What Is Causing Your Back Pain?
Back pain is the #1 reason Pittsburgh residents seek chiropractic and physical therapy care. Up to 80% of Americans experience significant back pain at some point — and the causes are wide-ranging:
- Herniated or bulging discs pressing on spinal nerves
- Muscle or ligament strain from lifting, twisting, or sudden movement
- Sciatica — radiating pain from the lower back into the leg
- Facet joint dysfunction and spinal arthritis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Poor posture from prolonged sitting (common in Oakland and Shadyside professionals)
- Car accident injuries and whiplash trauma
- Work injuries from repetitive lifting or standing
Understanding the exact cause of your back pain is the first step. At Pittsburgh Physical Medicine, every new patient receives a thorough evaluation before any treatment is recommended.
How We Treat Back Pain at Pittsburgh Physical Medicine
Our integrated chiropractic and physical therapy model means you have access to two distinct but complementary approaches — and our providers coordinate your care so both work together seamlessly. Treatment may include:
- Chiropractic spinal adjustment — targeted manipulation to restore joint mobility and reduce nerve irritation
- Graston / IASTM technique — instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization to break down adhesions
- Orthopedic manual therapy — hands-on techniques by Dr. Crockatt, DPT
- Therapeutic exercise — personalized corrective exercise to strengthen spinal support muscles
- Shockwave therapy (ESWT) — for chronic back pain that hasn't responded to other treatments
- Postural correction — addressing the underlying imbalances that perpetuate back pain
Back Pain Without Drugs or Surgery
Many Pittsburgh patients come to us after being told they need medication, injections, or surgery — only to find that conservative chiropractic and physical therapy care resolves their pain entirely. Research consistently supports spinal manipulation and targeted PT as effective first-line treatments for back pain, including cases involving disc herniation and nerve compression.
Most patients with acute back pain see significant improvement within 4–6 visits. Chronic back pain cases may take longer, but we track your progress every visit and adjust accordingly. We don't run long treatment plans for the sake of it.
Serving back pain patients from Shadyside, Bloomfield, Oakland, Lawrenceville, Highland Park, Aspinwall, Fox Chapel, Greenfield, Regent Square, and across Pittsburgh PA.
Lower Back Pain: The Problem We Treat More Than Any Other
If your pain sits in the lower back — across the beltline, to one side, or deep in the hip crease — you have the single most common condition in our clinic. Most lower back pain traces to a few culprits: lifting and bending injuries that strain muscles and irritate spinal joints, prolonged sitting that tightens hip flexors and weakens the glutes and core (the classic lower crossed pattern), disc problems that can send pain into the buttock or leg (see disc herniation and sciatica), and facet or SI joint irritation that makes standing up straight the hardest part of the day. The exam on your first visit exists to tell these apart — because they're treated differently, and guessing wastes your time and money.
How We Treat Lower Back Pain — Every Option, One Roof
Effective lower back care usually combines relief and rebuilding. For relief: specific chiropractic adjustments to restore joint motion, gentle Cox flexion-distraction for disc-involved pain, and medical massage for guarded, spasming muscles. For rebuilding: one-on-one physical therapy that restores hip mobility and core strength so the problem stops coming back — plus shockwave therapy for stubborn chronic tendon and soft-tissue pain. Because our chiropractors and physical therapist share one chart, you get whichever combination your back actually needs, adjusted week by week — no drugs, no surgery, and no bouncing between offices.
When Lower Back Pain Is Serious
Most lower back pain, even severe pain, is mechanical and treatable. Seek medical care first if your pain follows major trauma, or comes with fever, unexplained weight loss, progressive leg weakness, numbness in the groin or saddle area, or new bowel or bladder problems. We screen for these red flags at every first visit and refer immediately when indicated — honest triage is part of the job.
Back Pain Treatment Near You in Pittsburgh's East End
Searching "lower back pain treatment near me"? We're at 5916 Penn Avenue in East Liberty with free parking — about 4 minutes from Shadyside, 6 from Highland Park, 8 from Point Breeze, 10 from Oakland, and 12 from Aspinwall. Evening hours run to 6 PM Monday through Thursday, and we hold same-week slots for new patients in pain. Hurt at work or in a crash? Your treatment may cost you nothing out of pocket — see our work injury and auto accident programs.
What Lower Back Pain Treatment Costs
We're in-network with UPMC Health Plan, Highmark BCBS, Aetna, and United Healthcare — most patients pay a standard specialist copay. Accepted workers' comp claims have no copays or deductibles, auto accident care bills to your auto carrier regardless of fault, and if you're uninsured, call (412) 404-8337 for straightforward self-pay rates before you book.