Patient Success Story Six Years of Disc Care: Spasms to CrossFit He walked in with years of low back pain behind him, a diagnosed disc herniation and disc degeneration on his chart, and one clear goal: avoid surgery. The pain was severe enough that sleeping through the night and rolling over in bed had become a problem. Kevin first came to see me at my former New Hope office, and his care has continued at my Plymouth, Minnesota clinic ever since. He is an avid fitness person who stretches, lifts, and trains every single day, so a spine that could not tolerate dynamic movement was affecting far more than his comfort. Along with the low back pain, he had consistent flank pain along the side of his abdomen that nobody had tied back to his disc. I have now seen him well over 150 times across more than six years. Key Takeaways THE CHALLENGEYears of low back pain with a diagnosed disc herniation, disc degeneration, and radiating flank pain in a patient determined to stay out of the operating room. THE CARE PLANFull-body manual adjustments paired with gua sha, active release, and myofascial work, supported by massage ball techniques he practices at home. THE RESULTHe went from visits three times a week during the worst stretches to once every seven days, and from barely sleeping to CrossFit workouts. Conservative care made sense here because the goal was never to force a disc back into place. By getting his spine and hips moving freely and calming the muscles around the injured segment, we take pressure off the disc so it can heal with less strain. I was honest with him from day one that this would not be a quick fix, and that frequency would change over time while consistency would not. You can read more about how I approach Non-Surgical Disc Care if you are weighing the same decision. Project Summary Patient Profile: Adult fitness enthusiast with diagnosed disc herniation and disc degeneration, under care for more than six years Project Location: Plymouth, Minnesota (care began at my former New Hope office) Primary Objective: Manage a herniated disc conservatively and avoid surgery through consistent Active Chiropractic Treatment Techniques Used: Full-body manual adjustments including hips and wrists, gua sha, trigger point with active stretching, and Active Release Technique Key Outcome: Visit frequency reduced from three times a week to once a week, with a return to CrossFit workouts and normal sleep Flank Pain and Disc Herniation During his initial examination, what stood out most was how motivated he was. He already knew he had a disc herniation and degeneration, he had already decided surgery was the last resort, and he was willing to do the work. What he had not been told was why the side of his abdomen kept hurting. The way I explained it to him is simple: the disc herniation presses on a nerve, that nerve travels around his flank, and that is where the pain shows up. The pain you feel and the place the problem lives are not always the same spot. Over time, the muscles around that nerve have to start working properly so the nerve can calm down and the radiating pain can fade. Full-Body Adjustments and Soft Tissue A typical session starts with a full-body adjustment. I adjust every area that needs to move, including his hips and his wrists, because he trains hard and asks a lot of those joints. After the adjustment, I move into soft tissue work. Gua sha uses a tool that looks a bit like a knife but is not one, and I scrape along the muscle fibers to break down damaged tissue. That same pass tells me which muscles are hypertonic and which ones need more stretching, so I follow with trigger point work and active stretching to get those muscles relaxing and moving the way they should. "Dr. Bomberg's adjustments, combined with the massage, allow me to train and do physical therapy, all while keeping my body aligned, which helps reduce my aches and pains." - (Kevin, Patient) Between visits, he uses a massage ball at home. Think of it like stepping on a tennis ball, except the density is higher than a tennis ball and lower than a lacrosse ball, so the tissue can sink in a little instead of bracing into protection mode. I spend time in the office showing him the exact movements so he can mimic what we do during active release and myofascial work. We also talk about spacing: soft tissue work needs at least 24 hours between sessions so the tissue has time to heal. That kind of coaching is a core part of our Chiropractic Techniques and our approach to Athletic Performance Recovery. From Crisis Care to Weekly Visits He came in with severe pain, difficulty sleeping, and discomfort rolling over in bed or sitting. Today he does CrossFit workouts and moves the way he wants to move. When things were at their worst, I was seeing him at least three times a week; now we see each other every seven days without significant discomfort in between. A large part of that progress came from education, not just table time. We spent a lot of appointments sorting out what counts as a true emergency and what is normal post-adjustment change, and which indicators mean a real flare-up. We also reined in some of the training he had picked up from videos online, movements that would injure a 20-year-old, let alone someone further down the road. Six years in, his care looks less like crisis management and more like Preventative Spine Care. Living With a Herniated Disc? We work with a lot of active people in Plymouth and across the West Metro who want to keep lifting, running, and training without surgery. I will tell you honestly what chiropractic can and cannot do for your disc, and if you need a surgical opinion, I will say so. Dealing with low back pain or a diagnosed disc injury in Plymouth? Take the first step and let's look at what is actually going on. Bomberg Chiropractic 15600 35th Ave. N #101, Plymouth, MN 55447 Call (763) 450-1755 or Schedule Online Frequently Asked Questions Can a Plymouth chiropractor help me avoid herniated disc surgery? Chiropractic does a good job managing disc herniations without surgery, because getting the spine moving takes some of that bogged-down pressure off the disc and allows it to heal with less strain. That said, you always have to look at what is most appropriate for your case, and if surgery is needed, it is needed. What I ask for is time and consistency, not two or three visits. Does gua sha hurt, and will it leave bruising? The area turns red during treatment, and any soft tissue work can bruise when it is done in an area that is struggling for blood flow. I bring this up before we start, especially if you have photos or an event coming up, and we can always wait and do it another time. Most people notice some degree of change within six visits. How often do I need to come in to keep a disc stable? Frequency changes, consistency does not. All my treatment plans follow the same idea: more visits up front to get ahead of the discomfort, then we wean down as you improve. If you go three weeks to a month and a half between appointments, you are asking that disc to break down further instead of heal, so we find the spacing your body can actually hold.