Slipped disc treatment in Wokingham, Berkshire

A slipped disc can cause severe back pain and pain, numbness or weakness radiating into the leg. At the Wokingham Therapy Clinic, our therapists offer effective, non-surgical treatment to relieve the pain, reduce pressure on the nerve and help you return to normal activity.

On this page

1. About a slipped disc
2. Common causes
3. Symptoms
4. How we treat a slipped disc
5. Research and evidence
6. Self-help advice
7. Our acupuncturist

1. About a slipped disc

A "slipped disc" – more accurately a herniated, prolapsed or bulging disc – occurs when the soft inner core of an intervertebral disc pushes out through a weakness in its tough outer ring. The disc does not actually slip; it bulges or ruptures.

When the displaced disc material presses on a nearby spinal nerve, it produces both local back pain and radiating symptoms along the path of that nerve – most commonly sciatica down the leg when a disc in the lower back is affected. Most slipped discs settle with conservative treatment and do not require surgery.

2. Common causes

• Lifting heavy objects with poor technique, particularly with a bent and twisted spine
• Sudden awkward movements or a fall
• Age-related wear, which dries and weakens the discs over time
• Prolonged sitting and poor posture, increasing pressure on the lumbar discs
• Repetitive bending, lifting and twisting at work
• Being overweight, which loads the spine

3. Symptoms

• Back or neck pain that may come on suddenly after lifting or bending
• Pain, numbness or tingling radiating into the buttock, leg and foot (sciatica) or into the arm
• Muscle weakness in the affected limb
• Pain that is worse on sitting, coughing or sneezing
• Stiffness and difficulty straightening up
• Seek urgent medical care for loss of bladder or bowel control or numbness around the saddle area

4. How we treat a slipped disc

Acupuncture

Acupuncture reduces the inflammation around an irritated nerve root, relieves the protective muscle spasm that accompanies a disc injury and stimulates the body's own pain-relieving mechanisms, easing both the back pain and the radiating leg pain.

Osteopathy

Osteopathy uses gentle hands-on techniques to improve movement in the spine, reduce muscle spasm and relieve pressure around the affected disc and nerve.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy provides graded exercise, core stability work and advice on movement and posture, which have strong evidence for recovery from disc problems and for preventing recurrence.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care assesses spinal mechanics and uses careful, appropriate techniques to improve function and reduce nerve irritation from a disc problem.

5. Research and evidence

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in PLOS ONE found that acupuncture was more effective than conventional treatment for lumbar disc herniation, providing greater pain relief and functional improvement. For disc-related pain more broadly, guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) support exercise-based programmes and manual therapy as part of conservative management.

6. Self-help advice

• Keep gently active – prolonged bed rest slows recovery
• Avoid heavy lifting and repeated bending in the acute phase
• Use good lifting technique: bend the knees, keep the load close, avoid twisting
• Apply heat to ease muscle spasm
• Maintain good sitting posture and take regular breaks from sitting
• Seek urgent medical help for any loss of bladder or bowel control

Our acupuncturist

Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto BM (Beijing), BSc (Hons) TCM, MBAcC, MRCHM

Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto has been practising acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for over 25 years. He is passionate about empowering people with the ancient knowledge of Chinese medicine through lifestyle and diet.

Dr (TCM) D'Alberto graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine from Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China – a full-time, five-year degree programme that included six months of clinical internship at two of the largest hospitals in Beijing.

Dr (TCM) D'Alberto practises acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping from his own acupuncture clinic in Wokingham. He is a member of the British Acupuncture Council and practises traditional Chinese acupuncture.