Back Pain and Injury Care
Back pain can come from muscle strain, arthritis, a worn disc, or a pinched nerve. Most back pain improves within weeks with movement, physical therapy, or injections, and only a small number of people need surgery. A spine specialist can find the cause of back pain or sciatica and guide treatment from the first visit through recovery.
At Duly, your back care comes from The Spine Center, where spine surgeons, physiatrists, and ortho specialists work as one team, with chiropractic care and physical therapy in the same network. You get advanced imaging, a full range of non-surgical treatments, and surgery options that fit your life, including minimally invasive, endoscopic, and robotic-assisted techniques.
On this page
Do I need to see a doctor for back pain?
See a doctor if back pain lasts more than a couple of weeks, keeps coming back, or spreads down your buttock or leg. Back pain can start suddenly with a lift or a twist, or build slowly from arthritis, disc wear, posture, or long hours of sitting.
Symptoms to watch
- Pain that has not improved after a couple of weeks of home care
- Pain that shoots down your buttock or leg (sciatica)
- Numbness or tingling in your leg or foot
- Leg weakness, or a foot that slaps or drags when you walk
Common causes
- Muscle strain from lifting, twisting, or overdoing it
- Arthritis and disc wear that builds over time
- A herniated disc or bone spur pressing on a nerve
- Spinal stenosis, a narrowing around the nerves
- Posture and long stretches of sitting
A note on emergencies: if back pain comes with loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or leg weakness that is getting worse, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911; these can signal serious nerve compression. Back pain after a serious fall or accident, or with fever, also deserves emergency care. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, our orthopedic immediate care can often see you the same day.
What does my care journey look like?
Back care at Duly follows a clear path, and every step is tailored to you. Here is what to expect from your first appointment through recovery.
01 Schedule an appointmentSchedule online or by phone. Many patients are seen within days.
02 Meet with a back specialistStart with a Spine Specialist advanced practice provider (Physician Assistant), Physiatrist, or Orthopedic Specialist for evaluation of back conditions. If surgery becomes the best treatment option, you’ll be connected with one of our Spine Surgeons.
03 Imaging, if neededX‑ray or MRI helps confirm the cause, and some conditions call for a nerve test. Many of our locations offer imaging on site.
04 Review your treatment planYour specialist walks you through your options, and you decide on next steps together.
05 Start treatmentTreatment may include personalized care plans, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and image-guided injections when appropriate.
06 Surgery, when appropriateIf surgery is the best option, our spine surgeons use the least invasive approach possible, including endoscopic and robotic-assisted techniques, with some procedures done as same-day outpatient surgery.
07 Recovery and rehabilitationOur physical therapists guide your recovery with exercises that rebuild core strength and protect your back.
08 Return to the activities you loveThe goal is not just less pain. It is getting back to what moves you.
What back conditions do you treat?
We treat the full range of back and lower spine conditions, from everyday muscle strain to disc problems, stenosis, and scoliosis. Here are the most common, grouped by how they usually show up.
Muscle and everyday back pain
- Low back pain and muscle strain
- Posture-related back pain
- Muscle spasms
Disc problems and nerve pain
- Herniated (slipped) discs
- Sciatica (lumbar radiculopathy)
- Degenerative disc disease
Arthritis and narrowing
- Spinal arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis (a vertebra slipping out of place)
Curvature and structural conditions
- Scoliosis (adult and pediatric)
- Adult spinal deformity
- Flatback
- Severe Kyphosis
Complex and ongoing conditions
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Spinal infections
- Foot drop
What are the treatment options for back pain?
Most people feel better without surgery. Our physiatrists and spine specialists lead with non-surgical care, and when surgery makes sense, our spine surgeons offer advanced options, including endoscopic and robotic-assisted techniques.
