Low Back Pain Rehabilitation in North Vancouver
Low back pain rarely comes from one single thing. Whether it's a dull ache after sitting all day or a sharp pain when you bend or lift, the actual driver is often somewhere in how your hips, core, and spine are sharing load, not just the spot where it hurts. I assess your whole movement system, not just the painful area, so we can identify what's actually contributing to your back pain and build a plan that addresses it, not just the symptom in front of us.
Your Injury Has a Cause. Let's Find It.
What is causing your pain?
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a chiropractor, and one of the most frequently mismanaged, since the same "back pain" label can mean very different things depending on the underlying cause. Getting the right diagnosis is what determines the right treatment. Here are some of the conditions I most commonly assess and treat:
Muscle Strain or Sprain
The most common cause of low back pain, usually from lifting, twisting, or a sudden movement, with pain ranging from mild to significantly limiting.
Sciatica
A sharp, burning, or shooting pain that travels from the low back through the glutes and down one or both legs, often caused by a disc issue or tightness in the piriformis muscle.
Herniated or Bulging Disc
This happens when the soft cushion between two vertebrae pushes out of place and irritates a nearby nerve, which can cause sharp pain that radiates down one leg.
SI (Sacroiliac) Joint Dysfunction
Irritation or dysfunction at the joint connecting the base of the spine to the pelvis, which causes low back and hip pain that's often mistaken for a disc problem.
Postural Back Pain
Long hours at a desk, poor ergonomics, or muscle imbalances placing chronic, low-grade stress on the spine, leading to persistent aching, especially through the mid and lower back.
Postural Back Pain
Long hours at a desk, poor ergonomics, or muscle imbalances placing chronic, low-grade stress on the spine, leading to persistent aching, especially through the mid and lower back.
What to expect during your session.
1
Comprehensive assessment
Every visit starts with a full movement and clinical assessment of your back and how it connects to your hips, core, and overall movement pattern, so we understand what's actually driving your symptoms before recommending any treatment.
2
A plan build around you
From there, we build an individualized plan that combines manual therapy with active, exercise-based rehabilitation. You'll know exactly what we're addressing, why, and what the process looks like going forward.
3
Built for long-term resilience
We track your progress at every visit, reassessing regularly and adjusting your plan as you improve. The goal is genuine, long-term resilience and a real return to the activities you care about, not an open-ended treatment plan.
How long does recovery take?
This depends on what's driving your back pain and how long it's been going on. An acute strain often improves within one to two weeks with the right plan, while a longer-standing issue tied to movement patterns built up over months or years typically takes a more gradual, staged approach.
Recovery also isn't purely time-based, it follows the approximate timeline as most soft tissue injuries, which is why your plan is built around where you currently are in that process.
Should I rest completely until my back feels better?
Not usually. For most presentations, staying appropriately active helps more than rest does, though the right level of activity depends on your specific symptoms, which is something we sort out together.
Why does my back pain keep coming back?
Recurring back pain usually comes down to more than one factor, movement patterns, activity load, and overall capacity all play a role. Identifying which of those apply to you is a core part of building a plan that holds up over time.