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The most common reason people come to see us, and one of the most common reasons people miss work. It is also one of the most treatable.
Seek emergency medical care first if your back pain comes with loss of bladder or bowel control, progressive weakness or numbness in both legs, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or a fever. Those specific symptoms need to be evaluated urgently. Once serious causes have been ruled out, chiropractic care is often central to recovery, and we are glad to see you for the pain, stiffness, and mobility loss that remain.
People say back pain as though it were one condition. It is not. The lower back contains discs, facet joints, the sacroiliac joints, dozens of muscles, and the nerve roots that supply your legs. Any of them can produce pain, and they do not all respond to the same treatment.
That is why the examination matters more than the label. Finding out which structure is actually generating your pain determines everything about how it gets treated.
Disc injuries, where the disc bulges or herniates and irritates a nearby nerve. Facet joint restriction, where the small joints at the back of the spine stop moving properly. Sacroiliac dysfunction, where the joint connecting the spine to the pelvis becomes irritated. Muscle strain from lifting, twisting, or a sudden movement.
There is also the slow kind, the ache that builds from sitting for years, from carrying weight the body compensates for, or from an old injury that healed into a new movement pattern.
Adjustments restore motion to the joints that have stopped moving. Soft tissue work releases the muscles that have been guarding. For disc related pain we add low back decompression, which takes pressure off the disc and the nerve root.
Depending on what we find we may also use muscle stimulation, ultrasound, or cold laser therapy to reduce inflammation and speed things along. Your doctor will also talk through what to do and what to avoid between visits, because that matters as much as what happens in the office. If you would like written home exercise instructions, just ask and we will put them together for you.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Eveline Onkels, DC and Dr. Michael Onkels, DC, Onkels Chiropractic, Bountiful, Utah. This page is for general information and is not a substitute for an examination.
Yes. Back pain is the single most common reason patients come to a chiropractor. We examine you to determine which structure is producing the pain, then treat that structure directly with adjustments and supporting therapy.
In the first day or two after a new injury, ice is generally the better choice for reducing inflammation. For ongoing stiffness and muscle tightness, heat tends to help more. If you are unsure, ask us about your specific situation.
It depends on the cause and how long you have had it. A recent strain can resolve in a few visits. A disc problem built up over years takes longer. You will get a realistic plan after your examination rather than a preset package.
Usually not. Most back pain can be evaluated and treated without imaging. If your examination suggests imaging would change the treatment plan, we will tell you and help you get it.
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