Low Back Pain Treatment
Low back pain affects up to 75% of Canadians at some point in their lives. Whether your pain stems from disc problems, facet joints, sacroiliac dysfunction or ligament injury, we offer treatments that address the underlying cause, not just the symptoms.
of Canadians experience low back pain in their lifetime
cause of years lived with disability worldwide
of Canadian adults have chronic back disorders
annual cost of low back pain in Canada
Understanding Your Back Pain
Effective treatment requires identifying the source. Low back pain rarely has a single cause. Most patients have multiple contributing structures.
Disc Problems
Herniated or degenerated discs cause 20-50% of chronic low back pain cases.
Symptoms: Pain with bending, sitting, leg pain/numbness
Facet Joint Syndrome
The joints connecting vertebrae cause 15-45% of low back pain cases.
Symptoms: Pain with extension, twisting, morning stiffness
Sacroiliac Joint
SI joint dysfunction is found in up to 53% of low back pain patients.
Symptoms: One-sided low back/buttock pain, pain sitting
Ligament Injury
Overstretched or damaged ligaments fail to stabilize the spine properly.
Symptoms: Instability, pain with movement, muscle spasms
Our Treatment Approach
Conventional treatment for low back pain often focuses on managing symptoms with medications, or jumping to imaging and surgical consultations. Yet for the vast majority of patients, surgery isn't an option and medications don't address the underlying problem.
Our approach is different. We focus on identifying and treating the specific structures causing your pain, using regenerative therapies that promote actual tissue repair rather than simply masking symptoms.
Comprehensive assessment to identify pain sources
Targeted treatment of affected structures
Regenerative therapies to promote healing
Address contributing factors (posture, strength, inflammation)
Prolotherapy for Low Back Pain
Prolotherapy is a regenerative injection treatment that stimulates your body's natural healing response. A concentrated dextrose solution is injected at sites of ligament or tendon damage, triggering the release of growth factors that promote tissue repair.
Research has shown that prolotherapy is most effective for low back pain when combined with a comprehensive treatment approach including exercise and manual therapy. A Cochrane review found that prolotherapy combined with spinal manipulation and exercise was more effective than control treatments for chronic low back pain.1
Conditions Treated with Prolotherapy
typical treatment sessions
weeks between sessions
Comprehensive Low Back Pain Care
Beyond prolotherapy, we address all factors contributing to your back pain
Anti-Inflammatory Support
Chronic inflammation drives ongoing tissue damage. We use targeted natural anti-inflammatories and dietary strategies to reduce inflammation at its source.
- • Omega-3 fatty acids
- • Curcumin and botanical anti-inflammatories
- • Anti-inflammatory diet guidance
Tissue Repair Nutrients
Your body needs specific nutrients to repair damaged ligaments, discs and cartilage. We ensure you have the building blocks for healing.
- • Collagen and connective tissue support
- • Vitamin D optimization
- • Magnesium for muscle function
Movement & Rehabilitation
Exercise has a relative risk reduction of 0.71 for low back pain. We help you develop a movement program that supports healing without aggravating your condition.
- • Core stabilization guidance
- • Posture assessment
- • Coordination with physiotherapy
Why Choose Naturopathic Care for Back Pain?
Address Root Causes
We identify and treat the specific structures causing your pain, not just mask symptoms with medications.
Regenerative Focus
Prolotherapy and other regenerative treatments promote actual tissue repair, not just temporary relief.
Comprehensive Approach
We address inflammation, nutrition and movement alongside direct treatment of painful structures.
Skip the Wait
Access specialized treatment without lengthy wait times for conventional specialist referrals.
Getting Started
Most extended health plans cover naturopathic services including prolotherapy.
Book OnlineFrequently Asked Questions
How do you determine what's causing my back pain?
We use a combination of detailed history, physical examination including specific orthopedic tests and review of any imaging you've already had. Different pain sources have characteristic patterns. For example, sacroiliac pain typically affects one side and is worse with sitting, while facet joint pain is often worse with extension and twisting.
Do I need an MRI before treatment?
Not necessarily. While imaging can be helpful in some cases, research shows that MRI findings often don't correlate well with symptoms. Many people have disc bulges or degeneration on imaging but no pain, while others have significant pain with normal-looking scans. Clinical assessment is often more valuable for directing treatment. If you have existing imaging, please bring it to your appointment.
How many prolotherapy treatments will I need?
Most patients require 4-6 treatment sessions, spaced 1-2 weeks apart. Some patients notice improvement after 2-3 treatments, while others need the full course. We assess your response at each visit and adjust the treatment plan accordingly.
Can prolotherapy help if I have a disc herniation?
Prolotherapy doesn't directly treat disc herniations, but it can help in several ways. Many patients with disc problems also have ligament laxity and facet joint dysfunction that contribute to their pain. Additionally, research has shown positive outcomes for leg pain caused by degenerative disc disease when surrounding ligaments are treated with prolotherapy.
Is prolotherapy painful?
There is some discomfort with the injections, but it's typically brief. A local anesthetic is included in the solution to minimize pain. Most patients experience some soreness in the treated area for 1-3 days after treatment, which is a normal part of the healing response.
Should I stop my other treatments while doing prolotherapy?
Not necessarily. In fact, research shows prolotherapy works best when combined with other therapies like exercise and manual treatment. We encourage continuing with physiotherapy or chiropractic care if you're finding them helpful. We'll discuss any modifications needed around the timing of your treatments.
Ready to Address Your Back Pain?
Don't let low back pain limit your life. Book a consultation to discuss your treatment options and develop a plan to get you moving comfortably again.
Book OnlineReferences
- Dagenais S, Yelland MJ, Del Mar C, Schoene ML. Prolotherapy injections for chronic low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(2):CD004059.
- Wainwright M, Pugliese AS, Grunberg M. Prolotherapy for chronic low back pain: a review of literature. British Medical Bulletin. 2021;138(1):96-111.
- Yelland MJ, Glasziou PP, Bogduk N, Schluter PJ, McKernon M. Prolotherapy injections, saline injections and exercises for chronic low-back pain: a randomized trial. Spine. 2004;29(1):9-16.
- Kim WM, Lee HG, Jeong CW, Kim CM, Yoon MH. A randomized controlled trial of intra-articular prolotherapy versus steroid injection for sacroiliac joint pain. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(12):1285-90.
- Statistics Canada. Musculoskeletal diseases: Back pain. Health Reports. 2006.
- Bone and Joint Canada. Low Back Pain. 2023.