Low back pain is incredibly common—almost 80% of people will experience it at some point in their lives. It’s the second most common reason people visit a doctor right after respiratory issues. This kind of pain can affect everything from your work performance to how well you sleep, and because it’s so widespread, it’s clear that many people go through it. The good news is that getting help early can make a huge difference in your recovery.
Low back pain happens so often because our lower backs do a lot of heavy lifting—they support the upper body’s weight and handle many of our daily movements, like bending, twisting, and lifting. Over time, wear and tear on that area’s muscles, joints, and discs can lead to pain. Plus, things like sitting at a desk all day, bad posture, or incorrectly lifting things can add extra stress, making pain more likely to develop.
Your muscles, ligaments, joints, and discs work together to keep your lower back functioning smoothly. Muscles provide stability and allow movement, while ligaments keep everything in place. The joints between your vertebrae give you flexibility, and the discs act like shock absorbers. If any of these parts get injured or wear down, it can cause pain or tightness. For instance, a bulging or herniated disc can press on nerves and cause pain that shoots down your leg. When one part of your back is out of whack, it can affect the whole area and limit your movement.
It’s important to address low back pain early because it can worsen over time if left untreated. Chronic pain limits your movement and affects your mood, energy levels, and overall quality of life. If you wait too long to get help, you might start avoiding certain movements or using other muscles to compensate, leading to pain in other areas like your hips, knees, or neck. Chronic pain can also affect your sleep, increase stress, and reduce your overall activity level, all of which can hurt both your mental and physical health. Seeking treatment early—especially chiropractic care—can reduce inflammation, improve alignment, and help you recover more quickly so you can get back to enjoying life without limitations.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Schedule Your New Patient Exam
Set up a time so you and your Doctor can do a thorough history and examination to determine the root cause of your pain.
2. Get A Customized Plan of Action
Your Doctor will create a custom plan of attack to not only get you out of pain fast but to keep you out of pain long term.
3. Live A Pain Free Energetic Life
Receive the care you need for your problem so you can get back to the time when pain wasn’t dictating what you could do.
How We Treat Lower Back Pain In Arlington, VA
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
When you first come in, we take the time to really listen to your symptoms and health history. We want to understand exactly what you’re going through and how it’s affecting your day-to-day life. We want a clear picture of the problem before jumping into any testing.
We’ll perform physical exams to check your range of motion, strength, and reflexes and other assessments to examine how your nervous system is functioning. These exams help us determine the root cause of your pain so we can focus on treating the actual issue rather than just masking the symptoms. By doing this, we aim to help you find lasting relief.
Digital X-rays
X-rays are a great tool to help us see what’s happening inside your body. They give us a clear look at your spine, joints, and bones, helping us spot misalignments, bone spurs, fractures, or disc issues that could be causing your pain. For lower back pain, X-rays allow us to assess the overall structure of your spine and any problems that might be affecting your movement.
The level of radiation in modern X-rays is very low, and we only use them when necessary to make sure we get an accurate picture while keeping your safety in mind. With this detailed information, we can create a treatment plan tailored to address the specific issues you’re facing.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Arlington, VA
A subluxation is when one or more of your vertebrae become misaligned, which puts pressure on your nerves and leads to pain, discomfort, or other problems like numbness or weakness. In the lower back, this can create serious issues with movement and cause ongoing pain.
Chiropractic adjustments work to realign the spine and take pressure off the nerves, helping your body function properly again. Unlike medications or surgery that focus on relieving symptoms, chiropractic care aims to fix the root cause of the problem. Addressing the underlying issue allows your body to heal naturally and prevents future issues from popping up.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Exercise is key in managing low back pain because it helps strengthen the muscles that support your spine and improve flexibility. Weak or tight muscles around the spine can worsen your pain, and a misalignment (subluxation) can lead to muscle imbalances, contributing to discomfort. Poor posture also plays a major role—if your posture is off, it puts extra strain on your back muscles and ligaments.
Our custom exercise plans specifically target the muscles most affected by your pain, improve your posture, and support spinal alignment. This approach is all about long-term relief and better overall health.
SoftWave Therapy (Acoustic Wave Therapy)
Acoustic wave therapy uses sound waves to help stimulate healing in damaged tissues. It works by sending gentle pulses of energy to the affected area, improving blood flow, reducing inflammation, and speeding up the healing process. This therapy targets muscle tightness for lower back pain and helps with pain relief and mobility.
