Lower back pain Treatment in Mission Viejo | Dr. Foudy

I wake up so stiff and sore it takes me half an hour to get moving. I gotta get in the hot shower.

What we hear from lower back pain patients on the first call.

Dr. Foudy performing a side-posture lumbar adjustment

What it is

Lower back pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Underneath that pain is usually a mix of disc, facet joint, muscle, and posture problems. The right plan starts with figuring out which mix you have.

What causes it

Disc degeneration, herniations, facet arthrosis, sacroiliac irritation, postural collapse, prolonged sitting, deconditioned core, old injuries. Dr. Foudy looks for the structural cause on imaging and the functional cause on the EMG.

How we diagnose and treat it

Show-and-tell consultation, full work-up, then a tailored plan: chiropractic adjustment (Diversified, Sacral Occipital, Thompson drop, or Cox flexion/distraction depending on what the case calls for), Accu-Spina decompression if the discs are involved, intersegmental traction, Saunders tractioning, and Melanie’s corrective exercise on the back half of the plan.

Symptoms we look for

Morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes
Pain worse after sitting
Difficulty bending forward
A "catch" or sharp pain on certain movements

Cost

First visit: $90. Accu-Spina single session: $160. Decompression package: $3,000 / 20 visits.

Timeline

Acute episodes often resolve in 1–3 weeks. Chronic disc-driven low back pain typically follows a 3-month protocol with tapering frequency.

What a patient said

Twenty years of on-and-off back pain. Six weeks here and it's a different body. (Robert M.)

Pillar service

Accu-Spina spinal decompression is often the workhorse for this condition.

91% success rate on candidate cases over 12 months of in-practice data.

Read about Accu-Spina decompression

Common questions

How do I know if it is a disc or a muscle?

Pattern tells you a lot. Disc pain usually has a radicular quality (something running down the leg). Muscle and facet pain stays more local. The neurological screen, the EMG, and imaging confirm the story.

Should I rest or move?

Move, gently. Bed rest beyond a day or two stiffens the joints and weakens the muscles you need to come out of this. Walking is the universal medicine.

Are heating pads okay?

For chronic stiffness, yes. For an acute flare-up in the first 48 hours, ice first, then heat. We will tell you which one you are in.

Do I need an MRI?

Not always. X-rays and the EMG usually tell us what we need. We order an MRI if the neurological findings or the response to care call for it.