Physiosolution Clinical Team · 2026-07-14 · 8 min read
The MRI is not the whole story
Disc bulges appear on scans of people with no pain at all. What matters clinically is whether the disc is irritating a nerve root, how much power and sensation are affected, and how your symptoms behave with movement.
That is why we assess before we treat: nerve tension tests, reflexes, muscle power by segment, and a symptom map showing exactly how far the pain travels.
Centralisation: the marker of progress
The most useful early sign is centralisation, where pain retreats from the calf towards the buttock and then towards the spine. Pain moving closer to the back is progress, even when its intensity has not dropped yet.
We find the movement direction that produces this and prescribe it in small, frequent doses through the day rather than one long session.
The treatment sequence
A typical lumbar disc case in our clinic follows four stages:
- Weeks 1–2: decompression with mechanical traction, positional relief, IFT for radiating pain, walking within comfort
- Weeks 2–4: directional exercise, neural mobilisation, early core and gluteal activation
- Weeks 4–8: progressive strengthening, sitting and driving tolerance, lifting technique
- Weeks 8–12: full loading, gym or sport return, maintenance routine
When surgery is genuinely indicated
Get an urgent surgical opinion for loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the saddle area, or rapidly progressing muscle weakness such as a foot that will not lift.
Elective surgery is reasonable when severe radiating pain persists after six to twelve weeks of properly executed rehabilitation. The word properly matters: three sessions of machines alone is not a rehabilitation trial.
What patients get wrong
Prolonged bed rest, permanent belt use and stopping exercise the moment the pain eases are the three habits that turn a six-week problem into a two-year one. The final strengthening phase is what prevents recurrence.
If you have an MRI report and no clear plan, bring it to the clinic in Indirapuram or call +91-9999973681 for an assessment.
Book an assessment
Clinic and home visit slots in Indirapuram, confirmed on call or WhatsApp.