BACKVoltex Physical Therapy · North Austin
Low back pain, sciatica or a back that locks up after lifting? A Doctor of Physical Therapy at our North Austin clinic finds the cause and treats it one-on-one.
Most clients feel a difference within the first few visits.
The short answer
About 4 in 5 adults will have low back pain at some point. Most of it comes from overloaded muscles and joints, an irritated disc or nerve, not serious damage, and most of it gets better.
At our North Austin clinic, physical therapy finds what’s driving your back pain or sciatica, calms it with hands-on care, then rebuilds core, hip and back strength so you can sit, lift and train with confidence.
Understand your pain
The 6 most common causes we treat at our North Austin clinic, and the signs of each one.
Feels like: a tight, achy low back that’s hard to bend or straighten, often after a specific lift or long day.
Often caused by: a heavy or awkward lift, a sudden twist or doing more than your back is used to.
Feels like: back pain that can spread into the buttock or leg and flares with sitting, bending or coughing.
Often caused by: load on the disc over time or one specific lift. Many disc problems settle without surgery.
Feels like: burning, shooting or electric pain down the back of the leg, sometimes with numbness or weakness.
Often caused by: an irritated nerve root in the low back, often from a disc or narrowing around the nerve.
Feels like: sharp, one-sided pain when you lean back, twist or stand up after sitting.
Often caused by: stiff or irritated small joints at the back of the spine, common in lifters and runners.
Feels like: leg pain, heaviness or tingling with standing and walking that eases when you sit or lean forward.
Often caused by: narrowing of the space around the nerves, usually from age-related changes.
Feels like: low back pain after deadlifts, squats or a big training block that won’t fully settle.
Often caused by: load, volume or technique that has outpaced what your back has been built to handle.
Sound familiar?
Pain low and to one side, near the dimples of your back? See SI joint & pelvic pain treatment. Pain in the hip or groin? See hip & knee pain treatment in Austin.
What the research says
In more than 3,000 people with no back pain, disc bulges showed up in 30% of 20-year-olds and 84% of 80-year-olds. We refer for imaging when your symptoms or exam call for it.
The larger the herniation, the more likely it is to shrink on its own: about 96% of sequestered and 70% of extruded discs regressed.
The American College of Physicians recommends hands-on care, heat and exercise-based care before medication for low back pain.
Your plan at Voltex
Every visit is one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy for the full session at our North Austin clinic.
A 75-minute evaluation of your back, hips and how you sit, bend and lift, plus a screen for anything that needs a doctor.
Manual therapy, joint mobilization and dry needling to ease pain and get you moving.
Core, hip and back strength, plus lifting technique for daily life and the gym.
A home plan plus sitting, training and load changes that last.
