Back pain in the lower or middle back can come from a strained muscle, a long day of lifting, poor posture or an injury. Quantum treats it with physical therapy, chiropractic care and acupuncture under one roof, so your plan can use all three without sending you elsewhere.
What back pain feels like
- An ache, or a sharp, burning or stabbing pain, in the lower or middle back
- Pain that gets worse when you bend, twist, lift, stand or walk
- Muscle spasms and stiffness
- Pain that spreads into the buttock or down a leg
When back pain is an emergency
Get care right away if back pain comes with new bladder or bowel problems or a fever, or if it follows a fall, a blow to the back or a car crash. Book an evaluation if it lasts more than a few weeks, doesn’t improve with rest, spreads below the knee, causes numbness, tingling or weakness in a leg, or comes with weight loss you can’t explain.
Common causes
- Strains from lifting, carrying or a sudden twist, at home or on the job
- Posture: long hours sitting, standing or driving
- A herniated disc, which can also cause sciatica when it presses on a nerve
- Injuries from a car accident or a slip and fall
At your first visit
Your provider asks what you were doing when the pain began, then looks at your posture and how you bend, twist and stand, and which movements ease the pain or make it worse. A quick check of strength, reflexes and feeling in your legs makes sure no nerve is involved.
Back pain treatment at Quantum
Physical therapy rebuilds the strength and flexibility your back relies on, with exercises you keep doing at home. Chiropractic care restores motion in the spine and joints, and acupuncture can help with pain along the way. Read how physical therapy treats mechanical back pain.
For back pain that doesn’t settle, specialists in pain management see patients at our locations.
Who pays for your back pain care
Back pain after a crash is usually billed to No-Fault, and back pain from work to workers’ compensation. For back pain with no accident behind it, we accept health insurance depending on your case, and self-pay.