Non-surgical
- Physical therapy and core strengthening
- Chiropractic care, including manipulation and lumbar traction
- Activity, posture, and ergonomic changes
- Anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxants
- Trigger point injections
- Epidural steroid injections
- Facet joint injections and medial branch blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation for lasting arthritis pain relief
Surgical
- Microdiscectomy (lumbar disc microsurgery)
- Laminectomy
- Spinal fusion (ALIF, PLIF, and TLIF)
- Lateral interbody fusion (XLIF)
- Endoscopic spine surgery
- Robotic-assisted spine surgery
- Scoliosis surgery and spinal reconstruction
- Revision spine surgery
Why choose Duly for back care?
Our spine team is dedicated to providing same-day access to a highly trained spine physician assistant for evaluation. We are committed to delivering an exceptional patient experience through timely, high-quality care designed to improve pain and function. At the Duly Spine Center, we streamline the transition from conservative treatment to surgical care when needed, helping you return to work and the activities you enjoy as efficiently as possible.
One Spine Center, every specialty Spine surgeons, physiatrists, and pain medicine specialists work as one team at The Spine Center, so your care is coordinated under one roof and you are matched with the right specialist for your condition.
Award-winning surgical care Our surgery centers in Westmont and Lombard were named among the Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers for Orthopedics & Spine by U.S. News & World Report in 2026. Learn more about our ASCs
Non-surgical first Most of our back patients never need surgery. Physiatrists and spine specialists lead your care with physical therapy, chiropractic care, injections, and other non-surgical options, and surgery enters the conversation only when it is truly the best path.
Expert surgery, without the hospital priceBecause many of our procedures happen at an ambulatory surgery center instead of a hospital, the same surgery typically costs 20 to 40% less, which often means lower out-of-pocket costs for you.
Who will treat my back?
Your care team reflects your needs. Depending on your condition, you may see a Spine Specialist advanced practice provider (physician assistant), Physiatrist, or Ortho specialist for evaluation. Treatment may include personalized care plans, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and image-guided injections when appropriate. If surgery becomes the best option, you’ll be connected with one of our Spine Surgeons.
Where can I get back care?
We offer back care across the Chicago suburbs, with Spine Center locations in Lombard and Naperville, spine surgeons and pain specialists at offices from Bloomingdale to Lockport, and physical therapy and imaging at many locations, with outpatient surgery at our Ambulatory Surgical Centers.
Frequently asked questions about back care
How do I know if my back pain is serious?
Most back pain is not dangerous and improves within a few weeks. See a doctor if pain lasts longer than that, keeps returning, or spreads down your leg. Get emergency care if back pain comes with loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin area, worsening leg weakness, fever, or follows a serious fall or accident.
What can I do if I have back pain?
Apply ice to the affected area for 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes without ice. Try light stretching exercises to improve mobility and blood flow to the affected area.
What does sciatica feel like?
Sciatica is pain that travels from your lower back or buttock down the back of your leg, sometimes with numbness, tingling, or weakness along the way. It usually means a nerve in your lower back is being pinched, often by a herniated disc or a bone spur. Most sciatica improves with time, movement, and non-surgical care.
Is it better to rest or stay active with back pain?
For most back pain, staying gently active helps you recover faster than bed rest. Short walks, light stretching, and returning to normal activities as pain allows keep your back from stiffening and your muscles from weakening. A day or two of taking it easy is fine, but long stretches of rest usually make back pain last longer.
Will I need back surgery?
Most back pain does not need surgery. The large majority of people feel better with physical therapy, activity changes, medication, or injections. Surgery is usually considered when a nerve or the spinal cord is compressed, weakness is getting worse, or non-surgical care has not worked. A spine specialist can tell you where your back stands after an exam and imaging.
Can a chiropractor help with back pain?
Yes, for many people. Our chiropractors treat back pain and sciatica with manipulation, lumbar traction, and other hands-on techniques, and they work within the same network as our spine specialists. That matters if your pain turns out to need more than an adjustment: your care can move to a physiatrist or spine specialist without starting over. If your back pain comes with leg weakness, numbness in the groin area, or follows an injury, start with a spine specialist first.
Ready to put back pain behind you?
Whether it is a stiff morning back, sciatica running down your leg, or pain that keeps returning, our spine care team will help you move freely again.
