Can Spinal Decompression Help Sciatica Nerve Pain? – Mission Valley, CA
When Sciatica Makes Walking, Standing, Sitting, and Driving Difficult
Sciatica can turn ordinary activities into things you start planning your entire day around.
Driving to work. Sitting through a meeting. Walking through a store. Standing in line. Exercising. Going out to dinner. Even getting comfortable on the couch at night.
For some patients, the pain begins in the lower back or buttock and travels down the leg. Others describe burning, tingling, numbness, electrical pain, or weakness that reaches the calf, foot, or toes.
When this continues for weeks or months, many patients eventually ask the same question:
“Can anything actually treat the source of this without surgery?”
For patients whose sciatica is being caused by a bulging, herniated, degenerative, or compressed lumbar disc, non-surgical spinal decompression can be an effective treatment option.
The key is determining what is irritating the nerve and whether the condition can be treated safely.
His Sciatica Was Gone After a Structured Course of Treatment
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“I have had an outstanding experience with Dr. Boelk and his staff at The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego.
They follow a very structured treatment protocol and utilize the best spinal decompression equipment available. I’ve been treated elsewhere using lower-quality decompression systems and never experienced meaningful improvement.
Dr. Boelk is attentive, professional, and genuinely cares about every patient. You can see it in the way he interacts with everyone who walks through the door.
After about 12 treatments, my sciatica was gone and I was nearly back to normal. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I would ever heal. What surprised me most was that after my very first treatment, I experienced significant relief and was able to sleep mostly pain-free for the first time in months.
The improvement has allowed me to get back to hiking, traveling, and enjoying life again.
This treatment was one of the best investments I’ve ever made.
Thank you, Dr. Boelk and your entire team.”
— Michael Langsdale, San Diego, CA
Michael’s results are his own, and individual responses vary.
What his experience demonstrates is why Dr. Boelk focuses so heavily on identifying the source of the nerve irritation and then following a structured treatment plan rather than simply treating the painful area of the leg.
Find Out What Is Causing Your Sciatica
If sciatica is making it difficult to sit, walk, sleep, work, drive, or exercise, call 619-298-0800 for a no-charge, no-obligation consultation with Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC.
You do not need an MRI just to schedule.
If you already have imaging, bring it. Dr. Boelk can review it as part of evaluating your condition.
If you do not have imaging, the evaluation can begin with your symptoms, health history, neurological findings, previous treatment, and physical examination.
When additional imaging is necessary, Dr. Boelk will explain what is needed and why.
The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego is conveniently located in Kearny Mesa, just minutes from Mission Valley.
Call 619-298-0800. Our answering service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hablamos Español.
Why Sciatica Can Hurt So Far Away From the Lower Back
One of the most confusing things about sciatica is that the most painful area may not be the lower back.
The sciatic nerve is formed by nerve roots that originate in the lower spine.
When one of those nerve roots becomes inflamed, irritated, or compressed, symptoms can travel along the nerve into the:
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Buttock
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Back or side of the thigh
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Calf
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Shin
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Ankle
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Heel
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Foot
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Toes
Patients commonly describe:
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Shooting pain
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Burning pain
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Electrical sensations
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Tingling
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Numbness
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Leg weakness
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Foot weakness
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Heaviness in the leg
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Pain with sitting or bending
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Symptoms worsened by coughing or sneezing
The National Library of Medicine describes sciatica as pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling that can originate in the lower back and extend through the leg into the calf, foot, or toes.
National Library of Medicine: Sciatica
This is why treating only the location where the pain is felt does not always solve the problem.
The symptoms may be in the leg, while the source is in the lumbar spine.
What Conditions Commonly Cause Sciatica?
Sciatica is a symptom rather than a diagnosis.
Several spinal conditions can irritate the nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve.
Common causes include:
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Lumbar disc herniation
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Bulging discs
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Degenerative disc disease
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Loss of disc height
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Foraminal narrowing
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Spinal stenosis
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Spondylolisthesis
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Inflammation surrounding a nerve root
Not every episode of leg pain comes from the spine.
Hip disorders, sacroiliac joint problems, muscular conditions, and peripheral nerve disorders can sometimes mimic sciatica.
That is why an appropriate examination should come before treatment.
Why Sitting and Driving Often Increase Sciatica
Mission Valley patients frequently spend considerable time sitting—whether commuting, working at a desk, attending meetings, eating out, or driving around San Diego.
For someone with an irritated lumbar disc, prolonged sitting can significantly aggravate symptoms.
Sitting often causes the pelvis to rotate backward and the lower spine to flex.
When someone slouches or leans forward, additional stress can be placed on the lumbar discs.
