What Can I Try Before Surgery for Sciatica? | La Jolla, CA

If sciatica has been affecting your leg for months and you've already tried physical therapy, medications, exercises, chiropractic care or an injection, you may be wondering whether surgery is really the only thing left.

For some patients, it isn't.

Sciatica can develop when a nerve in the lower back is irritated or compressed by a disc bulge, disc herniation, foraminal narrowing, spinal stenosis or another spinal problem. Finding the actual cause matters because treating “sciatica” without understanding what's irritating the nerve can turn into months of trying one thing after another.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has spent more than 22 years working with disc injuries, sciatica and Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments. His San Diego clinic has seven DRX9000 systems and is the largest known Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression clinic in Southern California.

Many patients who come to Dr. Boelk aren't looking for someone to tell them surgery is bad. They want to know whether another reasonable non-surgical option exists for their particular condition before making that decision.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I Can Walk, Run and Exercise Without Any Pain”

“The pain was interfering with my everyday lifestyle.”

“I have been seeing Dr. Boelk since November for my back pain due to disc herniation. I lost mobility and had difficulty even putting shoes on. The pain was interfering with my everyday lifestyle. After reviewing the X-ray results, we agreed upon a treatment plan. Agreeing to this treatment plan was the best choice I've made for my back pain. The spinal decompression has relieved all the pain I felt in my lower back. I can walk, run and exercise without any pain and I'm able to get back in the gym and continue my daily routines. The office staff are very friendly and caring as well. I highly recommend Dr. Boelk's office to anyone seeking exceptional care.”

— Paul C

Paul's problem had reached the point where his mobility was affected and even putting on his shoes was difficult. What stands out in his review is the change in what he was able to do again: walking, running, exercising and returning to the gym.

For Dr. Boelk, those changes in function are an important part of determining whether a patient is actually improving.

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No-Charge Consultation With Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

If you're considering surgery because of sciatica, you don't have to decide whether you want another treatment before coming into the office.

The purpose of this consultation is much simpler:

Find out what Dr. Boelk believes is causing your symptoms, whether he thinks you're an appropriate candidate for his care, and whether another non-surgical option may still be worth considering.

Dr. Boelk personally performs the consultation.

He will:

• Listen to how your sciatica started and how it has changed.

• Go over exactly where the pain, numbness, tingling or burning travels.

• Discuss how long you can sit, stand or walk before symptoms increase.

• Ask about weakness or other neurological changes.

• Review what makes your symptoms better or worse.

• Go over physical therapy, chiropractic care, medications, injections and other treatments you've already tried.

• Review your actual MRI images and report if you have them.

• Compare the MRI findings with the symptoms you're experiencing.

• Discuss whether additional examination or imaging may be appropriate.

• Determine whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option.

• Tell you if he doesn't believe you're an appropriate candidate.

• Answer your questions and explain what he believes makes sense as the next step.

No MRI? You can still schedule the consultation.

There is no charge and no obligation to begin treatment.

This isn't an appointment where you've already decided to become a patient. It's an opportunity to get an experienced opinion before deciding what you want to do next.

Dr. Boelk personally performs these consultations while also treating the patients already under his care. Because he sets aside time for them himself, only a limited number of No-Charge Consultation appointments can be accommodated in the clinic schedule.

When those appointments are taken, new patients are offered the next available openings.

Call 619-298-0800 and ask about the next available No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

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Why Is the Sciatica Still Going Down Your Leg?

One of the first things Dr. Boelk wants to understand is the pattern of your symptoms.

Sciatica doesn't feel exactly the same for everyone.

One patient may have pain from the buttock into the back of the thigh. Another has burning down the calf. Someone else may have very little back pain but numbness or tingling extending all the way into the foot.

Those differences matter.

Dr. Boelk also wants to know what changes the symptoms.

Does sitting make the leg worse? Does standing or walking trigger it? Does bending forward increase it? Does lying down relieve it?

If you already have an MRI, the next question is whether what's visible on the images makes sense when compared with those symptoms.

What If You've Already Tried Physical Therapy?

Having tried physical therapy doesn't automatically mean you've exhausted conservative care.

Dr. Boelk wants to know what actually happened during and after it.

Maybe you became stronger but the nerve symptoms didn't change. Perhaps your back pain improved but you still have burning down the leg. You may have improved initially and then reached a plateau.

Or certain exercises may have consistently aggravated the leg symptoms.

Those are different responses and they provide different information.

The same is true for chiropractic care, medications, acupuncture and home exercise programs.

Rather than simply asking what you've tried, Dr. Boelk wants to understand how your body responded to it.

What If an Epidural Only Helped Temporarily?

Some patients tell Dr. Boelk an epidural injection gave them significant relief, but the sciatica gradually returned.

Others noticed very little change.

Again, the response matters.

If an injection reduced the leg pain substantially for two months and then wore off, that's different from an injection that had no effect whatsoever.

Maybe the pain improved but numbness remained. Maybe you could walk farther temporarily before the symptoms returned.

Those details become part of deciding what makes sense next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “After 12 I Felt I Was Improving a Lot”

“I could get back to surf, jiu jitsu and work after 6 months away.”

