Understanding disc related pain and options to avoid surgery
Living with chronic back pain can be frustrating, exhausting, and often confusing. Many people experience ongoing discomfort without a clear explanation, or continue to experience symptoms despite trying multiple approaches.
Chronic back pain is usually defined as back pain that has persisted for more than three months, although many people experience symptoms for much longer. At Devon Disc Centre, we help people understand persistent back pain, why it develops, and when our care may be appropriate.
Chronic back pain is often influenced by a range of lifestyle factors such as prolonged sitting, repetitive movement, stress, occupational demands and reduced recovery often contribute over time. Addressing these influences supports longer-term improvement and reduces future episodes.
Chronic Back Pain
What is Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back pain refers to pain that persists beyond the expected healing time. This does not necessarily mean there is ongoing damage.
Persistent back pain is often influenced by a combination of factors including:
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Disc compression
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Joint stiffness
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Reduced movement
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Nervous system sensitivity
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Previous injury
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Lifestyle factors
Often, chronic back pain develops gradually rather than from a single event.
Common symptoms associated with chronic back pain
Symptoms vary between individuals. Some people experience constant discomfort, while others experience fluctuating symptoms.
Common symptoms include:
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Ongoing lower back pain
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Stiffness
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Flare ups
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Pain with sitting
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Reduced tolerance to activity
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Fatigue
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Reduced confidence in movement
Symptoms often fluctuate rather than follow a predictable pattern.
Why Chronic Back Pain Develops
Back pain can sometimes continue even after the original injury has healed because movement becomes restricted, muscles remain guarded, the nervous system becomes more sensitive, load tolerance reduces, and lifestyle factors contribute - over time, these factors can create a cycle of persistent discomfort.
Chronic back pain and disc compression
In some cases, chronic back pain may be influenced by sustained disc compression.
This may contribute to:
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Reduced movement between segments
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Increased joint loading
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Muscle guarding
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Persistent discomfort
Assessment helps determine whether compression is contributing to symptoms.
Many people with chronic back pain improve when movement improves, compression reduces, the nervous system responses settle, and load tolerance increases, which is why our care often focuses on these areas.
When compression contributes to persistent back pain, non surgical spinal decompression may be considered.
In suitable cases, decompression may:
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Reduce sustained compressive load
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Improve comfort with sitting
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Support disc hydration
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Improve tolerance to movement
At the Devon Disc Centre, decompression is delivered using biofeedback monitored technology, allowing care to be instantly adjusted in real-time based on how the body responds during each session.
How Spinal Decompression Can Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Taking the next step
If you have been diagnosed with a slipped disc, or suspect a disc problem may be involved due to your symptoms, having a specialist disc assessment is the appropriate place to begin.
This allows us to determine whether non-surgical spinal decompression is suitable and to discuss the most appropriate way forward.
Book an assessment with the Devon Disc Centre to explore your options.