Low Back Pain Treatment in Richmond, VA
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Low Back Pain Treatment in Richmond, VA?
Low back pain is the single most common reason patients walk through our door at Jamison Family Chiropractic. It affects people of all ages and activity levels, but in our Richmond office, the pattern is clear: most of the low back pain we see is driven by prolonged sitting, sedentary work, and the postural habits that come with desk-bound lifestyles.
Whether your back locks up when you stand after a long meeting, you wake up stiff every morning, or you’ve been dealing with a nagging ache for months that won’t go away, the underlying problem is usually the same – something in your lower spine or pelvis isn’t moving the way it should, and the surrounding muscles are either compensating, guarding, or both.
We treat low back pain with a combination of chiropractic adjustments and corrective exercises, and we tailor the intensity and approach based on how acute your symptoms are. The goal isn’t just getting you out of pain – it’s figuring out why the pain showed up in the first place and correcting it so it doesn’t keep coming back.If you’re looking for a chiropractor for back pain Richmond VA, we make it easy to get answers fast with a thorough evaluation and (in most cases) same-day treatment.
What’s Actually Causing Your Low Back Pain?
Low back pain isn’t one condition – it’s a symptom with many potential causes. Part of our job is figuring out which one is driving your specific pain. The most common causes we diagnose in our office include:
Joint Dysfunction (Facet Syndrome)
The facet joints are small joints on the back of each vertebra that guide spinal movement. When these joints become restricted or inflamed – often from prolonged sitting, poor posture, or repetitive movement – they produce a deep, achy pain in the lower back that’s typically worse with extension (leaning backward) or after long periods of inactivity. This is one of the most common causes of low back pain we see, and it responds very well to chiropractic adjustments.
Disc Issues (Bulging or Herniated Discs)
The intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers between your vertebrae. Over time, or after an acute injury, the outer wall of a disc can weaken, allowing the inner material to bulge outward or herniate. This can cause localized back pain, and if the disc presses on a nearby nerve root, the pain can radiate into the leg (which is when it becomes sciatica). Disc-related back pain often worsens with sitting, bending forward, or coughing and sneezing.
SI Joint Dysfunction
The sacroiliac (SI) joints connect your sacrum to your pelvis. When one or both SI joints become restricted or hypermobile, it can produce pain in the lower back, buttock, and sometimes the upper thigh. SI joint dysfunction is especially common in patients who sit with their legs crossed, have a leg length discrepancy, or are pregnant or postpartum. It’s frequently misdiagnosed as a lumbar spine issue.
Muscle Strain and Spasm
Sometimes the muscles of the lower back are the primary problem — they’re overworked, strained, or locked in spasm as a protective response to an underlying joint issue. Muscle-related low back pain can come on suddenly after lifting something awkwardly, or it can develop gradually from sustained poor posture. The key is determining whether the muscle is the cause or a symptom of something deeper, because the treatment approach is different.
“I initially sought Dr. Jamison’s expertise because I was suffering from lower back pain. Dr. Jamison performed a full body assessment and concluded certain areas of my body were weak and my lower back was compensating for those weaknesses. After his assessment, Dr. Jamison adjusted various body parts and I felt immediate relief. When I entered his office, my pain level was about a 9 (on a 10 point scale); when I left, my pain was about a 5. Within three days of leaving his office my back was fully recovered. Dr. Jamison also demonstrated several lower back and hip strengthening exercises I could perform at home. I have frequently used those exercises and because of that I have remained pain free.”
— Brian B., Google Review
How We Treat Low Back Pain
Every patient who comes in with low back pain gets a thorough evaluation first. We need to know what’s causing the pain before we start treating it, because a disc problem requires a different approach than a facet joint issue or an SI joint problem. Once we know what we’re dealing with, treatment begins – usually on the same day.
Chiropractic Adjustments
We use a combination of techniques depending on what your body needs and how you’re presenting on that visit. Manual diversified adjustments restore motion to restricted joints. The drop table allows us to be precise while using less force, which is ideal for patients in acute pain. The ArthroStim instrument provides gentle, targeted input for patients who are sensitive or guarding heavily. Most patients receive a combination of these techniques over the course of their care.
