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Conditions We Treat
Back Pain Relief in Pawleys Island, SC
Most back pain is mechanical. Something in the spine is not moving the way it should, and finding which structure is involved is the whole job.
What back pain usually turns out to be
Back pain is the most common reason people come to our Pawleys Island office. In most cases it traces to one of a handful of causes: a joint that has lost normal motion, a disc that is bulging or dehydrated, muscles compensating for a misalignment, or nerve irritation producing pain away from the actual problem.
That last one matters. Pain in your lower back and pain running into your leg can come from the same compressed nerve root, which is why treating the spot that hurts often does not work.
Where It Comes From
Four Things That Cause Most Back Pain
Back pain is a symptom with several possible mechanisms behind it. Establishing which one you are dealing with is what decides the treatment.
Disc bulges and herniations
The soft cushion between two vertebrae loses height and pushes outward. If that material reaches a nerve root you feel it down the leg as well as in the back. This is the mechanism the DRX9000 was built to address.
Restricted spinal joints
When a segment stops moving through its normal range, surrounding muscle tightens to guard it and the nerve exiting beside it becomes irritated. Chiropractors call this a subluxation. It is the most common finding in a routine back examination.
Muscular sprains and ligament strains
A single awkward lift, a fall, or repeating the same movement all day can overstretch the soft tissue supporting your spine. These often settle on their own, but a strain that keeps recurring usually means something underneath it is not moving properly.
Sustained stress and posture
Stress is held physically. Chronically raised shoulders, a clenched jaw and shallow breathing load the neck and mid-back for hours at a time. Combined with a desk, a steering wheel or a phone, it produces a genuine mechanical problem, not an imagined one.
Symptoms worth having looked at
- Dull, constant ache across the lower back
- Sharp pain when bending, lifting or twisting
- Pain that radiates into the buttock, thigh or leg
- Stiffness that is worst in the morning or after sitting
- Pain that eases when lying down and returns when you stand
How we work out what is causing it
Your first visit is an examination, not a treatment. Dr. Fico takes your history, performs orthopedic and neurological testing, checks how each segment of your spine moves, and takes digital X-rays if they are clinically indicated.
You then sit down with him for a report of findings: what he found, what is causing it, and what can realistically be done. If chiropractic care is not the right answer for your back, he will say so.
Treatment options at Strand Spine Institute
Depending on what the examination shows, care may involve corrective chiropractic adjustments to restore normal joint motion, Summus laser therapy to reduce deep inflammation, or DRX9000 spinal decompression when a disc is involved.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Ice generally suits a fresh injury in the first couple of days, heat suits ongoing muscular tightness. If you are unsure, ice is the safer default. Neither fixes the underlying cause, which is what the examination is for.
Very. Pain that recurs every few months usually means the underlying mechanical problem was never corrected, only the flare-up settled. That pattern is worth investigating rather than waiting out again.
Only if the findings would change your care. Dr. Fico will explain his reasoning before anything is taken, and digital X-rays are done on site when they are indicated.
Back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness through the groin needs medical assessment, not a chiropractic appointment. Seek urgent care.
Meet Your Chiropractor
Dr. Neil Fico, D.C.
Dr. Neil Fico has cared for patients on the Grand Strand for nearly 30 years. Pawleys Island is both where he practices and where he lives, and he personally evaluates every new patient who walks through the door.
His approach is integrative: corrective chiropractic adjustments, Summus laser therapy and DRX9000 spinal decompression, chosen to relieve the pain and correct what is causing it. If chiropractic care is not right for your condition, he will tell you.
New Patient Special
Start With A $49 First Visit
Before any treatment plan, Dr. Fico sits down with you to find out what is actually causing the pain. That first visit, the consultation, full exam and X-rays if you need them, is $49 instead of $250.
- One-on-one consultation with Dr. Neil Fico
- Complete orthopedic and neurological exam
- Digital X-rays if clinically indicated
- Sit-down report of findings and care plan
No obligation to start treatment. If chiropractic care is not right for your spine, Dr. Fico will tell you and point you where to go next.
Prefer to talk first? Call (843) 979-CARE (2273). Mon and Wed 8am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm, Tue and Thu 9am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm, Fri 8am to 1pm.
LIMITED TIME OFFER
New Patient Special
Initial Consultation, Exam & X-Rays
$250 ValueONLY $49
Receive an initial consultation, chiropractic exam and X-rays, if needed, for only $49.