Driving can add:
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Road vibration
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Prolonged hip flexion
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Limited movement
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Reaching toward the steering wheel
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Reduced lumbar support
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Repeated entry and exit from the vehicle
If a disc is already irritating a nerve root, these forces can increase burning, tingling, numbness, or pain into the leg.
Sciatica Is Not Always Just a “Pinched Nerve”
Patients are often told that sciatica simply means a nerve is being pinched.
That explanation is incomplete.
A damaged lumbar disc can also produce inflammation around the nerve root.
This means a patient can experience very severe pain even when an MRI does not show dramatic compression.
In other cases, more direct compression can affect sensation, reflexes, and muscle strength.
An NIH clinical review explains that sciatica can involve nerve-root irritation associated with inflammation, while significant motor dysfunction can indicate more substantial compression.
This distinction matters.
Severe pain deserves evaluation. Progressive weakness deserves prompt evaluation.
How the DRX9000 Addresses Disc-Related Sciatica
The DRX9000 applies controlled decompression and relaxation cycles to a targeted region of the lumbar spine.
The objective is to reduce mechanical stress on the affected spinal segment and improve the environment surrounding the injured disc and irritated nerve.
Treatment is individualized according to factors such as:
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The suspected disc level
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Location of symptoms
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How far symptoms travel
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Patient positioning
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Treatment angle
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Starting force
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Body size
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Number of treatment cycles
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Duration of the cycles
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Response during treatment
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Response following treatment
Dr. Cassidy Boelk uses DRX9000 spinal decompression systems exclusively.
His San Diego office has seven DRX9000 systems—four lumbar and three cervical.
But the machine is only one part of successful treatment.
Dr. Boelk also considers:
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Proper patient selection
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Accurate targeting
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Appropriate treatment force
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Frequency of care
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Ongoing clinical monitoring
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Patient response
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Activity modification
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Progressive rehabilitation
The treatment protocol matters just as much as the equipment.
What Does Research Show?
Research has demonstrated meaningful improvements in pain and function among properly selected patients receiving non-surgical spinal decompression for lumbar disc conditions.
In a randomized clinical trial involving patients with lumbar disc herniations, patients receiving DRX9000 non-surgical spinal decompression experienced significant reductions in pain and improvements in functional ability.
Randomized DRX9000 Clinical Trial
Another DRX9000 study evaluated patients with CT imaging before and after treatment.
Researchers reported that increased disc height following treatment was associated with decreased disc-related lower-back pain.
The research supports non-surgical spinal decompression as an effective treatment option for appropriately selected patients with disc-related lower-back pain and sciatica.
Individual results vary, which is why diagnosis, proper treatment settings, frequency, monitoring, and rehabilitation remain important.
Dr. Boelk combines this research with:
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More than 22 years of clinical experience
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More than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments
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Individualized DRX9000 protocols
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Careful patient selection
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Progressive rehabilitation
Do You Need an MRI?
Not everyone needs an MRI before beginning the evaluation process.
Dr. Boelk can initially evaluate:
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Where symptoms begin
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Where symptoms travel
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Numbness or tingling
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Muscle strength
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Reflexes
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Walking ability
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Pain with sitting or standing
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Positions that reduce symptoms
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Previous treatment
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History of surgery or injury
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Weight-bearing spinal alignment
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Signs of instability
When indicated, weight-bearing and flexion-extension X-rays can help evaluate spinal alignment and stability.
An MRI becomes particularly helpful when:
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Symptoms are severe or persistent
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Neurological deficits are present
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The diagnosis remains uncertain
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Previous surgery has altered the anatomy
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More detailed information is needed before treatment
If you already have imaging, bring it.
If you do not, you can still call and begin the process.
What If You Have Already Tried Other Treatments?
Many patients who seek Dr. Boelk’s opinion have already tried multiple approaches.
Those commonly include:
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Physical therapy
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Chiropractic adjustments
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Anti-inflammatory medication
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Prescription pain medication
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Muscle relaxers
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Massage
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Acupuncture
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Epidural injections
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Stretching
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Rest
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Exercise modification
These treatments do not all accomplish the same thing.
Medication can reduce pain or inflammation but does not mechanically unload an injured disc.
Rehabilitation can improve strength and movement, but some patients have difficulty tolerating exercises while a nerve remains significantly irritated.
Injections can reduce inflammation but do not change the mechanical environment of the disc.
A lack of lasting improvement does not automatically mean surgery is the only remaining option.
Sometimes it simply means the condition needs to be evaluated from another perspective.
She Could Barely Walk or Sleep
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“My name is Lynn. I am from Alaska, and I just want to say it was totally worth taking a trip to go to The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego.