Corrective Exercises – Modified to Your Acuity
We prescribe corrective exercises alongside adjustments, but we don’t give the same exercises to someone who can barely stand up straight as we do to someone with a mild chronic ache. When you’re in acute pain, the exercises start gentle – focused on pain relief, reducing spasm, and maintaining basic mobility. As your symptoms improve, we progress the exercises toward strengthening, stability, and postural correction to prevent recurrence.
This is an important distinction. The adjustment restores joint motion. The exercises retrain the muscles that support and stabilize those joints. Skipping either one leads to slower recovery or pain that keeps returning.
In acute cases I might start with just prone or 90/90 breathing to calm the nervous system and gentle pelvic tilts to restore motion until pain levels start to improve. Once pain levels start to improve, I will start you on movements that will restore motion, build strength, stability and mobility.
A Treatment Plan Based on Your Situation
We don’t put every back pain patient on the same schedule. Someone with acute, severe pain may need to come in two to three times in the first week to get things calmed down. Someone with chronic, mild stiffness may only need weekly visits from the start. We’ll be upfront about what we recommend and why, and we’ll adjust the plan as you respond to care.
“Following the recommendation of a colleague I went to Dr Jamison seeking relief from intense, debilitating lower-back pain. Frankly, Humpty Dumpty was broken and it hurt to walk, sit, stand, or ride in a car. After a series of visits, Dr Jamison put Humpty Dumpty’s back together again. I feel normal for the first time in months. Scheduling an appointment is easy and visits for me 10 minutes max. If you are in the Bon Air area and your back is out of whack, consider visiting Dr Jamison. He helped me get back to normal.”
— Jeffrey C., Google Review
The Patients We See Most for Low Back Pain
While low back pain doesn’t discriminate, the majority of patients who come to us with this complaint share a similar profile: they work at a desk, they commute, they sit more than they move, and their bodies have adapted to that lifestyle in ways that create pain. Sound familiar?
We also regularly treat low back pain in:
- Active individuals – athletes and gym-goers who strain their lower back during training or competition
- Pregnant and postpartum women – women dealing with back pain from the postural and structural changes of pregnancy
- Weekend warriors and “I just bent over” patients – patients whose backs went out doing something as simple as bending over to pick up a shoe.
- Chronic pain sufferers – patients who’ve had back pain for months or years, often after trying other treatments without lasting results
We also treat shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, TMJ/jaw pain, numbness and tingling, disc herniations, and sports injuries. If you’re not sure whether chiropractic can help with your specific issue, give us a call – we’ll let you know.
“Where to start… as a mom of 5 active kids, a serious back injury was completely intrusive to our family life. In desperation, I went to several doctors and got the same recommendations of steroids and ineffective pain management medicines. Enter Drew Jamison. Like several other reviewers, I cannot stress the care, thoughtfulness and EFFECTIVENESS with his approach. His willingness to listen well and carefully guide me through a plan toward wellness has been genuinely life changing for our family and restoring to me as a mom, wife, and woman the hope that I can recover from this injury and be the active mom that I need to be.”
— Misha B., Google Review
Regardless of the cause or how long you’ve been dealing with it, the first step is the same: a thorough evaluation to figure out what’s happening and build a plan to fix it.
When Should You See a Chiropractor for Low Back Pain?
The short answer: sooner than you think. Most people wait until their back pain becomes unbearable before they seek help, and by that point, the problem has often been developing for weeks or months. The longer a joint restriction or muscle imbalance goes unaddressed, the more your body compensates, and the longer recovery takes.
You should consider chiropractic care if:
- Your back pain has lasted more than a few days and isn’t improving on its own
- The pain keeps coming back, even after rest or stretching
- You’re relying on painkillers or anti-inflammatories to get through the day
- Your pain is affecting your ability to work, sleep, or exercise
- You’ve tried other treatments (massage, physical therapy, injections) without lasting relief
- The pain radiates into your buttock, hip, or leg (this may indicate sciatica — see our sciatica treatment page)
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first visit at Jamison Family Chiropractic is focused entirely on understanding your specific situation. Here’s what it includes:
- Consultation – a one-on-one conversation about your symptoms, how they started, what aggravates and relieves them, and what you’ve already tried.
