What If Physical Therapy Hasn’t Helped My Sciatica? | Chula Vista, CA

You've gone to physical therapy. You've done the exercises at home. Maybe your back is stronger and you're moving better.

But every time you sit too long, stand too long or walk a certain distance, the sciatica comes right back.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC sees this often. Some patients have completed weeks or even months of physical therapy and made noticeable improvements in strength and mobility, yet they're still dealing with pain, burning, tingling or numbness traveling into the leg.

That doesn't automatically mean physical therapy failed.

It may mean there is still something irritating or compressing the nerve that needs to be looked at more closely.

Dr. Boelk 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.

For someone who has already put significant time into PT, the next step shouldn't necessarily be doing more of the same or immediately jumping to a more invasive procedure.

It should be figuring out why the sciatica is still there.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Spinal Decompression Is the Only Way That Gives Me Relief All the Way to My Feet”

“Dr Boelk is highly knowledgeable and has made a difference in my life.”

“Dr Boelk is highly knowledgeable and has made a difference in my life.
I have a degenerative bone issue in my lower back. Spinal decompression is the only way that gives me relief all the way to my feet. I highly recommend
the Spinal Decompression center.”

— Dee M., Peoria, AZ

Dee's description of symptoms extending all the way into her feet is important. When symptoms travel that far down the leg, Dr. Boelk wants to understand which nerve may be involved and what's happening in the lower back.

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If PT Hasn't Helped Your Sciatica, Start With a No-Charge Consultation

You don't need to sign up for another treatment just to find out what Dr. Boelk thinks.

That's the purpose of the No-Charge Consultation.

Dr. Boelk personally sits down with you, goes through what's been happening and determines whether he believes he may be able to help.

The consultation includes:

• A discussion of how your sciatica started and how it has changed.

• Where the pain, numbness, tingling or burning travels.

• What improved during physical therapy and what didn't.

• Which exercises or movements helped or consistently aggravated the leg.

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

• Any weakness or other neurological changes you've noticed.

• A review of medications, injections, chiropractic care or other treatment you've already tried.

• Review of your actual MRI images and report if available.

• Comparison of your imaging with the symptoms you're experiencing.

• Discussion of whether further examination or imaging may be appropriate.

• An assessment of whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option.

• An honest answer if Dr. Boelk doesn't believe you're an appropriate candidate.

• Time to ask questions and understand what he believes makes sense next.

No MRI yet? That's okay.

There is no charge and no obligation to begin treatment.

You aren't coming in because you've already decided to become a patient. You're coming in to answer a much simpler question:

Does Dr. Boelk believe there is another reasonable option for your sciatica?

Dr. Boelk personally performs these consultations while also treating his existing patients throughout the week. Because of the time involved, only a limited number of No-Charge Consultation appointments can be set aside in the clinic schedule.

Once those 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 Can Sciatica Continue Even When You're Stronger?

Strengthening your core, hips and legs can be an important part of treating many back problems.

But strength isn't the only issue with sciatica.

If a lumbar disc herniation is affecting a nerve root, strengthening the surrounding muscles doesn't necessarily change what's happening at that nerve.

The same can be true with a disc bulge, foraminal narrowing or certain cases of spinal stenosis.

That's why someone can tell Dr. Boelk, “I'm definitely stronger than I was three months ago, but my foot still goes numb every time I walk.”

Those two things can both be true.

The patient benefited from physical therapy, but there may still be another part of the problem that needs to be addressed.

What Did Your Sciatica Do During Physical Therapy?

Instead of simply saying PT didn't work, think about exactly what happened.

Did the symptoms originally travel into your foot but now stop around your knee?

That's useful information.

Can you walk 20 minutes now when you could only walk five minutes before?

That's improvement.

Did your back pain decrease significantly while the burning down your calf stayed exactly the same?

That matters too.

Maybe certain exercises repeatedly caused the symptoms to move farther down the leg. Or perhaps you felt better immediately after PT but the symptoms returned later that day.

Dr. Boelk wants those details because they help tell the story of how the nerve is responding.

The MRI Needs to Match the Person

Another mistake Dr. Boelk sees is focusing entirely on the MRI report.

A report might mention degenerative disc disease, a bulging disc, a herniation, foraminal narrowing and stenosis all in the same lumbar spine.

That doesn't mean every finding is causing symptoms.

