Is your back pain a source of constant, discomfort and inconvenience? Back pain is a widespread and serious issue that can have a detrimental impact on your overall health and well-being. If left untreated, it can cause mobility problems, chronic pain, poor posture, and difficulty sleeping.

If you’ve found your way here, then you are in luck! Flow Chiropractic & Sports Therapy has a team of experienced providers that provide the best back pain relief in Ocean County, NJ including Toms River, Brick, and surrounding areas. We offer the best treatments (fascial manipulation, spinal adjustments, fascial manipulation) to reduce pain, increase mobility, and improve strength. Our approach to treatment is tailored to you, the patient, allowing us to create customized treatment plans for your specific goals.

At Flow Chiropractic & Sports Therapy, our aim is to alleviate your pain and enhance your quality of life. That’s why we offer a range of services, including lifestyle advice and nutritional counseling to aid in providing long-term health benefits. Don’t let back pain keep you down – our skilled team is here to help you feel your best!

Common Conditions

Lower back pain is an extremely common condition. In fact, lower back pain is the number one cause of both doctor’s visits and time off from work in the United States. Lower back pain is a complicated condition with many causes—each of which will affect different tissue(s).

Upper crossed syndrome is a postural imbalance that occurs in the muscles of the upper back, scapulae, and shoulder joints. This condition is often a result of prolonged sitting and will be exacerbated by poor posture.

While sitting, some muscles are stuck in a shortened position—a position which begins to take hold. At the same time, other muscles are stuck in a lengthened position, and these muscles become weak or inhibited.

Thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when there is impingement on the nerves or blood vessels in an area between your clavicle (collar bone) and ribs in the space between your neck and shoulder joint.

Most often, thoracic outlet syndrome in gamers will come secondary to poor posture—slouching forward in their chairs and leaning towards the screen while gaming. Another condition which may lead to thoracic outlet syndrome is upper crossed syndrome.

Lower crossed syndrome is a postural imbalance that occurs in the muscles of lower back, pelvis, and hip joints. This condition is often a result of prolonged sitting and will be exacerbated by poor posture.

While sitting, some muscles are stuck in a shortened position—a position which begins to take hold. At the same time, other muscles are stuck in a lengthened position, and these muscles tend to become weak or inhibited.

Sciatica, also known as, piriformis syndrome, is the name for pain patterns caused by direct irritation of the sciatic nerve—most notably in the back of the thigh and leg. The sciatic nerve is most often irritated by the piriformis muscle, a hip muscle that exits the pelvis through the same opening as the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica usually occurs due to prolonged sitting and is exacerbated by poor posture. Practicing good postures can help to reduce the risk of the piriformis muscle causing sciatica.

Another condition that causes sciatic-type symptoms is spinal nerve root impingement. This condition is also known as lumbar radiculopathy and can present with pain patterns mirroring sciatica. However, true sciatica is direct impingement of the sciatic nerve in the gluteal region.

The sacroiliac (SI) joints are where the two halves of the pelvis connect to the spinal column. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is the term used when describing restriction or fixation of the SI joints.

Restriction in these joints is common, but if left untreated, the restriction may cause a cascade of other issues. For example, restriction can alter gait (walking pattern), which may affect the hips, knees, ankles, or feet.

Alternatively, restriction may cause an imbalance where one half of the pelvis is higher or lower than the other side. This imbalance, known as pelvic obliquity, may cause a mild corrective curve in the spine to keep your head upright. This is known as functional scoliosis, and this may cause pain and tightness in different areas of the spine.