Austin Fontenot, D.C.

09/29/2026

Managing a disc injury generally initially requires palliative care and conservative treatment. Given proper care and time, some disc related injuries can heal.

09/29/2026

Can sciatica heal on its own? What you need to know.

Can Sciatica Heal on Its Own? What the Research Shows Sciatica can be alarming. Pain may begin in the lower back or buttock and travel down the leg, sometimes accompanied by numbness, tingling, or …

09/22/2026

Does a Disc Bulge on MRI Mean It’s Causing Your Pain?

Few things create more anxiety in a spine or musculoskeletal clinic than reading an MRI report that lists multiple “abnormalities.” One of the most common is a disc bulge. Patients often come in saying, “My MRI shows a bulging disc — that must be why I’m in pain.” The reality is more complicated. A disc bulge can be completely painless, strongly related to symptoms, or simply one piece of a much larger story....

Few things create more anxiety in a spine or musculoskeletal clinic than reading an MRI report that lists multiple “abnormalities.” One of the most common is a disc bulge. Patients often come in sa…

09/21/2026

Neck pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

09/21/2026

Do You Need an MRI for Low Back Pain? What the Research Says

The Short Answer: Most Uncomplicated Low Back Pain Does Not Require Immediate MRI If you have low back pain and no serious warning signs, research consistently shows that getting an MRI right away is unlikely to change your treatment — and may actually make things worse. Clinical guidelines from the American College of Physicians, the American College of Radiology, and most major spine organizations recommend against early imaging for nonspecific low back pain.1 That does not mean imaging is never needed....

The Short Answer: Most Uncomplicated Low Back Pain Does Not Require Immediate MRI If you have low back pain and no serious warning signs, research consistently shows that getting an MRI right away …

09/18/2026

Can a Lumbar Disc Heal on Its Own?

Can a Lumbar Disc Heal on Its Own? If you have been told you have a lumbar disc herniation, it is easy to assume that surgery is the only reliable way to fix it. The reality is very different. Many lumbar disc herniations improve substantially, and often visibly shrink or disappear on MRI, without any operation. As a physical therapist and clinician, I want you to understand how and why that can happen, what the research shows, and when conservative care is appropriate versus when surgery is truly needed....

Can a Lumbar Disc Heal on Its Own? If you have been told you have a lumbar disc herniation, it is easy to assume that surgery is the only reliable way to fix it. The reality is very different. Many…

09/17/2026

Back pain can be debilitating and affects up to 40% of the adult population in a given year. For more information, visit draustinfontenot.com

07/17/2026

Getting out of you car should be easy

07/09/2026

You shouldn’t feel 80 years old when you wake up every morning.

05/29/2026

Performance is not just about how hard you train.
It is about how well your body RECOVERS.

Recovery is where progress happens.

When the spine and nervous system are functioning properly, the body is often able to move better, recover more efficiently, and perform with less restriction.

Whether you are an athlete, entrepreneur, parent, or weekend warrior:
Your body performs better when it functions better.