LOW BACK PAIN
Low back pain may begin suddenly after lifting or another injury, develop gradually, or return repeatedly over time.
Some people mainly notice stiffness. Others experience symptoms into the buttock or leg, numbness or tingling, or difficulty sitting, standing, walking, working, sleeping, or exercising.
The goal is not simply to identify where it hurts. We work to understand what may be contributing to the problem, how it is affecting your function, and what the evaluation supports as the appropriate next step.
COMMON LOW BACK PAIN COMPLAINTS
People may seek evaluation for concerns such as:
Similar symptoms can arise from different conditions, which is why similar symptoms do not always require the same treatment.
YOUR EVALUATION COMES FIRST
A low back evaluation begins with your history.
We want to understand how the problem started, whether an injury occurred, where symptoms travel, what positions or activities make them better or worse, how they affect sleep or daily activity, whether you have noticed numbness, tingling, weakness, what treatment you have already tried, and whether relevant imaging has already been performed.
The examination may include movement, strength, sensation, reflexes, orthopedic findings, neurologic findings, functional limitations, and other appropriate measures.
POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTORS
Low back pain is a symptom rather than a single diagnosis.
Depending on the individual presentation, possible contributors may include:
Some symptoms may not represent a routine mechanical low back problem and may require another type of medical evaluation.
IMAGING
Not necessarily.
Many patients with low back pain can begin with a clinical evaluation.
Imaging may be useful when the history, examination findings, injury circumstances, neurologic findings, lack of expected progress, or another clinical concern suggests that additional structural information could affect the next decision.
If you already have an MRI, X-ray, CT scan, or other relevant study, let us know. Repeat imaging is not automatically necessary.
CONSERVATIVE CARE
Treatment is based on what the evaluation supports.
Conservative care may include chiropractic care when appropriate, rehabilitation or therapeutic exercise, home recommendations, movement or activity guidance, and monitoring symptoms and function.
Not every patient needs the same treatment, and an adjustment is not automatically part of every low-back-pain plan.
Services & Treatments →FUNCTION & MEASURED PROGRESS
Two people with the same pain rating may have very different limitations. One person may struggle with prolonged sitting, while another may have difficulty lifting, walking, sleeping, driving, working, or exercising.
We look for meaningful changes in symptoms, movement, neurologic findings when relevant, activity tolerance, and the functions limited by the problem.
If expected progress is not occurring, the plan should be reconsidered.
The next step may include modifying care, progressing rehabilitation, obtaining additional information, reconsidering the diagnosis, or involving another healthcare provider.
What Happens When Conservative Care Is Not Working? →PROMPT MEDICAL ATTENTION
Certain symptoms should not simply be treated as routine low back pain.
Prompt medical evaluation may be appropriate when low back symptoms are accompanied by significant or progressive weakness, new bowel or bladder changes, numbness in the saddle or groin region, significant trauma, fever or systemic illness, severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, or other concerning findings.
If symptoms appear urgent or potentially life-threatening, seek appropriate emergency medical care rather than waiting for a routine chiropractic appointment.
RELATED SPINE EDUCATION
Back pain does not automatically mean an MRI is needed. Learn which symptoms and findings can change the decision.
Read the Back MRI Guide →NOT SURE WHAT IS CAUSING YOUR LOW BACK PAIN?
Start with an evaluation so we can understand the symptoms, examine the problem, consider any relevant imaging, and discuss what makes sense next.
