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Disc Herniation
Treatment in Overland Park, KS · Dr. Ladd Carlston
What it feels like
Sharp, shooting pain down the leg. Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot. Pain that worsens with sitting or bending forward. Relief when lying down or changing positions. Weakness in the leg or foot. Pain that started gradually, not from one event.
What’s actually causing it
Disc herniations don't happen out of nowhere. They're the end result of prolonged axial compression — your spine being squeezed together over months or years until a disc can't take it anymore and bulges out. The question is: what's causing that compression? In most cases, it's the same thing I see with lower back pain — chronically tight hip flexors. Your psoas runs from your lumbar spine through your pelvis to your femur. When it's locked short from years of sitting, it pulls your lumbar vertebrae together like a vice. Add to that too much time sitting in lumbar kyphosis — that slumped, rounded-back position — and the front of your discs are getting crushed while the back is being stretched. Eventually something gives. The disc bulges posteriorly, hits a nerve root, and now you've got shooting pain down your leg. The disc is the victim, not the cause. The cause is the biomechanical environment that's been squeezing it.
How I treat it
I test the muscles around the affected area individually, find which ones aren’t firing, and reset the connection using gentle techniques. No cracking, no popping.
How long it takes
Most patients feel a difference after one session. Chronic cases typically resolve in 4–6 sessions.
Why the MRI Scares You More Than It Should
You get an MRI, it shows a herniation, and suddenly everyone's talking about surgery. But here's what they don't tell you: plenty of people with herniated discs on MRI have zero pain. And plenty of people with severe pain have relatively small herniations. The difference isn't the disc — it's the muscular environment around it. If the compression is still happening, even a small herniation hurts. If you release the compression, even a larger herniation can become asymptomatic.
The Sitting Problem
Modern life is built around sitting. Desk, car, couch, repeat. Every hour you sit, your psoas shortens a little more. Your lumbar spine rounds into kyphosis — the opposite of its natural curve. The front of your discs get compressed while the back gets stretched. Do this for years and something eventually herniates. It's not bad luck. It's biomechanics. The fix isn't just "sit less" — though that helps. The fix is releasing the muscles that are creating the compression in the first place.
What I Actually Do
Same approach as lower back pain, but more carefully because there's nerve involvement. I start with muscle testing to confirm what's happening — tight psoas, tight iliacus, inhibited glutes. Then deep myofascial release of the hip flexors and QL to reduce the axial compression on your spine. As the compression decreases, the disc has room to retract. The nerve gets more space. Pain decreases. I also work on restoring your lumbar lordosis — getting your lower back out of that flexed, kyphotic position and back into its natural curve. This takes the load off the posterior disc where the herniation is.
When Surgery Is Actually Necessary
If you're losing control of your bladder or bowels, or you're rapidly losing strength in your foot or leg — that's a surgical emergency. Don't wait. But for the vast majority of disc herniations — even the ones that cause significant pain and radiating symptoms — conservative care works. I've seen patients avoid surgery by simply getting the compression off their spine. The body is remarkably good at healing disc injuries when you give it the right environment.
“I had been suffering for years and was unsuccessfully treated by others. In one visit, Dr. Ladd was able to find and address the real issue.”
Patient review · Disc Herniation patient
Techniques I use for disc herniation
Common questions
Do I need surgery?
Almost certainly not. Surgery is only necessary for rapidly progressive neurological loss — foot drop, bladder problems. The vast majority of disc herniations resolve with conservative care that addresses the compression causing the problem.
How is this connected to my hip flexors?
Your psoas attaches directly to your lumbar spine. When it's chronically tight, it compresses your vertebrae together. That compression is what pushes the disc out. Release the psoas, reduce the compression, and the disc has room to heal.
Will the disc go back to normal?
The disc may not fully retract to its original shape, but that's not the goal. The goal is reducing compression so the herniation stops pressing on the nerve. Many people with herniations on MRI have zero symptoms once the muscular environment is corrected.
How long does recovery take?
You'll feel improvement within the first few visits as compression decreases. Full recovery typically takes 6–10 weeks. The longer the compression has been happening, the longer it takes to fully resolve.
Can I still exercise?
Yes, but avoid anything that loads the spine in flexion — no crunches, no heavy deadlifts for now. Walking is great. I'll give you specific movements that decompress the spine and help the disc heal.
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