Don't let a disc diagnosis lead you straight to surgery. Dr. Rob Kelch uses spinal decompression therapy and targeted chiropractic adjustments to treat cervical and lumbar bulging discs — a proven conservative approach that helps many patients avoid surgery entirely.
Spinal discs are hydraulic shock absorbers between your vertebrae. When the outer disc wall weakens and extends beyond its normal boundary, it can press on nearby nerve roots — causing local pain and, often, radiating symptoms down the arm or leg.
Surgery for a bulging disc removes the disc material causing the compression. But it doesn't address why the disc bulged in the first place — abnormal spinal mechanics, postural stress, and poor disc nutrition that will continue to affect the remaining discs.
Spinal decompression therapy takes a fundamentally different approach: it creates negative pressure inside the disc that gently draws the bulging material back toward center — while simultaneously improving fluid exchange that rehydrates and heals the disc. Combined with chiropractic adjustments to restore normal spinal mechanics, this approach resolves many bulging disc cases without surgery.
The lower back is the most common site for disc bulges, particularly at L4-L5 and L5-S1. Lumbar disc bulges cause low back pain and often compress the sciatic nerve, producing pain, numbness, or weakness that radiates down the leg.
Disc bulges in the neck, most commonly at C5-C6 and C6-C7, compress the nerve roots that supply the arm. This causes neck pain with radiating arm pain, numbness, or tingling — often misdiagnosed as a shoulder or elbow problem.
When the inner disc material ruptures through the outer wall, the resulting chemical irritation of the nerve root is often more severe than a simple bulge. Spinal decompression therapy is highly effective for herniated discs by reducing the disc pressure driving the herniation.
Chronic disc dehydration and height loss that causes chronic back or neck pain. While degeneration can't be fully reversed, restoring proper spinal mechanics and improving disc nutrition through decompression therapy can significantly reduce symptoms and slow progression.
When a lumbar disc bulge compresses the sciatic nerve root, the resulting leg pain, numbness, and weakness can be debilitating. Decompression therapy combined with lumbar adjustments relieves the compression and allows the sciatic nerve to heal.
Patients who have had disc surgery and continue to experience pain often have adjacent-level disc degeneration or ongoing mechanical dysfunction. Dr. Kelch evaluates and treats post-surgical cases where conservative care is appropriate and safe.
A two-pronged approach: decompress the disc to reduce the bulge, and correct spinal mechanics to prevent it from returning.
Dr. Kelch uses orthopedic disc compression and distraction tests, dermatomal sensory testing, and X-rays to determine the location and severity of the disc problem — and whether your case is appropriate for conservative care or requires referral for imaging.
The centerpiece of disc treatment at Absolute Wellness. Decompression therapy applies a gentle, computerized traction force that creates negative intradiscal pressure — pulling the bulging disc material back toward center and promoting the fluid exchange that heals and rehydrates damaged disc tissue.
Adjustments to the affected spinal segments restore normal joint mechanics, reduce the asymmetric loading of the disc that caused the bulge, and widen the foraminal spaces where nerve roots exit the spine. Combined with decompression, the results are significantly better than either treatment alone.
Forward head posture and excessive lumbar lordosis place chronic compressive loads on the discs most vulnerable to bulging. Correcting these postural patterns is essential to long-term disc health and preventing recurrence after treatment.
The deep stabilizing muscles of the spine — the multifidus and transverse abdominis — protect the discs from mechanical stress. Dr. Kelch prescribes specific exercises to activate and strengthen these muscles, providing the disc with the internal support it needs to stay healthy.
Most disc injuries have a contributing activity or ergonomic cause — prolonged sitting, incorrect lifting, or poor sleeping position. Dr. Kelch identifies and corrects these factors to protect the disc during and after treatment.
Not every chiropractic office offers non-surgical spinal decompression therapy. Absolute Wellness does — and for disc conditions with nerve compression, it is the most powerful tool available short of surgery. Many patients who have already tried standard chiropractic elsewhere and didn't get results finally get relief when decompression therapy is added to their care.
Dr. Kelch will tell you honestly whether your disc condition is a good candidate for conservative care or whether you need imaging or surgical evaluation first. If he believes surgery is truly the better option for your situation, he will tell you — but in his experience, the majority of bulging and herniated disc patients can avoid surgery with properly administered conservative care.
Disc injuries are among the most common conditions treated at Absolute Wellness. Dr. Kelch has developed a refined, systematic approach to disc cases that produces consistent results — and his patients' outcomes reflect it.
"My MRI showed two herniated discs and my surgeon wanted to operate. I tried decompression therapy with Dr. Kelch first. Six weeks later, no surgery needed. That was three years ago and I'm still doing great."
— Mark S., Dunlap ★★★★★
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Non-surgical decompression creates negative disc pressure that draws bulging material back toward center — the most effective conservative disc treatment available.
Learn More →When a lumbar disc bulge compresses the sciatic nerve, targeted decompression and chiropractic care relieve the leg pain, numbness, and weakness.
Learn More →Bulging discs are the most common cause of pinched nerves. Learn how Dr. Kelch relieves nerve compression and restores normal nerve function.
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