If you are reading this section please remember bad discs don’t respond and responsive disc do.  So that is obvious, but often a non responsive disc is treated too long and it knowing what to look for has taken me 30 years to recognise. The easiest disc to treat are those which are associated with long term emotional stress.

Intervertebral disc prolapse occurs when the inner nucleus of the disc protrudes through the outer annulus, potentially compressing nearby nerve roots and producing back pain, leg pain, numbness, or weakness. In the clinic it is often expected that symptoms will ease during the treatment session, although the degree of inflammation present will influence how quickly symptoms may return afterward.

In many cases disc injuries appear to follow a period of significant emotional or physiological stress, suggesting that heightened autonomic tension may contribute to vulnerability in the spinal tissues. However, they can also occur with mechanical overloading, such as heavy lifting, building work, or excessive gardening.

An important part of the assessment is therefore to consider the role of autonomic stress, as reducing this component can sometimes produce rapid improvements in muscular tension surrounding the spine. Clinically, significant tension is often found in the cranial region, and releasing this tension may allow the nervous system to settle before addressing the pelvis and lower limbs.

A careful approach therefore begins with reducing tension through the head and upper system before progressing to the pelvic and leg regions, allowing the whole body to decompress and supporting recovery of the injured disc.