Spondylolisthesis Treatment – San Diego, CA

 

How Dr. Boelk Helps Patients Avoid Surgery and Stay Active**

 

Living with spondylolisthesis can feel overwhelming — constant tightness, sharp low-back pain, leg symptoms, difficulty standing or walking for long periods, and flare-ups that interrupt work, family time, and sleep. Many patients are told they “just have to live with it,” or that surgery is their only option.

 

At The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego, Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC understands this condition on a personal level — not just as a doctor, but as a patient.

 

⭐ Dr. Boelk’s Personal Story: L5–S1 Spondylolisthesis, Grade II — Stable and Managed Without Surgery

At age 16, Dr. Boelk suffered a severe spinal injury that resulted in a Grade II spondylolisthesis at L5–S1, a condition he still has today. Through carefully structured spinal decompression, stability training, core rehabilitation, and precise biomechanical correction, he has avoided surgery for over 21 years, continuing to surf, work out, play hockey, golf, and stay active with his family.

This experience directly influences the program he has built for spondylolisthesis patients — a system developed not only from science and clinical training but from living with the condition himself.

 

Patients appreciate that Dr. Boelk knows exactly what their pain feels like — and more importantly, exactly what it takes to improve it.

 

What Is Spondylolisthesis?

Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slips forward over the one below it.
It most commonly affects L4–L5 and L5–S1, and depending on the severity, can cause:

• Low back pain
• Tightness or muscle spasms in hips and glutes
• Leg pain, numbness, or tingling
• Burning or electric pain down one or both legs
• Increased pain with standing, extension, or long walks
• Relief when sitting or bending forward

 

Why It Occurs

The most common causes include:

• Pars defect (spondylolysis)
• Degeneration of the discs and facet joints
• Chronic compression on the lower spine
• Sports injuries or repetitive extension-based activities
• Genetic predisposition

 

Not all spondylolisthesis is unstable or dangerous — many cases can be treated non-surgically and successfully, especially when the root cause (instability + disc compression) is addressed properly.

 

How Dr. Boelk Treats Spondylolisthesis Without Surgery

 

For over 21 years, Dr. Boelk has helped patients regain their lives through a unique, proven approach that blends:

 

1. True Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression (NSSD)

Using the DRX9000, the most advanced decompression technology available — backed by research from Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Duke Medical Center & Mayo Clinic — Dr. Boelk gently reduces pressure on the discs, nerves, and joints without surgery or injections.

 

2. Core & Pelvic Stability Program

This is the same approach Dr. Boelk used personally to stabilize his Grade II spondylolisthesis.
It includes precise, low-load exercises that retrain deep stabilizer muscles (multifidus, TVA, diaphragm, glutes).

 

3. Hip Mobility & Biomechanics Correction

Tight hip flexors, weak glutes, and rotational imbalances can worsen spondylolisthesis. These are corrected through guided mobility and stability drills.

 

4. Progressive Load-Bearing Rehabilitation

Once pain decreases, patients are progressed carefully into strengthening movements designed to maintain long-term spinal stability.

 

5. Lifestyle, Movement & Ergonomic Coaching

Dr. Boelk teaches patients the safest way to sit, stand, lift, surf, golf, run, and live without irritating their condition — based on what he has learned through decades of personal and clinical experience.

 

What You Can Do at Home Right Now

Here are simple, safe steps many spondylolisthesis patients find helpful:

✔ 1. Modified Child’s Pose (10–20 seconds x 3)

Gently flexes the lower spine, reducing irritation on the nerve roots.

✔ 2. Hip Flexor Stretch (30 seconds each side)

Tight hip flexors increase lumbar shear; opening them up helps relieve compression.

✔ 3. Abdominal Bracing Drill (10 reps)

Activates deep core stabilizers without loading the spine.

✔ 4. Avoid Hyperextension Activities

No deep backbends, hard arching, or heavy overhead work.

✔ 5. Use Ice or Heat Based on Symptoms

• Ice if inflamed
• Heat if stiff

 

These are general guidelines — your condition may require more specific modifications, which is why Dr. Boelk evaluates every case individually.

 

Why Patients Trust Dr. Boelk for Spondylolisthesis Treatment

• He lives with the condition himself (L5–S1 Grade II)

• 21+ years specializing in Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

• Over 75,000 decompression treatments performed

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist

• California X-Ray Radiology Licensed Doctor

• Founder: Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Operates 7 DRX9000 machines — largest known provider in California

• Patients travel from across the U.S., Mexico, U.K., and Spain

• Works with surgeons, neurologists, PTs, and chiropractors

• First-come, first-served evaluation process to ensure quality

 

 

Dr. Boelk has built this entire program around helping people avoid the surgery he himself was once told he needed.

 

Amanda S., San Diego, CA (June 8, 2025)

“This review is long overdue. I came here initially with skepticism but also hope—they were my last resort for ongoing back issues after a whiplash injury in 2022.
I had tried just about everything: sports massages, chiropractors, cupping, acupuncture—nothing gave me lasting relief.
That changed when I started spinal decompression therapy here. From the beginning, they were upfront and let me know it might take 12 or more sessions to feel significant relief.
But during one visit, the doctor asked how I was doing, and I suddenly realized—I hadn’t felt pain in a while. That moment came after just six sessions.
I’m now on a maintenance program and come in as needed. While I still experience occasional flare-ups, the relief this treatment provides has been life-changing.”

 

Why You Should Not Wait — This Is Your Window

Spondylolisthesis often worsens slowly over time. The earlier you stabilize it, the better your long-term outcomes.

Because Dr. Boelk personally evaluates each patient and programs each decompression session himself, appointments are limited and fill quickly.

This ensures:

• You are not rushed
• Your MRI is reviewed properly
• Your plan is customized
• You are given the best chance at long-term success

 

Real Patient Transformations

“Dr. Boelk & his staff are by far the BEST at spinal decompression. I walked into his office unable to sit to do my job, where I was having to lie down each day, and within a couple of weeks he helped me with being able to sit again.

His attention to you & the way he will make you feel is unparalleled.

First of all, he has suffered from some severe back issues, so his empathy is very high. Secondly, he is extremely caring & genuinely wants to help people.
I’ve never worked with a doctor who has cared as much and made me feel like I was his only patient before. There would be four people there at the same time, and he still made me feel this way. I cannot thank him enough & cannot recommend him enough. He is an angel on earth.”
— Erin Turk, CA

 

“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, taking walks. So, I just want to thank Dr. Boelk and the clinic — you guys are wonderful, and you have created such a wonderful, friendly, kind and truly caring atmosphere. I highly encourage anybody that might be considering spinal decompression therapy — it really makes a difference.”
— Lynn C., Alaska

 

🔵 Take the First Step Today

If you’ve been told you have spondylolisthesis — or you suspect it — you don’t have to live in fear of worsening pain or surgery.

 

Schedule your no-charge consultation:

📞 619-298-0800
📱 619-884-8298
🌐 www.SanDiegoBackCare.com

Office Location:
5095 Murphy Canyon Rd, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

Bring your MRI if you have one — Dr. Boelk personally reviews every case.