Lower back pain
Most people get lower back pain at some point. Some of it settles in days. Some of it keeps coming back, or never quite leaves.
Chiropractic care may help you manage lower back pain that comes from the joints, discs and muscles of the lower spine and pelvis. The first job is working out which of those it is.
What it is
Lower back pain is usually mechanical: it comes from how the joints, discs, muscles and ligaments of the lumbar spine and pelvis are loading and moving. Common triggers are a lift that went wrong, a fall, long hours sitting, repeated bending or twisting, or a gradual loss of movement in a stiff segment.
Pain that spreads into the buttock or leg can come from the same structures, or from irritation of a nerve root (see sciatica).
What we assess
- Your history: when it started, what makes it better or worse, what you have tried, what you want to get back to.
- How you move: standing, bending, sitting, walking; posture; the movement of each lumbar segment and the pelvis.
- Joint, muscle and nerve testing, with hands-on examination of your spine. On-site X-rays if clinically indicated.
Your initial consultation is $49 and includes the examination, on-site X-rays if clinically indicated, an adjustment if clinically indicated, and the planning session where we go through what we found. What to expect →
What care looks like
Adjustments to the joints that are not moving well, and hands-on work for the muscles around them.
At-home work: specific stretches and strengthening, and changes to how you sit, lift and sleep. These are inputs, not chores.
A plan with a number of visits, reviewed as you go. Like all treatments, chiropractic care can have side effects; the common ones are mild and short-lived, such as soreness after an adjustment. We discuss this with you before care starts.
When to see your GP first
Some symptoms need a doctor before anyone else. See your GP, or emergency care, if you have:
- Back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, or that wakes you at night and does not ease with rest.
- Numbness around the groin or buttocks, or any change in bladder or bowel control: this needs same-day medical care.
- Back pain after a significant fall or accident, or if you have osteoporosis.
If you are unsure, call us and ask. We would rather send you to the right person than have you guess.
Questions
Should I rest or keep moving?
For most mechanical back pain, gentle movement within comfort helps more than bed rest. We will show you what to do and what to avoid for now.
Do I need an X-ray?
Only if it is clinically indicated by your history and examination. Most back pain does not need imaging; when it does, we take it on site.
Related: Sciatica · Slipped or bulging disc · All conditions
Ready when you are.
Your initial consultation is $49 and includes the examination, on-site X-rays if clinically indicated, an adjustment if clinically indicated, and the planning session where we go through what we found.