- Examination – orthopedic and neurological testing, range of motion assessment, posture evaluation, and palpation to identify exactly which structures are involved
- Diagnosis and plan – a clear explanation of what we’re finding, what’s causing your pain, and what we recommend for treatment
- Same-day treatment – in most cases, we begin treatment on your first visit with an adjustment and your initial set of corrective exercises
We’re a self-pay practice. That means no insurance hoops, no referrals, and no limitations on your care plan. You can see our transparent pricing on our fees page.
How to Find Us
Address: 9019 Forest Hill Ave, Suite 2B, Richmond, VA 23235
Phone: 804-432-1494
Hours:
Monday 8am-12:30 & 2:30-6pm
Tuesday 2pm-6pm
Wednesday 8am-12:30 & 2:30-6pm
Thursday 8am-12:30 & 2:30-6pm
Friday 8am-12pm
Parking: Free parking directly outside the office
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Frequently Asked
Questions About Low Back Pain Treatment
These are the questions we hear most from patients in our Richmond office.
It depends on the cause, severity, and how long you’ve been dealing with it. Acute cases often see significant improvement within a handful of visits over one to four weeks. Chronic or more complex cases may need several weeks of consistent care. We’ll give you an honest assessment after your first visit and adjust the plan as you progress.
Yes. Chiropractic adjustments are a safe, non-invasive, drug-free treatment for low back pain. We use a variety of techniques and tailor the approach to your comfort level and the severity of your symptoms. If you’re in acute pain, we’ll use gentler methods until your body is ready for more.
Ice is best to numb the area to allow you to restore movement with reduced pain. After that, heat is generally better for relieving muscle tension and promoting blood flow. That said, every case is different — we’ll give you specific guidance based on your situation during your visit.
In most cases, yes — and you should. Movement is one of the best things for a painful back, as long as you’re doing the right movements. We’ll prescribe specific exercises based on your condition and tell you which activities to modify or avoid temporarily.
Low back pain stays in the lower back. Sciatica involves pain that travels from the back or buttock down into the leg, often with a sharp or shooting quality. Sciatica is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, which can sometimes be a complication of a low back problem. Visit our sciatica treatment page for more details.
Prolonged sitting puts sustained pressure on the discs and joints of the lower spine, weakens the muscles that support your back, and tightens the hip flexors — which pulls your pelvis forward and increases strain on the lumbar spine. Over time, this creates a cycle of stiffness, restriction, and pain. Chiropractic adjustments combined with targeted exercises break that cycle.
Not always. Most low back pain can be accurately diagnosed through a thorough physical examination. If your exam findings suggest something that requires imaging, or if your symptoms aren’t improving as expected, we’ll refer you for the appropriate imaging at that point.
We are a self-pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. This gives us the freedom to provide the care you actually need without the restrictions insurance companies often place on treatment plans. Our pricing is transparent — visit our fees page for details.
Both. While acute pain often responds quickly to adjustments and exercises, chronic low back pain also benefits from chiropractic care. The approach is different — with chronic pain, we’re often addressing long-standing joint restrictions, muscle imbalances, and postural patterns that have developed over months or years. It takes more time, but lasting improvement is absolutely achievable.
Prolonged sitting puts sustained pressure on the discs and joints of the lower spine, weakens the muscles that support your back, and tightens the hip flexors — which pulls your pelvis forward and increases strain on the lumbar spine. Over time, this creates a cycle of stiffness, restriction, and pain. Chiropractic adjustments combined with targeted exercises break that cycle.
If you’re experiencing sudden back pain along with loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the groin area, or progressive weakness in both legs, go to the ER immediately — these are signs of a medical emergency. For sudden back pain without those red flags (even if it’s severe), chiropractic is an excellent first step. We often see patients the same day their back goes out.
Have more questions? Send us a message➜
Ready To Get Your Back Pain Under Control?
If low back pain is slowing you down, keeping you up at night, or making it harder to do the things you enjoy, we can help. At Jamison Family Chiropractic in Richmond, VA, we combine chiropractic adjustments with corrective exercises tailored to where you are right now – whether you’re in acute pain or dealing with something that’s been building for years.
Same-day appointments are often available on the scheduling app (click schedule your appointment above to see what’s available). So, if you’ve been searching for a chiropractor for lower back pain near me, our Richmond office serves patients from Richmond, Midlothian, Chesterfield, Bon Air, and the surrounding communities – with same-day appointments often available.