Herniated Disc Treatment in Sunrise, FL

Why Sunrise patients choose us for herniated disc treatment

When someone from Sunrise calls about herniated disc treatment in Sunrise, three things usually settle the decision to come to Coral Springs instead of somewhere closer.

• The drive is easier than it sounds. It is about 20 minutes straight up the Sawgrass Expressway, and parking is free, right outside the door. We see patients from Sawgrass Mills, Amerant Bank Arena and Welleby Park every week.
• Evening and early slots. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday run until 7:00 pm; Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings round out the week. Most Sunrise patients can fit visits around work and school runs.
• We understand who lives in Sunrise. Our typical Sunrise patients are Sunrise families, hockey fans and arena staff from Amerant Bank Arena, retail and hospitality workers on their feet all day at Sawgrass Mills, and cyclists from Markham Park — and the plan reflects those loads, not a template.

What is a herniated disc, and how is it different from a bulge?

Herniated disc treatment in Sunrise should begin with a clear picture of the disc itself, because the plan depends on it. Each disc has a firm outer ring and a soft center. Age, sitting load and repeated bending weaken the ring; a bulge is the ring sagging outward, a herniation is the soft center breaking through it, and a sequestration is a piece of that center breaking loose. All three can press on the nerve root that exits beside the disc.

The symptoms follow the nerve, not the disc. A lumbar herniation at L4–L5 or L5–S1 produces back pain with a line of pain, tingling or numbness down one leg — sciatica. A cervical herniation at C5–C6 or C6–C7 produces neck pain with symptoms into the shoulder, arm or hand. Weakness in the foot or the grip means the nerve is being compressed hard enough to affect its motor fibers, which moves the case up our priority list.

Our clinic on Coral Ridge Drive has treated Sunrise disc patients since 2005. Dr. Jared Cohen, DC built the approach around a simple idea that the evidence supports: most herniations retract and heal when given space and time, so our job is to create the space and protect the time. Read the herniated disc guide for the full background.

Why the disc needs room and time, not a push

Two things determine whether a herniated disc heals: the pressure inside it and the time it is given. Nothing about an adjustment, a stretch or a massage changes the first one. Non-surgical spinal decompression does, and that is why it sits at the center of our disc care.

1. Lower the pressure. The Triton DTS table applies cycled traction — pull, release, pull, release — under computer control. Because the pull is cycled, the muscles stay relaxed instead of guarding, and the force reaches the disc.
2. Create negative pressure. As the vertebrae separate, pressure inside the disc drops below zero, which draws the herniated material back toward the center and away from the nerve.
3. Rehydrate the disc. A disc has no blood supply; it feeds by fluid exchange. The same negative pressure pulls water and nutrients in, which is what the healing process needs.
4. Repeat. About 20 minutes per session, several times a week in the Repair phase, so the retraction holds between visits.

This is not a shortcut around biology; it is a way of giving biology the conditions it needs. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that most lumbar disc herniations improve with nonsurgical care over weeks to months, with surgery reserved for persistent symptoms or progressive weakness (AAOS OrthoInfo). We make that non-surgical window as productive as possible.

What is herniated disc treatment in Sunrise like at The Spine and Wellness Center?

Every plan follows the 4R Method: Repair, Rebuild, Regenerate, Refine. For a disc the order is not negotiable — the herniation has to be unloaded before the structure that overloaded it can be corrected.

Repair — unload the disc and calm the nerve

Decompression on the Triton DTS table leads, about 20 minutes per session, paired with precise adjustments at the segments above and below the disc and cold laser or therapeutic ultrasound for inflammation around the nerve. Typically 3–5 visits a week for 4–8 weeks. Most patients notice a change in the leg or arm symptoms within the first two to three weeks.

Rebuild — correct what loaded the disc

Once the nerve is quiet, we correct the architecture that let the disc fail: the lumbar or cervical curve, pelvic balance, and the deep stabilizers that switched off. Corrective care, physical therapy and Graston soft-tissue work, 2–3 visits a week for 8–16 weeks. This is the phase most clinics skip, and why their disc patients come back.

