Back Pain: See a Chiropractor or Doctor?

You’re bent over trying to tie your shoes, and that familiar ache in your lower back flares up again. Or maybe you lifted something heavy at work yesterday, and now you can barely get out of bed. Sound familiar?

If you’re dealing with lower back pain here in St. Paul, you’re definitely not alone. About 8 out of 10 people will deal with back pain at some point. But here’s the question that stumps most people: should you see a chiropractor or head to your regular doctor?

The honest answer? It depends on what’s going on with your back.

Let’s Talk About Your Back Pain

Lower back pain shows up differently for everyone. Some people describe it as a dull ache that won’t go away. Others feel a sharp, stabbing sensation when they move the wrong way. Maybe yours came on suddenly after lifting your kid or shoveling snow. Or perhaps it’s been creeping up on you gradually over months.

Your lower back does a lot of heavy lifting—literally. It supports most of your body weight and gets involved in almost every movement you make. When something goes wrong with the vertebrae, discs, muscles, or nerves down there, you feel it.

Here’s something that might surprise you: most lower back pain is mechanical. That means it’s related to how your spine, muscles, and joints are moving (or not moving). These are exactly the kinds of problems chiropractors are trained to handle. But sometimes there’s something else going on that needs a medical doctor’s attention.

When Chiropractic Makes Sense

Chiropractors focus on your musculoskeletal system—basically, how your bones, muscles, and joints work together. We use hands-on adjustments and other techniques to get things moving properly again and reduce your pain.

The Kind of Back Pain We Treat Best

You tweaked something. Did you overdo it at the gym? Spend too many hours hunched over your computer? Sleep in a weird position? These mechanical issues usually respond really well to chiropractic care. If your pain gets worse with certain movements and better with others, that’s a good sign we can help.

It’s been bothering you for a while. If you’ve been dealing with back pain for more than three months, studies show chiropractic treatment can make a real difference. Regular adjustments help keep your spine aligned and reduce inflammation over time.

The pain shoots down your leg. That’s often sciatica—when a nerve gets compressed and sends pain radiating down your leg. We can usually help with this through adjustments and decompression therapy.

You’ve got disc problems. Bulging or herniated discs (as long as they’re not severely damaged) often improve with chiropractic treatment. We can take pressure off those discs through spinal decompression and help them heal

You were in an accident. Car accidents and workplace injuries are really common around the Twin Cities. The resulting whiplash, muscle strains, and spinal misalignments are things we treat every day.

You pulled a muscle. Whether you were moving furniture, playing basketball, or just bent down wrong, muscle strains typically heal faster with chiropractic care and soft tissue work.

Signs You Should Give Us a Call

Think about seeing a chiropractor if:

Your pain gets better when you move around or change positions
You’re stiff in the morning, but loosen up as the day goes on
Sitting for long periods makes it worse
The pain goes into your butt or thighs, but stops before your knee
You recently got hurt playing sports, at work, or in a car accident
This keeps happening to you
You’d rather not take pain pills if you can avoid it

At our office in St. Paul, we don’t just crack your back and send you on your way. We figure out what’s actually causing your pain and put together a plan that might include adjustments, exercises you can do at home, and tips for keeping the pain from coming back.

When You Need a Medical Doctor

Look, chiropractors can help with most back pain. But there are times when you really need to see a medical doctor. They can order MRIs or CT scans, prescribe medications, and diagnose serious conditions that need different kinds of treatment.

Warning Signs That Mean “Go to the Doctor Now”

Drop what you’re doing and get medical help if you have:

Your legs are getting weak. If you’re having trouble standing up from a chair, your legs feel like they’re giving out, or you can’t lift your foot properly, that’s serious. It might mean a nerve is being badly compressed.

You can’t control your bladder or bowels. This is an emergency. It could be something called cauda equina syndrome, which needs immediate treatment.

