Lower back pain relief that treats the cause.
A lower back pain chiropractor in Scottsdale who starts with why it hurts. Dr. Tracey Ryder has treated low back pain since 2003 with adjustments, acupuncture and massage in one plan, and she will tell you plainly which of the three you need.
- In practice since 2003
- Chiropractic, acupuncture and massage in one plan
- Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale Road
- 4.9 from 75 Google reviews
What it is
What a chiropractor for lower back pain looks for first
Low back pain is the most common reason people walk into this office. Most of it comes from the joints of the lower spine and pelvis moving badly, the discs between them taking load they were not built for, and the muscles around both guarding so hard they become a second source of pain. It is rarely one thing.
So the first visit is an exam, not a table. Dr. Tracey checks how each segment of the low back moves, how the pelvis sits, whether the hips are doing their share, and whether anything in your history or your symptoms points to a problem a chiropractor should not treat. Then she explains what she found in plain language before anything is adjusted.
If you have been searching for a lower back pain chiropractor near me from south Scottsdale, Tempe or Old Town, the office is on Scottsdale Road between McDowell and Thomas. Lower back pain treatment in Scottsdale here can use all three services under one roof, so a plan is not limited to what one provider can do.
- Where it hurts
- Across the low back, one side or both, sometimes into the buttock or upper thigh
- Common causes
- Stuck joints in the lower spine or pelvis, disc strain, muscle guarding, long sitting, lifting
- What we use
- Manual or instrument adjustments, acupuncture, deep tissue or myofascial massage
- First visit
- History, exam, plain-language explanation, first treatment when appropriate
What is going on
Why a low back stops moving and starts hurting
The five lumbar vertebrae sit on the pelvis, and each pair is joined by a disc in front and two small facet joints behind. When one segment stops moving well, the segments above and below move more to make up for it. That extra motion loads their discs and facet joints, and the muscles on both sides tighten to protect the area. The result is stiffness first thing in the morning, pain that eases with movement then comes back with sitting, and a back that feels as if it could go out at any moment.
An adjustment restores motion to the segment that stopped moving. Acupuncture settles the guarding muscle and the irritated nerves around it. Massage works the tissue that has shortened while the back was guarding. One plan can use all three, and the exam tells us which to start with.
Symptoms
What people come in with
Some of the ways low back pain shows up. You do not need all of them to book.
- Stiffness first thing in the morning
- Pain that eases with walking
- Worse after sitting
- A catch when standing up
- Aching across the beltline
- Pain into one buttock
- Trouble bending to put on shoes
- Muscle spasm after lifting
- Pain on one side that shifts
- A back that feels about to go out
If pain runs below the knee, see the sciatica page. If it started with a crash, see whiplash.
How we treat it
How we treat lower back pain
Three services, one plan, written by one provider who examined you.
Chiropractic
Manual or instrument adjustments restore motion to the lumbar and pelvic joints that stopped moving. Most low back plans start here.
Acupuncture
Points in the low back, hip and leg settle guarding muscle and irritated nerves, especially when pain is sharp or referring.
Massage
Massage for lower back pain in Scottsdale here means deep tissue or myofascial work on the glutes, hip flexors and low back, usually before an adjustment.
Your visit
What a first visit for low back pain is like
During the visit
- Where it hurts, when it started, what makes it better or worse, what you have tried.
- Motion and posture checks, hands-on exam of the low back, pelvis and hips.
- A plain-language explanation of what she found.
- First treatment when appropriate: an adjustment, acupuncture, or both.
After the visit
- Some people feel looser right away; mild soreness for a day is normal for others.
- Home advice on sitting, lifting and one or two movements to do.
- A re-check at every visit, so the plan changes if it is not working.
Causes
What commonly causes it
The everyday things that load a low back. Most patients have two or three.
Long sitting
Desk, car, couch. The low back rounds and the hip flexors shorten.
Lifting with the back
One box, one bag of mulch, one child picked up sideways.
Disc wear
Discs lose height with age and take strain differently.
Weak hips and core
The low back does the work the hips should be doing.
A prior injury
An old strain that never fully moved well again.
Pregnancy
Changing load and ligament laxity. Dr. Tracey is Webster certified.
When to come in
When to see us, and when to see a doctor first
Good reasons to book
- Low back pain that changes with sitting, standing or movement.
- Stiffness that keeps coming back in the same place.
- Pain after lifting, a long drive or a fall without other symptoms.
- Back pain during pregnancy.
- A back that has been treated elsewhere without lasting change.
See a doctor first if
- You lose control of your bladder or bowel, or have numbness in the groin.
- Weakness in a leg is getting worse.
- You have fever, unexplained weight loss or a history of cancer with new back pain.
- The pain follows a serious fall or accident.
If anything in the exam points to a problem we should not treat, Dr. Tracey will say so and refer you.
Real questions
What people ask about low back pain.
Searched in Scottsdale Is a massage or a chiropractor better for back pain?
It depends on what is causing it. If a joint in the low back or pelvis has stopped moving, an adjustment addresses that and massage alone will feel good but not hold. If the problem is mostly tight, guarding muscle, massage does more of the work. Here you do not have to choose: the exam tells us, and one plan can use both.
Can a chiropractor help lower back pain that has lasted years?
Often, yes. Long-standing low back pain usually has a joint that has moved badly for a long time plus muscle that has adapted around it. Care takes longer than for a fresh strain, and Dr. Tracey sets a short trial to see whether it is responding before anyone commits to more.
How many visits will it take?
It depends on how long the pain has been there and how your body responds. Dr. Tracey tells you how many visits it should take to know if the plan is working, and re-checks at every visit. There is no long package on day one.
Should I use heat or ice?
For a fresh strain in the first day or two, ice tends to calm things. For stiffness and muscle tightness, heat. Ask at your visit and she will tell you for your case.
Can I keep exercising?
Usually some form of movement is better than rest. Which movements depends on what the exam finds, and you will leave the first visit with one or two to do and one or two to avoid for now.
( Book )
Book a visit for lower back pain
Call the office or request an appointment online. Tell us where it hurts and how long it has been going on, and we will set up the right first visit.
- Monday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM to 12 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Thursday
- 2 to 6 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Saturday to Sunday
- Closed
Directions in Google Maps
Prefer to talk? Call (480) 900-5280.