When James L., a 47-year-old construction supervisor from Brooklyn, first visited our clinic, he was days away from scheduling a lumbar spine injection—with possible surgery down the line.
He had been suffering for nearly a year with:
Shooting pain down his right leg
Constant lower back stiffness
Difficulty standing or bending for more than 15 minutes
Reliance on daily NSAIDs just to get through work
An MRI showed a herniated L5-S1 disc, and every specialist he spoke to pushed him toward injections—or even surgery.
But James wanted to explore every conservative option first.
During his physical therapy and acupuncture assessment at Brooklyn Pain Doctors clinic, our findings included:
Positive straight leg raise test
Numbness and tingling radiating into the right foot
Core weakness and glute deactivation
Forward-flexed posture with spinal guarding
He was a prime candidate for an integrated treatment plan, aiming to:
✅ Reduce nerve irritation
✅ Strengthen supportive muscles
✅ Correct posture and movement
✅ Avoid corticosteroid injections or surgical referral
James began a 10-week personalized program that included:
✅ Acupuncture (2x/week):
To reduce inflammation, release sciatic nerve pressure, and improve circulation in affected tissues.
✅ Manual Physical Therapy:
To mobilize tight lumbar joints and release trigger points in the piriformis, QL, and hamstrings.
✅ Neurodynamic Exercises:
Nerve glides and flossing to restore mobility to the sciatic nerve.
✅ Core Stability Training:
Engaging transverse abdominis, multifidus, and glutes to support the spine.
✅ Posture Re-education & Ergonomics:
Real-time movement retraining for lifting, sitting, and walking at work.