Cervical disc herniation · Olathe, Kansas
Non-Surgical Treatment for Cervical Disc Herniation
A disc in your neck can be why your arm hurts.
Pain, numbness or tingling into the shoulder, arm or hand often starts at a cervical disc. The first visit finds out whether it does, and whether non-surgical treatment is appropriate.
- For neck and arm symptoms that have not settled
- Seated, non-surgical treatment set for the neck
- Candidacy answered at the first visit
- Your first visit is free, and includes your first treatment
Or call or text (913) 355-5998
- Dr. Matt Metcalf, DC
- 20+ years
- 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
- 5.0 on Google
Sound familiar?
Does this sound like your cervical disc herniation?
Desk work, driving and looking down at a phone make it worse. Sleep is broken by an arm that goes numb. Lifting, carrying and reaching overhead become things you plan around.
- Pain from the neck into the shoulder, arm or hand
- Numbness or tingling in your fingers
- A weaker grip, or dropping things
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull
- An MRI report that says herniation or protrusion at C5, C6 or C7
Common symptoms of cervical disc herniation
- Neck pain that travels into the shoulder, shoulder blade, arm or hand
- Numbness or tingling in the hand or particular fingers
- A weaker grip, or dropping things
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull
- Symptoms that change with how you hold or turn your head
If two or more of these are true, a free first visit is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.
What cervical disc herniation is
What cervical disc herniation is, and why it keeps coming back
The discs in the neck are small and carry the head through a wide range of motion. When the soft center of one pushes through its outer ring, it can press on or inflame a nerve root as it leaves the spine. Those nerves supply the shoulders, arms and hands, so the symptoms follow the nerve: down the arm, into particular fingers, or as weakness in the grip, sometimes with very little neck pain at all.
Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.
Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.
It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.
How spinal decompression treats it
Non-surgical spinal decompression gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.
Cervical Disc Herniation treatment options
Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.
None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.
Nonsurgical treatment options for cervical disc herniation
- Posture and workstation changes that reduce sustained load on the neck
- Physical therapy for the neck and upper back
- Medication or an injection, prescribed by a physician
- Non-surgical spinal decompression, set for the neck, which gently separates the vertebrae to take pressure off the disc and the nerve
- Surgical consultation for progressive weakness, cord symptoms or symptoms that have not responded to non-surgical care
| Usual approach | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rest and ice | Reduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc. |
| Pain medication | Blocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source. |
| Injections | Reduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily. |
| Physical therapy | Strengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver. |
| Surgery | Removes or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated. |
Our approach
Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adapt.
We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.
- 01
Evaluate
Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.
- 02
Treat
Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.
- 03
Measure
Track your response to treatment.
- 04
Adapt
Change the plan based on how you respond.
Why evaluation matters for cervical disc herniation
Arm and hand symptoms can come from the neck, the shoulder, the elbow or the wrist, and the treatment is different for each. The first visit confirms whether a cervical disc is the source, which nerve level is involved, and whether spinal decompression set for the neck suits it.
How we evaluate cervical disc herniation
We test strength, reflexes and sensation in the arms and hands to find the nerve level, use specific neck positions to confirm the neck is the source, and review your MRI if you have one. When the pattern fits, we explain the treatment and the measures we will track. When it points elsewhere, we tell you where.
When additional medical evaluation is necessary. Weakness that is getting worse, clumsy hands, trouble with balance or walking, or symptoms in both arms or legs need prompt medical evaluation, not an appointment here. Neck pain after a significant injury should be imaged first.
What a spinal decompression visit is like
Non-surgical, with no injections and no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and each visit is built around you. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at your first visit.
Honest about who it's for
It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The free first visit is how we find out whether you are that patient.
Honest about fit
Who this is for, and who it isn't for
Spinal decompression is not for everyone, and we would rather tell you that before you come in.
It is often right for
- Bulging or herniated discs in the lower back
- Cervical disc herniation
- Sciatica, or pain that runs down a leg
- Neck pain that travels into the shoulder, arm or hand
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
- Grip weakness
- Headaches from neck tension
- Pinched nerves
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal stenosis with positional leg symptoms
- Facet pain
- Pain after back or neck surgery, including a fusion once the recovery period has passed
- Pain that hasn't responded to the usual care
It is usually not right for
- Spinal fractures
- Severe osteoporosis
- Tumors or infection
- Spinal instability or cord-level symptoms
- Some conditions we screen for at your first visit
The first visit is where we find out which list you're on. If you've had a fusion or have hardware, we check how long ago and clear it with you at the first visit.
The first step
Start with a free first visit.
Free
Your first visit at Axis Spine & Disc is free. It includes a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf, a review of your MRI or X-rays if you have them, an exam, and your first spinal decompression treatment the same day. You'll leave knowing whether you're a candidate.
Schedule my free consultationWe text you within a minute to set your free first visit, any hour. If you don't check the text box, we call you back.
What your free first visit includes
- A one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf
- A review of your MRI or X-rays, if you have them
- An exam, with a measured baseline
- Your first spinal decompression treatment, the same day
- A straight answer on whether you're a candidate
- If you are, a plan for what comes next
No obligation. New patients only. Some insurance plans are excluded by law.
What you'll learn
What you walk out knowing
1What is actually contributing to your symptoms
Not a guess from a report: findings from an exam, read alongside your imaging.
2Whether you are a candidate
A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, we tell you and point you to the right care.
3How your body responds
Your first spinal decompression treatment happens the same day, and we record your response.
4What comes next
If you are a candidate, a plan, before you decide anything.
Patient reviews
From patients who came in with the same thing.
Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.
“Turning my head is so much easier now, and I'm sleeping better too. … the difference shows up most at work, where I'm just not fighting through the day anymore.”
Christopher E.Verified Google review
“Not popping Advil every day anymore, and my headaches have practically disappeared. Went in for neck pain … I'm sleeping way better and just feel like myself again.”
Meliss M.Verified Google review
“Sciatica had me shifting around constantly, especially sitting for any length of time. … the leg pain's way down and I can actually sit through a meeting or a movie without needing to move.”
Aaron B.Verified Google review
FAQ
Questions about cervical disc herniation
Does it work for neck pain?
Do you treat cervical disc herniations?
What happens at my free first visit?
Is the first visit really free?
What happens after the free visit?
Will insurance cover this?
How do I set my first visit?
Free first visit · New patients only
Schedule your free consultation and treatment
Your first visit is free: sit down with Dr. Metcalf, go over your MRI or X-rays, get your questions answered, and start spinal decompression treatment the same day.
Dr. Matt Metcalf, D.C.
1011 E 151st St
Olathe, KS 66062
By appointment
Your free first visit includes:
- A one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf
- A review of your imaging
- An exam
- Your first treatment, the same day
Prefer to talk? Call or text (913) 355-5998.
Related conditions
Find out whether we can help with your cervical disc herniation.
Axis Spine & Disc · 1011 E 151st St, Olathe, KS
Or call or text (913) 355-5998