I was having pain radiating down my legs. I couldn’t sleep. I could barely walk.
After treatment, I am back to shoveling snow, teaching school, and taking walks.
I just want to thank Dr. Boelk and the clinic. You guys are wonderful, and you have created such a friendly, kind and truly caring atmosphere.
I highly encourage anybody who might be considering spinal decompression therapy. It really makes a difference.”
— Lynn C., Alaska
Lynn’s results cannot predict what another patient will experience.
Her story does demonstrate how dramatically radiating nerve pain can affect walking, sleep, work, and normal life—and how important restoring function can be.
Pain Relief Is Only the Beginning
When someone has had sciatica for months, they often begin moving differently.
Patients may:
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Favor one leg
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Avoid bending
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Stop lifting
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Walk differently
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Stop exercising
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Lose hip strength
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Lose core stability
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Become fearful of certain movements
As nerve irritation improves, rehabilitation can address:
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Core strength
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Hip strength
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Spinal stability
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Walking endurance
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Sitting tolerance
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Standing tolerance
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Bending and lifting mechanics
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Return to work
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Return to exercise
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Return to recreational activities
Dr. Boelk progresses rehabilitation based upon the patient's response rather than simply following a generic exercise program.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Non-surgical spinal decompression is intended for properly selected patients.
Favorable factors can include:
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Symptoms consistent with lumbar nerve irritation
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Evidence suggesting a bulging or herniated disc
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A sufficiently stable spine
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No rapidly progressing neurological deficit
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No neurological emergency
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A condition that can be treated safely
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Willingness to follow the recommended treatment plan
Not everyone with leg pain is a candidate.
Patient selection is one of the most important parts of the process.
When Sciatica Is an Emergency
Seek immediate medical attention for:
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New loss of bowel or bladder control
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Difficulty initiating urination
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Inability to feel when the bladder is full
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Numbness in the groin or genital region
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Numbness around the buttocks or inner thighs
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Rapidly progressing weakness
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Sudden difficulty controlling one or both legs
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Severe neurological symptoms after major trauma
These symptoms can indicate cauda equina syndrome or another serious neurological condition.
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons identifies urinary retention, incontinence, saddle numbness, and significant leg weakness as warning signs that require immediate evaluation.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons: Cauda Equina Syndrome
Not Every Patient Is Accepted
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“I found this terrific practice on social media. I followed up and did my own research, so I decided to pay them a visit.
The place is clean, well organized and run by a very efficient receptionist.
I met with the doctor and after an honest and forthright conversation, we both determined that surgery was my only option to correct my back issues.
I will return as a customer when the time is right.”
— Jeff J., Tucson, AZ
Jeff came to Dr. Boelk specifically hoping to find a non-surgical solution.
After evaluating his condition, Dr. Boelk agreed that surgery was the appropriate treatment.
He was not placed into a decompression program simply because he wanted to avoid an operation.
If Dr. Boelk does not believe spinal decompression is safe or appropriate, he will explain why.
Why Mission Valley Patients Seek Out Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC
Dr. Cassidy Boelk’s practice is focused on difficult spinal and disc-related conditions, including sciatica, disc herniations, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, chronic lower-back pain, neck pain, and radiating nerve symptoms.
His background includes:
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Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor
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Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist
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More than 22 years of clinical experience
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More than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments performed
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Founder of the Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy
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Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques
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Founding Member of the American Spinal Decompression Society
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Member of the International Disc Education Association
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California-licensed doctor with X-ray radiography certification
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Seven DRX9000 systems—four lumbar and three cervical
Dr. Boelk has also spent thousands of hours rehabilitating his own neck and back injuries as well as treating patients with difficult spinal conditions.
Patients seek his expertise from Mission Valley and throughout San Diego County, as well as from other states and countries including Mexico, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Stop Letting Sciatica Decide What You Can Do
If you are constantly deciding whether you can drive somewhere, sit through dinner, walk through a store, exercise, work, or sleep comfortably because of sciatica, it is time to determine what is irritating the nerve.
You do not need to already have an MRI.
You do not have to commit to treatment simply to have your condition evaluated.
And not everyone is accepted for decompression therapy.
The first goal is simply to determine what is causing your symptoms and what options make sense.
Schedule a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation
The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123
Call: 619-298-0800
Text: 619-884-8298
Website: www.SanDiegoBackCare.com
24/7 Answering Service
Hablamos Español
Call 619-298-0800 for a no-charge, no-obligation consultation with Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC. Whether you already have an MRI or are just beginning to understand your sciatica, Dr. Boelk can evaluate your condition and tell you honestly whether non-surgical spinal decompression is an appropriate option for you.