Role
There isn’t one magical slipped disc exercise that works for everyone looking for how to get a slipped disc back in place?
One person’s helpful movement can be another person’s aggravating movement, particularly during the early stages.
Depending on the individual, rehabilitation may involve strengthening the abdominal and back muscles, improving hip movement, building general physical capacity and gradually increasing the amount of activity the person can tolerate.
The objective is not to make your spine rigid.
A healthy back needs both strength and movement.
What About Chiropractic Treatment?
Chiropractic care and other forms of manual therapy can form part of a treatment programme for some people with back pain.
But we don’t believe in telling somebody that a chiropractor can simply “push their slipped disc back in”.
That isn’t an accurate description of what is happening.
Manual treatment can sometimes help with pain, movement and muscular tension, but current guidance places exercise and self-management at the centre of care, with manual therapy considered alongside exercise rather than as a standalone solution.
That distinction is important to us.
Our aim isn’t to create dependency on treatment.
It is to help you understand your back and become more capable of looking after it.
Where Does Posture Correction Fit In?
This is one of the biggest differences between our approach and many generic slipped disc articles you will find online.
We don’t look at posture as something that can be fixed by simply telling you to “sit up straight”.
Posture is dynamic.
You change position hundreds of times a day. You sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, lift, drive and sleep.
The question is whether your body has the flexibility, strength and control to deal with those demands.
At Back to Health Wellness, our approach combines assessment, hands-on treatment on how to get a slipped disc back in place? where appropriate, posture awareness and practical daily exercises. Our clinic has built its reputation around back pain and posture in Guildford and Surrey, with an evidence-based model that aims to improve spinal alignment, flexibility and strength and then help people maintain those improvements.
That is particularly relevant for somebody who has had a slipped disc and doesn’t simply want to wait for the next flare-up.
Introducing the BackAid Device
This is also where we have something that is genuinely our own.
Over the years, we have seen that patients ask us how to get a slipped disc back in place? and don’t just need something done to them in the clinic.
They need practical ways of managing their backs between appointments.
That is one of the reasons behind the BackAid Device.
The BackAid is designed to provide support around the pelvis and tailbone and can be used to help mobilise these areas into different positions.
You can read more about the device here:
The BackAid Device for Back and Leg Relief
We don’t describe the BackAid as a device that physically “puts a slipped disc back”.
That would be an unnecessarily simplistic claim.
Instead, the thinking behind it is much closer to our overall approach to back care: help people find more comfortable positions, improve movement around the pelvis and lower back, and give them a practical tool they can use as part of their wider recovery programme.
Why the Pelvis Matters When You Have Back Pain
The lower back doesn’t work independently from the pelvis and hips.
Your pelvis sits between your spine and legs and is involved in virtually every movement you make.
When somebody has back or leg pain, we therefore don’t want to look at the painful spot in isolation.
How the pelvis moves can influence how to get a slipped disc back in place?
How the hips move can influence how much movement is coming from the lower back.
And how somebody sits, stands and walks can influence the demands placed on the entire area.
The BackAid has been developed with this relationship in mind.
It is intended to give people a practical way of working with the pelvis and lower back rather than aggressively forcing movement into a painful spine.