Herniated Disc Treatment in Los Gatos
Herniated discs can flip your whole life upside down. Sitting, standing, driving, even trying to sleep can turn into a constant negotiation with pain. At On Purpose Los Gatos Chiropractic in Los Gatos, Dr. Adam Kleinberg, DC focuses on conservative, non surgical, medication free herniated disc treatment that looks for the root cause instead of just masking symptoms. He often sees disc problems in the low back and neck that have been building for years before the “big flare up.”
Care here is personalized after a careful exam, digital X rays, and review of any MRI reports you already have. If you are looking for a chiropractor for herniated disc issues in Los Gatos, scheduling an evaluation is the first step to getting real clarity and a step by step plan.
Disc Injuries and How They Develop
Dr. Kleinberg explains a herniated disc in simple terms. The disc is like a cushion between the bones of your spine. It has a softer inner part and a tougher outer wall. A bulging disc means the disc is pushed outward but the outer wall is still intact. A herniated disc means the inner, softer material has pushed through a weakened area of that outer wall and is now putting pressure on a nearby nerve.
People often call this a “slipped disc,” but the disc does not literally slip out. It is more like a bubble or tear that lets the inner material move where it should not. In this clinic, herniated disc treatment in Los Gatos usually combines chiropractic adjustments with non surgical spinal decompression to reduce pressure and help that material slowly move back toward where it belongs.
Common Symptoms of Herniated Discs
From what Dr. Kleinberg sees in the office, herniated disc symptoms can range from annoying to brutal. Common things people report include:
- Local back or neck pain: A deep ache or sharp pain around the level of the damaged disc.
- Sciatica or shooting leg pain: Pain that runs from the low back into the buttock, thigh, calf, or foot when lumbar discs are involved.
- Pain into the shoulder, arm, or hand: Cervical disc issues can send pain, burning, or heaviness down the arm or into the fingers.
- Numbness or tingling: Pins and needles along a nerve path, sometimes with areas that feel “asleep.”
- Weakness or clumsiness: Trouble lifting the foot, gripping, or trusting the leg or arm.
- Pain with sitting, bending, coughing, or sneezing: Certain positions increase disc pressure and can light the nerve up.
In more serious cases, disc and nerve pressure can contribute to bowel or bladder changes or other organ related symptoms, which need prompt evaluation.
Chiropractic Evaluation for Disc Issues
Dr. Kleinberg is very honest about diagnosis. He explains that you cannot actually see the disc itself on an X ray. X rays show the bones and the space between them, so you can infer there is disc compression when the spaces are narrowed, but not the exact type of disc problem. In the office, he starts with:
- A detailed history about when your pain started, what makes it worse, and any red flag symptoms.
- Physical, orthopedic, and neurological checks like posture, range of motion, strength, reflexes, and sensation.
He then takes full spine digital X rays to study curves, alignment, and disc spaces. These help show where compression is happening and how the “physics” of your spine have broken down over time.
A true diagnosis of a herniated, bulging, or sequestered disc requires an MRI, because that is what shows the soft tissue directly. If you already have an MRI, he carefully reviews the report. He rarely sends patients out for an MRI before starting conservative care unless their pain level or symptoms demand it.
At the end, he walks you through the findings in plain language and explains the next steps.
Treatment Approaches for Herniated Discs
For disc issues, Dr. Kleinberg almost always thinks in terms of combination care. He tells patients that herniated disc treatment in Los Gatos at this clinic is typically a mix of chiropractic adjustments and spinal decompression, not one or the other.
A common starting plan for a herniated disc is:
- About two months of care with chiropractic and decompression together
- Three visits per week, each visit including an adjustment plus a 20 minute decompression session
- Progress checks every 12 visits and follow up X rays to measure structural change and disc space over time
Adjustments focus on restoring the overall shape and motion of the spine so pressure is better distributed. Decompression uses a specific pull and release pattern that pumps fluid out of and back into the disc, creating a vacuum effect that can help disc material move back toward center and support rehydration.
Plans are individualized. Some people continue with additional two month blocks when they see progress and want to keep building on it.
Typical Healing Time for Disc Injuries
Real talk: discs do not heal overnight. But that does not mean you will not feel anything changing early on.
From what Dr. Kleinberg sees, most decompression patients feel significant change within about two weeks, especially those dealing with sciatica and leg pain. For many chiropractic patients in general, he says most are seeing major improvement in their symptom, whatever it is, within two to four weeks, while deeper correction continues beyond that.
