A herniated disc sounds catastrophic on a scan. In reality, the vast majority of disc herniations resolve substantially over 6–12 weeks with the right loading approach. Surgery is rarely needed. Here's what's actually going on and how physio fixes it.
What is a herniated disc?
Between every pair of vertebrae sits a disc — a tough outer ring with a soft gel-like centre. When the outer ring bulges or tears, some of the inner material pushes out. That's a "herniation." Sometimes it presses on or chemically irritates a nearby nerve root (which causes leg pain — see our sciatica page). Sometimes it just causes deep local back pain.
What causes it?
Most disc herniations are the result of cumulative load — years of sitting, lifting with poor mechanics under fatigue, or a sudden spike in training volume the tissue wasn't ready for. The "I bent down to pick up a pencil" story is usually the final straw, not the cause.
How is it diagnosed?
By a proper physical assessment in most cases — not by scan. MRI in the first 6 weeks of typical back pain rarely changes management and can anchor patients on scary findings that almost everyone has after age 30. We do refer for imaging when there are red flags or when conservative care isn't progressing.
How physio actually treats it
Loading the spine in specific, graduated patterns the tissue currently tolerates poorly. Hip and glute retraining. Manual therapy where useful. Education about what's safe (most things) and what's risky (very little, properly graded). Most patients see major change in 6–12 weeks.
The MRI doesn't fix your back. The plan does. And the plan starts with a proper assessment, not a scan.
Book a 30 or 60 minute first session at our Liverpool clinic and we'll figure out exactly what's going on.