Back Pain · Gig Harbor

When your back runs your day.

Low back pain is the most common reason people walk through our door, and most of it responds well to hands-on care and the right exercises.

Sound familiar?

Tick the ones that fit.

Not a diagnosis. Just a quick way to see whether your pain has the pattern we treat every day.

I brace before getting out of the car.
The first steps in the morning are the worst, then it loosens.
Sitting more than 30 minutes makes it ache.
Bending to the sink or to tie my shoes is the scary part.
It sometimes spreads into my buttock or leg.
Standing at the counter, I keep shifting my weight.

Most back pain comes from joints, discs and muscles that are stuck, strained or overloaded. It rarely means something is seriously wrong, but it does mean something needs to change. Our job is to find out what, fix what we can with our hands, and teach you how to keep it from coming back.

What it can feel like

A dull ache across the low back after sitting, standing or driving
Sharp pain when you bend, lift, twist or get out of a car
Stiffness in the morning that eases as you move
Pain that spreads into the buttock or down the leg (see sciatica)
Tightness between the shoulder blades from desk work

Common causes

Lifting with a rounded back, or lifting more than you’re conditioned for
Long hours sitting, driving or standing in one position
A car accident, fall or sports injury
Disc strain or bulge
Joint restriction in the spine or pelvis
Weak core and hip muscles that let the spine do too much work

How we treat it

Dr. Ahn or Dr. Borg start with your history and an orthopedic and neurological exam to find which joints, discs or muscles are involved, and whether imaging is needed. Treatment usually combines specific adjustments to restore joint movement, physiotherapy to calm the muscles and rebuild your core and hips, and a short home exercise plan.

Many people feel a change in the first few visits. A full plan usually runs a few weeks, with your progress checked and your plan adjusted along the way.

When to seek urgent care. Call us or your physician right away if back pain comes with loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, weakness in both legs, fever, or follows a serious fall or accident.

How getting better usually goes

Four stops.

First visit

Answers.

You leave knowing what it is, what the plan is, how long it should take, and what it costs with your insurance.

Weeks 1–2

Relief.

Pain down, motion up. Visits are closer together while the joints learn to move again and the muscles stop guarding.

Weeks 3–6

Rebuild.

Physiotherapy makes it hold: the muscles that let you down get strong enough to carry you. The part most people skip, and the part that keeps it from coming back.

After

Your life back.

A short home routine, a check-in now and then, and the door open if it ever flares.