Disc
Disc irritation or bulging
Often worse bending forward, sitting or first thing. Can refer pain down the leg when the disc irritates a nerve root.
Great Totham · Maldon · Essex CM9 8DG
Call 01621 731671
ELARIS CHIROPRACTIC& WELLBEING CENTRE
Back pain · Great Totham, near Maldon & Tiptree
Back pain treatment that starts with finding out why.
Most people who come to us with low back pain have already tried something — painkillers, a course of exercises, waiting it out. What they have usually not had is a proper explanation of what is actually happening in their spine.
That is where we start. A full hands-on and neurological examination, then a separate visit where Stephen or Jo Davison sits down and shows you what they found. Only then do we talk about treatment.
Signs worth getting looked at
- Pain that has lasted more than a couple of weeks
- Stiffness first thing in the morning, or after sitting
- Pain that travels into the buttock, hip or leg
- Episodes that keep coming back, a few times a year
- Avoiding lifting, sport or gardening in case it flares
Sudden severe pain with numbness around the saddle area, or loss of bladder or bowel control, needs urgent medical attention — go to A&E, not a chiropractor.
Why it happens
Four things we look for.
Low back pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. The same ache can come from very different mechanics, which is why identical treatment for everyone rarely works twice.
Joint
Restricted spinal joints
Segments that have stopped moving properly force neighbouring joints to work harder, which is where the pain is usually felt.
Muscle
Protective spasm
The muscles splint the area to protect it. Helpful for a few days, counterproductive for months.
Load
How you load your spine
Desk posture, a physical job, or training volume. Treat the tissue without changing the load and the pain returns.
How we treat it
The Elaris Method™, applied to your back.
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01
Assess
Which segments have stopped moving, whether a nerve is involved, and what your daily loading is doing to the area.
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02
Adjust
Restoring movement to the restricted joints and settling the protective spasm around them.
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03
Reset
Interrupting the pain pattern the nervous system has learned — the reason long-standing back pain outlasts the original injury.
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04
Sustain
Strength and loading work so the result holds when you go back to your job, your training or your garden.
In their words
★★★★★
“I’ve had back pain for 20 years, no flexibility due to pain, and struggled daily. Twelve weeks into the programme with Steve and Jo they’ve really helped me get back on my feet, both emotionally and physically.”
★★★★★
“I went to see him with a bulging disc in my back. I was in constant pain, and as someone who works in a physically demanding job I was worried I’d never get back to normal. I’m now fully functional again and back doing the work I love without pain.”
Reviews left by patients on Google. Read all fourteen. Individual results vary.
Questions
Back pain, answered.
How long does back pain take to improve?+
Many people notice a change within the first two or three visits, but a lasting result depends on what is driving the pain. After your assessment you get a written plan with an expected number of visits and review points.
Should I rest or keep moving?+
Prolonged bed rest usually slows recovery. Gentle, regular movement within comfort suits most low back pain — and part of your plan is knowing which movements help and which to leave alone for now.
Do I need an x-ray or MRI first?+
Not usually. Most low back pain is diagnosed from a thorough clinical and neurological examination. Where imaging would genuinely change the plan we will say so and arrange digital x-rays.
Is it safe for long-standing pain, or with osteoporosis?+
Yes, and technique is matched to the person. Care for a 72-year-old with osteoporosis looks nothing like care for a marathon runner — that is decided at your assessment, not in advance.
Twenty years of back pain is not something you have to manage forever.
Book your appointment