Back Pain Treatment
Most back pain isn’t a “bad back” — it’s muscles that stopped firing, joints that stopped moving, and a nervous system stuck on high alert. I treat the cause, not just the ache.
Why Your Back Hurts
Back pain is the #1 reason people walk into my office. Herniated discs, muscle strains, facet joint irritation, chronic stiffness — they all share a common thread: something in the chain stopped working and everything else compensated.
In my experience, the MRI rarely tells the whole story. I’ve seen terrible MRIs with no pain and clean MRIs with debilitating pain. What matters is how your muscles, joints, and nervous system are actually functioning right now.
How I Treat Back Pain
My approach starts with figuring out why your back hurts — not just where. I assess which muscles are firing, which are shut down, and how your spine and hips are moving. Then I build a treatment plan around what I find.
Acupuncture for Back Pain
Orthopedic acupuncture (including dry needling and motor point acupuncture) lets me target the exact muscles driving your pain. I can release a locked-up QL, re-fire dormant glutes, calm an irritated multifidus — with a precision that hands alone can’t match. For many patients, this is the missing piece that finally breaks a chronic pain cycle.
Functional Medicine for Back Pain
When back pain won’t resolve, inflammation is often the hidden driver. Through functional medicine I look at gut health, systemic inflammation markers, nutrient deficiencies (magnesium, vitamin D), and metabolic factors that keep tissues from healing. Calm the inflammation and the body can finally repair.
Supplements I often suggest
For back pain, these are the supplements I suggest most often in my practice:
- Inflammatone (Designs for Health) — Herbs, nutrients, and enzymes that help modulate the inflammatory response.
- Turmero Active (Apex Energetics) — High-absorption liquid curcumin for joint comfort.
- OmegAvail Hi-Po Fish Oil (Designs for Health) — 1,600 mg EPA/DHA per serving with lipase for absorption — no fishy aftertaste.
See all the supplements I recommend →
I may earn a margin on dispensary orders. If you take prescription medications, check with your doctor before starting any new supplement.
Let’s Fix Your Back
Back pain doesn’t have to be your normal. Book a free intro call and tell me what’s going on.