You’re numb in your groin or inner thighs. Loss of feeling in these areas needs to be checked out right away.

You’re losing weight without trying. Back pain plus unexplained weight loss could point to something that needs investigation.

You have a fever. Back pain with a fever might mean there’s an infection somewhere.

You’ve had cancer before. If you’ve dealt with cancer in the past and now you have new back pain, your doctor needs to rule out any spread to your spine.

You had a serious accident. If you fell from a height or were in a bad car crash, you might have fractures that need medical imaging.

It hurts worse when you lie down. Pain that gets worse at night and doesn’t ease up no matter how you position yourself might not be mechanical.

You’re very young or older. New back pain in someone under 20 or over 50 should get checked out by a doctor to rule out age-specific conditions.

Medical Conditions That Cause Back Pain

Sometimes, back pain is actually a symptom of something else:

Infections in the spine
Fractures from osteoporosis
Inflammatory conditions like ankylosing spondylitis
Kidney stones or kidney infections
Aortic aneurysm
Tumors or cancer

You Don’t Have to Choose Just One

Here’s the thing: it’s not always chiropractor OR doctor. Sometimes it’s both, and that’s actually the best approach.

We work with medical doctors, physical therapists, and other providers all the time. If we see something during your exam that needs medical attention, we’ll send you to the right specialist. And plenty of doctors now refer their patients to us because they recognize that chiropractic care works for musculoskeletal problems.

This team approach means you get the right care for your specific situation. For example, if you have a herniated disc that’s really pinching a nerve, your doctor might prescribe anti-inflammatories while we work on the mechanical issues with adjustments and decompression.

So, What Should You Do?

Here’s a simple way to think about it:

Try chiropractic first if:

Your pain is related to movement and position
You don’t have any of those warning signs I mentioned
It started gradually, or after an injury you know about
You want to try conservative treatment before anything more invasive
You’d prefer to avoid medication if possible
You’ve had this before, and it got better with conservative care

See your doctor first if:

Do you have any of those red flag symptoms
Your pain is really severe, no matter what you do
You have a history of cancer or other serious health issues
You’re having other symptoms like fever or weight loss
You’ve tried conservative treatment for 6-8 weeks, and nothing’s helping

See both if:

Your back pain is complicated and has been going on forever
You need pain management while you’re getting chiropractic treatment
Your situation needs both medical monitoring and hands-on therapy
You want all your bases covered

What Happens at Your First Visit

If you come see us at Twin Cities Chiropractic, we’ll start with a real conversation about what’s going on. We’ll ask about your health history, when the pain started, what makes it better or worse, and how it’s affecting your life.

Then we’ll do a physical exam with some orthopedic and neurological tests. We might take X-rays if we think they’re needed. Based on what we find, we’ll tell you straight up whether chiropractic care is right for your situation. If we see anything concerning that needs medical evaluation, we’ll refer you out. No ego, just what’s best for you.

If chiropractic is the right fit, we’ll create a treatment plan tailored to your specific problem. That might include adjustments, other therapies, exercises, and advice on how to avoid this happening again.

Most people with acute back pain start feeling better within the first few visits. How long it takes depends on what’s going on and how long you’ve been dealing with it. We’ll keep checking in on your progress and adjust the plan as needed.

Conclusion

You don’t have to live with back pain. Whether you need a chiropractor, a medical doctor, or both, the important thing is doing something about it instead of just hoping it goes away.

For most mechanical back pain—the kind related to how your spine and muscles are working—chiropractic care is an effective option that gets to the root of the problem instead of just covering up symptoms.

If you’re dealing with back pain here in St. Paul and want to find out if we can help, give us a call. We’ll take time to understand what’s happening with your back, answer your questions honestly, and help you figure out the best path forward.

Ready to do something about that back pain? Contact Twin Cities Chiropractic in St. Paul to schedule your appointment.

Lower Back Pain: When to See a Chiropractor vs. a Doctor