Regenerate and Refine — protect the disc

Regenerate adds red light, PEMF and IHHT oxygen therapy to support disc and nerve recovery, about twice a week for two months or more. Refine is a brief tune-up roughly monthly so the disc stays unloaded through desk work, travel and sport.

Do I need an MRI? What happens at your first two visits

Two visits, two jobs. The first measures; the second explains and begins treatment. And no, you do not need an MRI first — Sunrise patients are often surprised to learn that a herniation on a scan is common in people with no pain at all, which is why the exam, not the image, decides the plan.

• Visit one — the exam. A conversation about where the symptoms travel and what triggers them; a hands-on exam with orthopedic tests that load and unload the disc, nerve-tension tests, and a neurological screen of reflexes, strength and sensation; surface EMG and thermal scanning along the spine; digital X-rays when indicated. We correlate any MRI you bring with the findings.
• Visit two — the plan. Your report of findings, with scans and images in front of you, mapped onto the 4R Method: which disc and nerve, the phase you start in, visit frequency and expected duration. Treatment starts at this visit.
• Along the way. Re-exams and re-scans at set points so the retraction of the disc is measured, not assumed, and the plan adjusts to how you respond.

Want a head start? The 60-second spine assessment produces a Spine Score and likely pattern we will have in hand before you arrive from Sunrise.

What helps a herniated disc at home — and when to see a doctor instead

Between visits, the goal is simple: keep pressure off the disc. These are the habits that matter most:

• Walk, don’t rest. Short, frequent walks keep the disc nourished and the nerve gliding; bed rest beyond a day or two stiffens the joints and weakens the stabilizers.
• Break up sitting. Sitting is the highest-pressure position for a lumbar disc. Stand or walk for two minutes every 30–45 minutes, and use lumbar support in the car.
• Hinge, don’t bend. Keep loads close and hinge at the hips; rounding the spine under load is how discs herniate in the first place.
• No aggressive forward bending early. Toe-touches and deep flexion stretches push the nucleus backward toward the nerve. Your plan adds the right movements at the right stage.
• Sleep unloaded. Side-lying with a pillow between the knees, or on your back with a pillow under them; for a cervical disc, a pillow that keeps the neck level.

Ice in the first 48 hours of a flare, heat for stiffness after that. A few symptoms are not chiropractic problems and need same-day medical evaluation: new loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, weakness in a leg, foot, arm or hand that is getting worse quickly, or symptoms after a serious fall or accident. If any of these apply, please see a doctor or urgent care today — we will be here for the recovery afterwards.

Getting to our Coral Springs clinic from Sunrise

From Sawgrass Mills or Amerant Bank Arena, take the Sawgrass Expressway north and follow it as it curves east along the top of Coral Springs; exit at Coral Ridge Drive and head south. The clinic is on Coral Ridge Drive just south of the expressway, about 15 miles from the mall.

Free parking is right at the door — no garage, no meters. Same-day appointments are usually available: call (954) 341-2256 or book online, and we will find a slot that fits your Sunrise schedule.

Clinic hours

Monday	9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday	3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Thursday	9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday	9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday	Closed

The Spine and Wellness Center
5675 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076
Phone: (954) 341-2256
Get directions from Sunrise on Google Maps

What patients say

We do not have a published review from a Sunrise patient yet, so here is one from a Coral Springs patient — the same clinic and the same team you would see:

“I was dealing with ongoing elbow and shoulder pain affecting my daily routine and workouts. The treatment plan felt personalized — over the months I’ve noticed steady progress: less pain, better mobility, feeling stronger.”

Related care for Sunrise residents

Start with the full guide to herniated disc treatment, then explore the other care we provide for Sunrise patients.

Serving herniated disc patients from Sunrise across North Broward

Our clinic at 5675 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076 serves Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Margate, Boca Raton, Tamarac, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. Same-day appointments are usually available — call (954) 341-2256 or book online. Most patients from Parkland and Coral Springs are here in under 15 minutes.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jared Cohen, DC — Co-Founder & Clinical Director, The Spine and Wellness Center. Last reviewed October 2026.

Frequently asked questions