Chiropractic care may include spinal manipulation, mobility work, soft-tissue treatment, exercise guidance, and self-management strategies for appropriate patients with spine-related pain. Research supports spinal manipulation as one conservative option for low-back pain, and a large retrospective cohort study found that patients with newly diagnosed lumbar disc herniation and radiculopathy who received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy had lower observed odds of discectomy over two years than those receiving other care; this association does not prove that treatment caused the difference.

For disc-related symptoms, care should begin with a thorough examination and appropriate referral when indicated. Progressive weakness, bowel or bladder changes, saddle numbness, fever, significant trauma, or symptoms suggesting serious disease require prompt medical assessment rather than routine conservative treatment.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation and lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy
BMJ Open, 2022

Clinical review: Chiropractic adjustment and herniated discs
Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 2023