During a session, you’ll feel a gentle pulsing sensation where the waves are applied, and many patients find it quite relaxing. You can often feel the effects right away, and it’s a great complement to chiropractic care, helping you heal faster and feel better overall.
Common Causes of Low Back Pain in Arlington, VA
Bulged or Herniated Lumbar Discs
The discs in your spine act as cushions between the vertebrae, absorbing shock and allowing movement. A bulging disc happens when the outer layer weakens, and the inner material pushes outward but doesn’t break through.
A herniated disc occurs when the disc actually ruptures, releasing the inner gel-like substance. This can happen due to injury, age, or improper lifting. Symptoms of a bulging or herniated disc include lower back pain, pain radiating down your legs (sciatica), numbness, or weakness.
Chiropractic care can help by realigning the spine, reducing pressure, and restoring mobility, alongside physical therapy and strengthening exercises to improve function and reduce pain.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is the gradual breakdown of the discs between the vertebrae, usually due to aging or repeated stress. As we age, the discs lose water and become less effective at cushioning the spine, leading to pain, stiffness, and less flexibility. Risk factors include poor posture, being sedentary, or past spinal injuries. This condition can result in chronic back pain and nerve compression.
We focus on managing DDD through chiropractic adjustments, strengthening exercises, and postural corrections to improve spinal health and reduce symptoms.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis occurs when the space in your spinal column narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This narrowing can happen because of thickened ligaments, bone spurs, or disc degeneration. The pressure on nerves can cause pain, numbness, or weakness, particularly in the lower back and legs. Symptoms often worsen when standing or walking but may improve with sitting or leaning forward.
Chiropractic adjustments, combined with exercises and lifestyle changes, can help reduce pain and improve spinal function, offering a non-invasive way to manage stenosis symptoms.
Muscle Strain
A muscle strain happens when muscle fibers get overstretched or torn, often from overuse, lifting incorrectly, or sudden movements. It can cause localized pain, swelling, and limit mobility. Healing usually involves rest, ice, and gentle stretching, but addressing the underlying cause is essential to prevent it from happening again. Sometimes, muscle strain can be a sign of an underlying issue like a disc herniation or spinal misalignment.
Chiropractic care can help both with muscle strain and any related spinal misalignments, helping you recover faster and more effectively.
Subluxation
A subluxation occurs when one or more vertebrae shift out of alignment, putting pressure on the nerves and affecting the nervous system. This can lead to pain, discomfort, and other health problems.
Chiropractors specialize in finding and correcting these misalignments through spinal adjustments. By restoring proper alignment, chiropractic care reduces nerve pressure, helps your body heal, and improves overall function.
Chiropractors are the best professionals to treat subluxations because they use safe, non-invasive methods to restore spinal health and prevent future issues.
Check Out Our Location Near You
2300 N Pershing Dr #307, Arlington, VA 22201
Frequently Asked Questions About Low Back Pain Treatment
What causes lower back pain?
Several factors, including muscle strain, poor posture, disc problems, or spinal misalignments, can cause lower back pain. Activities like lifting incorrectly, sitting for long periods, or even stress can put extra strain on your back and lead to discomfort.
How do I tell if lower back pain is muscle or disc-related?
Muscle pain usually feels like a dull ache or tightness in the back, while disc-related pain often comes with sharp, shooting sensations or pain that radiates down the leg (known as sciatica). A chiropractor can help you pinpoint the cause of the pain and create an effective treatment plan.
Why won’t my lower back pain go away?
If your pain persists, it could be due to underlying issues like spinal misalignments, nerve irritation, or disc degeneration. Without the right treatment, these problems can worsen over time, which is why it’s critical to address them early to prevent ongoing pain.
When should I see a Chiropractor in Arlington, VA, for lower back pain?
If you’re experiencing sharp or persistent pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness, it’s a good idea to see a chiropractor immediately. Delaying treatment can lead to more severe pain or even chronic issues, making recovery more difficult.
How can you tell if your spine is out of alignment?
Common signs of spinal misalignment include persistent pain, stiffness, poor posture, and limited flexibility. If you’re noticing any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to seek chiropractic care sooner rather than later to prevent further issues and start healing.