Dr. Boelk prefers to review the actual MRI images when available and compare them with the clinical picture.

Where does the pain travel?

Which toes are numb?

What happens when you sit?

What happens when you stand or walk?

Is there weakness?

What makes the symptoms settle down?

The MRI is important, but it needs to make sense when compared with what the patient is actually experiencing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “My Husband and I Have Returned to Enjoying Life”

“I haven’t been able to do groceries or even take baths without pain.”

“Hi my name is Rosa Algravez. I have suffered from leg numbness and low back pain for 4 years. I haven’t been able to do groceries or even take baths without pain. I looked for relief with various doctors with no luck. I have done treatments ranging from chiropractic to acupuncture. My husband found Dr. Boelk in the newspaper and we decided since we had tried everything else that we were going to give this a try. After my first few treatments, I feel as though I have returned to 100%. Life for me is completely different.

My husband and I have returned to enjoying life. We travel 300+ miles everyday from Calexico. I can do things now with little to no limitations. The staff makes you feel welcomed and it’s a very family environment. The payments are easy and I would recommend this to anyone suffering with low back pain. Thank You”

— Rosa Algravez, Age 58, Calexico, CA

Rosa had been dealing with leg numbness and low-back pain for four years. Her symptoms had reached the point where grocery shopping and even taking a bath were difficult, and she had already tried other forms of care before traveling from Calexico to see Dr. Boelk.

That's why function is such an important part of evaluating progress.

What If PT Helped—but Only Partially?

This is actually different from getting no benefit at all.

Maybe your pain was an 8 when you started and now it's a 4.

That's meaningful.

But if you still can't stand long enough to cook dinner or walk through a store without your leg going numb, there may still be an unresolved problem.

Dr. Boelk doesn't look at that situation as “PT worked” or “PT failed.”

He wants to understand what's improved, what's still limiting you and whether there is another appropriate way to address the remaining problem.

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 clinic uses the DRX9000 exclusively for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

But completing physical therapy without getting the result you wanted doesn't automatically make you a candidate.

Dr. Boelk considers your history, neurological symptoms, MRI when available, spinal stability, bone health, previous surgery and response to prior treatment before recommending care.

Are You Improving—or Have You Just Learned What to Avoid?

This is an important distinction.

Someone may say their sciatica isn't as bad as it used to be.

But then Dr. Boelk starts asking questions.

Are you still exercising?

“No, I stopped.”

Are you walking?

“Only short distances.”

How about golf, hiking or traveling?

“I haven't tried because I know it will bother me.”

Sometimes symptoms seem better because the patient has slowly removed everything that triggers them.

That isn't necessarily the same as recovery.

Compare your life today with three or six months ago.

Are you getting activities back?

Are you walking farther?

Can you sit longer?

Are the symptoms traveling less distance down the leg?

Or are you becoming better at organizing your life around the sciatica?

When Continuing Conservative Care May Not Be Appropriate

There are situations where another conservative treatment should not be the priority.

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 be appropriate.

Dr. Boelk does not believe every patient with sciatica should be treated with spinal decompression.

Sometimes the right decision is not to treat.

★ “But I'm Glad I Took the Time to Meet With Him”

“Just not in my personal case.”

“Very nice Dr. and Honest ! I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn't had metal put in there back in a surgery to go to him and give his program a shot. I believe it would definitely help. Just not in my personal case. As I have a lot of hardware in my back. But I'm glad I took the time to meet with him. It was very informative all around.”

— Toni W., Lake Elsinore, CA

Toni hoped spinal decompression might be an option, but the hardware in her back meant Dr. Boelk did not consider her an appropriate candidate for his treatment.

She still felt the consultation was worthwhile.

That's exactly what the No-Charge Consultation is supposed to accomplish. It gives the patient an opportunity to find out what Dr. Boelk thinks before committing to anything.

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.

If You've Done the PT and You're Still Having Sciatica

You don't necessarily need to repeat the same treatment, and you don't necessarily need to jump immediately to something invasive.

You need to understand why you're still having symptoms.

Bring your MRI images and report if you have them. Tell Dr. Boelk what you did during PT, what improved, what didn't and what you're still unable to do.

Then find out whether another non-surgical option makes sense.

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

Because Dr. Boelk sets aside the time himself while continuing to care for his existing patients, only a limited number of these consultations 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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