“When I first came here I was suffering from sciatica pain for several months non stop. I tried many different non invasive treatments, pain killers but relief was just temporary. I heard about Dr. Boelk on social media and after reading other people testimonials about him I decided to try. It felt better since my first session. After 12 I felt I was improving a lot but still had room to get better so we decided trying 12 more. After 36 sessions I felt I was back to normal. I could get back to surf, jiu jitsu and work after 6 months away. Doctor helped me through the whole process, leaving me free to decide the next step and being honest about expectations. I totally recommend for all my friends that suffer from sciatica pain. It’s worth 100%.”

— Yuri Fresia

Yuri had been away from surfing, jiu jitsu and work for six months because of his sciatica. He had also already tried other non-invasive treatments and pain medications that provided only temporary relief.

His review also describes something Dr. Boelk considers important: treatment decisions were made based on how he was progressing rather than assuming everything had to be decided at the beginning.

Could Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Be an Option?

For the right patient, it may be.

Dr. Boelk commonly evaluates patients with:

• Lumbar disc bulges.

• Lumbar disc herniations.

• L4-L5 and L5-S1 disc injuries.

• Degenerative disc disease.

• Disc-related sciatica.

• Foraminal narrowing.

• Selected cases of spinal stenosis.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego uses the DRX9000 exclusively for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

But having sciatica doesn't automatically make someone a candidate.

Dr. Boelk considers the pattern of your symptoms, neurological findings, imaging when available, spinal stability, bone health, previous surgeries and what you've already tried.

There are also patients he will not treat.

Has Your Life Slowly Changed Around the Sciatica?

This can be easy to miss.

At first, maybe you stopped going to the gym because you didn't want to aggravate the leg.

Then you stopped taking longer walks.

You started avoiding certain chairs or planning where you would sit when you went out. Longer drives became a problem. Travel became less appealing because sitting on an airplane for several hours sounded miserable.

Eventually, you've been living around the sciatica for so long that those changes begin to feel normal.

Look back six months.

Can you walk farther today? Can you sit longer? Is the pain traveling less distance down the leg? Is the numbness happening less frequently? Are you returning to activities rather than giving up more of them?

Improvement should show up somewhere in your life.

If your world is getting smaller despite months of treatment, that deserves another look.

When Surgery May Be the Right Direction

Dr. Boelk doesn't believe surgery should be avoided regardless of what's happening.

Rapidly progressing weakness, significant neurological loss, new bowel or bladder dysfunction, difficulty initiating or controlling urination, or numbness involving the groin, inner thighs or saddle region requires prompt medical evaluation.

There are also structural conditions where a surgical opinion may simply be the appropriate next step.

Sometimes the purpose of another evaluation is to find an alternative to surgery.

Sometimes it's to confirm that surgery really does need to be considered.

★ “He Also Recommended to Seek an Additional Opinion From Another Neurosurgeon”

“He could not treat me as I have to wait until the fracture in my neck heals.”

“I decided to see Dr. Boelk after a pretty gnarly motocoss neck injury. At the Hospital I was at, I felt I was getting pressured into a surgery which I refused. A friend of a friend referred him after Dr. Boelk successfully treated his broken back.

Dr. Boelk is a compassionate individual who truly cares about his patients. He looked at my MRI images, explained what he saw and potential routes for recovery. He could not treat me as I have to wait until the fracture in my neck heals, but the level of professionalism, compassion, caring and knowledge displayed by him was exceptional.

He also recommended to seek an additional opinion form another neurosurgeon. My experience was that he really cares and he's not someone who would take advantage of the situation someone's in (unlike some other doctors). I will definitely be back and already recommended him to others as well! Thank you Dr. Boelk!”

— Jan H., San Marcos, CA

Jan wasn't accepted for treatment because his fracture needed to heal. Dr. Boelk also recommended that he obtain another neurosurgical opinion.

That is an important part of evaluating someone who wants to avoid surgery. The goal shouldn't be to find someone who automatically tells you surgery isn't necessary.

The goal should be to get an experienced opinion you can trust.

More Than 22 Years Focused on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has more than 22 years of experience with Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments.

His professional background includes:

• Doctor of Chiropractic

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC)

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiation Supervisor & Operator

Dr. Boelk also understands spinal injury personally. He suffered an L5 compression fracture at age 16 and later dealt with disc injuries and sciatica himself.

Find Out Whether You Still Have an Option Before Surgery

If sciatica has been controlling more and more of your life and surgery is beginning to enter the conversation, you don't have to decide today whether you want another treatment.

Find out what your options actually are.

Bring your MRI images and report if you have them. Tell Dr. Boelk what you've tried, what helped, what didn't and what the sciatica is preventing you from doing.

If he believes you're a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, he'll explain why.

If he doesn't believe he can help you, he'll tell you.

The consultation is with Dr. Boelk personally. There is no charge and no obligation to start treatment.

Because he sets aside time for these consultations while continuing to care for his existing patients, only a limited number can be accommodated in the clinic schedule.

Call 619-298-0800 and ask about the next available No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

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