Bigger shifts in disc health and spinal structure usually require several weeks of consistent care. That is why herniated disc treatment plans often run at least two months and sometimes longer, depending on damage, age, and what you are doing outside the office.
Dr. Kleinberg sets realistic expectations and checks progress regularly so you know what to look for, instead of guessing if it is “working.”
Long-Term Consequences of Untreated Disc Issues
Ignoring disc related pain is kind of like ignoring a small cavity. Dr. Kleinberg uses that exact analogy. If you do nothing, it does not stay small. It quietly gets worse.
When the physics of the spine stay off for a long time, pressure is not distributed evenly. Certain discs start to decay and shrink, which tightens the holes where nerves exit. That can mean more nerve pressure, more intense or frequent sciatica, and more areas of your body affected. Over time, the body tries to stabilize the stressed joints by building extra bone, what we call arthritis.
If disc problems and nerve pressure go unchecked, the risks include:
- More frequent flare ups and stiffness
- Ongoing numbness or weakness
- Changes in how nearby organs function
- Systemic loss of health from chronic nerve interference
The message is not to scare you, but to encourage you to get checked early while conservative, non surgical herniated disc care has the best shot.
Case Study: Herniated Disc Recovery
One of Dr. Kleinberg’s memorable disc and sciatica cases was a man in his early 70s who could barely walk when he arrived. He had seen “every doctor,” had epoxy injected into a vertebra to try to stabilize it, and still had severe sciatic pain down one leg and milder pain down the other.
Exam and imaging suggested serious disc and nerve compression. They built a plan that combined regular full spine chiropractic adjustments with spinal decompression several times per week. Within three to four months, he was back to going on a cruise with his wife and playing golf again, instead of planning his life around pain.
At home, he followed simple guidelines: using ice during bad flare ups, walking within tolerance instead of staying in bed, avoiding heavy lifting right after sessions, and paying attention to posture. That mix of in office care and realistic home habits helped his nervous system and discs move in a better direction.
Factors Behind Disc Degeneration
From a structural standpoint, Dr. Kleinberg teaches that it is not just “old age” that causes disc problems. It is bad physics. When the spine loses its optimal curves and alignment, certain areas are forced to carry more load than they were designed for.
Over time, that overload can lead to:
- Disc wear and dehydration
- Cracks or weakness in the disc’s outer wall
- Bulging or herniation toward a nerve
- Arthritic changes as the body lays down extra bone to stabilize the region
Trauma, repetitive lifting, long term sitting, and chronic poor posture can all feed into this process. The key idea is that if you change the physics, you change the pressure. If you change the pressure, you change how that disc ages.
Home Care Tips for Disc Flare-Ups
While home care is not a replacement for a proper exam, there are a few simple things many people with disc flare ups find helpful.
Short, gentle walks are often better than long periods of bed rest, which can make stiffness and weakness worse. Avoid heavy lifting, twisting, or long sitting when pain is intense. Using ice for 10 to 15 minutes over the most painful area can calm irritation in the early stages of a flare. Later on, light heat may help relax tight muscles.
Dr. Kleinberg also talks a lot about posture and daily habits. If you spend hours looking down at screens or slumped at a desk, changing those positions, adding breaks, and supporting your spine better can take a lot of strain off your discs over time.
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FAQs
Is a herniated disc the same as a bulging disc?
Not exactly. A bulging disc means the disc is pushed outward but the outer wall is still intact. A herniated disc means the inner material has pushed through a weakened area of the outer wall and is pressing more directly on a nerve.
Can a herniated disc get better without surgery?
Yes, many do. Dr. Kleinberg uses non surgical herniated disc care that combines chiropractic adjustments with decompression to change the loads on the disc and nerves. While no approach can guarantee results, he sees many patients improve enough to avoid more invasive options.
Do I need an MRI before starting treatment?
Not always. X rays and the exam often give enough information to begin conservative care safely. An MRI is the gold standard for seeing the actual disc, but Dr. Kleinberg rarely sends patients for one before starting treatment unless their pain or findings make it necessary. If you already have an MRI, he will absolutely review it.
How can a disc be involved if I did not have a big injury?
Disc problems often build slowly from years of poor posture, repetitive strain, or misalignment. You might only notice things when the disc finally irritates a nerve enough to cause pain. The “last straw” moment, like picking up something light, is usually not the true cause.
Does insurance cover herniated disc treatment?
Coverage varies. The team at On Purpose Los Gatos Chiropractic can help you check your benefits and explain what is covered and what is not before you start. Either way, you will know your options up front so there are no surprises.
