Jordan Loewenstein, D.C. | La Jolla Chiropractor
That sharp pain shooting down your leg or arm, the numbness or tingling, the ache that gets worse when you sit or bend — it may be a disc. Conservative, non-surgical chiropractic care that targets the cause, right here in UTC.
Yes, most herniated discs improve with non-surgical chiropractic care. Dr. Loewenstein uses gentle flexion-distraction decompression to reduce pressure on the nerve, not high-force twisting. A 2022 BMJ Open study linked chiropractic care to fewer disc surgeries. Relief often builds over several weeks; red-flag symptoms like loss of bladder control need emergency care.
Between each pair of spinal bones sits a disc — a tough outer ring with a soft, gel-like center that acts as a cushion. When the outer ring weakens or tears, that soft center can push out (a bulge) or break through (a herniation). If it presses on a nearby nerve, you feel it — often not just in your back, but radiating down an arm or leg.
The good news: most disc herniations do not need surgery. The body can reabsorb disc material over time, and conservative care — decompression, soft tissue work, and targeted movement — relieves the nerve pressure and supports that healing. The goal here is to calm the irritated nerve, take pressure off the disc, and get you moving again without going under the knife.
Disc pain has a signature: it travels. Here's what patients most often describe.
Sharp, electric, or burning pain that shoots from the low back down the leg (sciatica) — or from the neck down the arm. Often worse than the back pain itself.
Pins-and-needles or numbness in a specific part of the leg, foot, arm, or hand, following the path of the affected nerve.
Prolonged sitting, bending forward, coughing, or sneezing spikes the pain — all of which increase pressure on the disc.
A leg or arm that feels weak, heavy, or unreliable — a sign the nerve is being meaningfully compressed and worth evaluating soon.
When it's an emergency: Loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin or inner thighs, or rapidly worsening weakness in both legs are red flags for a serious condition — go to the ER immediately, not a chiropractor. These are rare, but they matter.
Disc herniations show up across every kind of patient in San Diego — not just the stereotype.
Years of sitting load the lumbar discs. A herniation often surfaces after one ordinary bend or lift — the disc was already under strain.
Deadlifts, squats, and rounded-back lifting are classic triggers. Care here keeps you training while the disc settles.
Rotational sports, running, and surfing can aggravate a disc. We tailor care to the demands of your activity.
A fall, a car accident, or a single bad lift can herniate a disc at any age. Early conservative care often prevents it from becoming chronic.
Every visit follows the same purposeful sequence — built to decompress the disc and calm the nerve, not just crack and go.
Calms muscle guarding and increases circulation to the area before any hands-on work begins.
Gentle, hands-on traction on the Hill Autoflex table creates space between the vertebrae — reducing pressure on the disc and the nerve it's irritating. This is the core of disc care.
Releases the tight, protective muscles surrounding the injured segment so the spine can move more freely.
A careful adjustment tailored to a disc patient — never forced — plus the specific movements and positions that help (and the ones to avoid) between visits.
Honest expectations: Conservative care can't guarantee a herniation disappears, and severe cases sometimes need imaging or a surgical opinion. But for most disc patients, a course of decompression-based care meaningfully reduces pain and helps avoid surgery. Dr. Loewenstein gives you a realistic estimate at your first visit — and refers out when that's the right call.
Same-week appointments available. Most major insurance accepted. 5151 Shoreham Place, Suite 175, UTC — free parking on-site.
Targeted routines to relieve symptoms and support your recovery between visits. Always ease in — stop anything that sharpens your pain.