Axis Spine & Disc

Back pain · Olathe, Kansas

Nonsurgical Treatment for Back Pain

Back pain that keeps coming back has a cause. Find out what yours is.

Persistent low back pain is usually coming from a specific disc or joint. The evaluation finds it and tells you whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.

  • For back pain that has not settled with rest, medication or therapy
  • Nonsurgical, seated treatment
  • You find out whether you are a candidate at the first visit
  • If you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full
  • 25 years in practice
  • 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
  • 5.0 on Google · 60 reviews
A patient reclined in the seated treatment chair at the clinic
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits$149 · Olathe, KS

Sound familiar?

Does this sound like your low back pain?

Long drives, desk work, yard work and sleep are where back pain shows up first. Then exercise stops, and then the things you do with the people you love get edited. Most people have adapted so much by the time they call that they have forgotten what normal felt like.

  • Pain that is worse sitting, bending or lifting
  • Stiff mornings, sore evenings
  • Flare-ups that are lasting longer
  • You have tried stretches, medication or therapy
  • You have stopped doing things you used to do

Common symptoms of low back pain

  • Pain that is worse with sitting, bending or lifting
  • Pain that is worse with standing or walking and eases when you sit
  • Stiffness in the morning or after being still
  • Pain into the buttock, hip or thigh
  • Flare-ups that are getting more frequent or longer

If two or more of these are true, an evaluation is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.

What low back pain is

What low back pain is, and why it keeps coming back

Low back pain can come from a disc, from the small joints behind the disc, from a nerve root, from the sacroiliac joint, from muscles and ligaments, or from a combination. The tissues respond differently to load and to treatment, which is why the same stretch helps one person and flares another. Persistent back pain usually involves a disc or joint that is being loaded in a way it no longer tolerates.

Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.

Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.

It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.

How we treat it

Our treatment gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.

Seated and reclined. The space around the nerve opens as the vertebrae separate.

Low Back Pain treatment options

Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.

None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.

Nonsurgical treatment options for low back pain

  • A specific movement and loading program, not generic rest
  • Physical therapy
  • Medication or injections, prescribed by a physician
  • Our nonsurgical treatment for disc-related back pain, which takes pressure off the disc and the nerve
  • Referral to a physician or specialist when the pain is not coming from the spine or when the pattern warrants further investigation
Usual approachWhat it does
Rest and iceReduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc.
Pain medicationBlocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source.
InjectionsReduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily.
Physical therapyStrengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver.
SurgeryRemoves or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated.

Our approach

Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adjust.

We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.

  1. 01

    Evaluate

    Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.

  2. 02

    Treat

    Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.

  3. 03

    Measure

    Track your response to treatment.

  4. 04

    Adjust

    Modify the approach based on how you respond.

Why evaluation matters for low back pain

"Back pain" is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Treatment that works for a disc problem is different from treatment that works for a joint problem, and neither is right for pain that is actually coming from the hip. The evaluation is a structured way to find the source before deciding on treatment — including whether our approach is the right one.

How we evaluate low back pain

We take a detailed history, examine the spine, the joints, the hips and the nerves, and review any imaging you already have. We are looking for the tissue and the level that reproduce your pain and for agreement between your story, the examination and the picture. When the pattern fits our approach, we explain the plan and how we will measure your response. When it does not, we say so.

When additional medical evaluation is necessary. Back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, or pain that is worst at night should be evaluated by a physician first. Any change in bowel or bladder function, numbness in the groin, or progressive leg weakness needs same-day medical care.

What a treatment visit is like

Nonsurgical — no injections, no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and a visit is short. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at the evaluation.

Honest about who it's for

It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The evaluation is how we find out whether you are that patient.

The first step

Start with an evaluation.

Evaluation + 3 treatment visits

$149

We evaluate your condition, determine whether you are an appropriate candidate, and begin treatment if appropriate. No package. No long-term commitment.

Schedule Your Evaluation

If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.

What's included

  • A one-on-one consultation about your symptoms, history and what you have already tried
  • A focused spine and nerve examination
  • Review of any imaging you already have (MRI, CT or X-ray)
  • A clear answer on whether our nonsurgical approach is appropriate for you
  • Three treatment visits, if you are a candidate
  • A written summary of what we found and what we recommend

Plan on about 45 minutes for the first visit. Treatment visits after that are short.

What you'll learn

What you walk out knowing

1What is actually contributing to your symptoms

Not a guess from a report — findings from an examination read alongside your imaging.

2Whether you are a candidate

A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, you are refunded and pointed to the right care.

3How your body responds to treatment

If you are a candidate, you begin treatment at the first visit and we record your response.

4What we recommend, and why

In writing, after three treatment visits, with no obligation.

Patient reviews

From patients who came in with the same thing.

Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.

“Sciatica had me shifting around constantly, especially sitting for any length of time. … the leg pain's way down and I can actually sit through a meeting or a movie without needing to move.”

Aaron B.Verified Google review

“Sciatica and back pain had me pretty miserable, but it's so much better now.”

Michael P.Verified Google review

“Back on the treadmill again without my back and sciatica flaring up every time. … I'm about 85% better now. Quick sessions too, easy to fit in.”

Shelly L.Verified Google review

Read all 60 reviews on Google

FAQ

Questions about low back pain

What happens during my first visit?
Three things. We talk about your symptoms, your history and what you have already tried. We examine your spine and the nerves that leave it, and review any imaging you bring. Then, if you are a candidate, you begin treatment the same day. Plan on about 45 minutes.
How much does the initial visit cost?
$149. That covers the evaluation and three treatment visits. If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full. Anything beyond those visits is discussed with you in person, in writing, after we know how you respond.
How does the treatment work?
It is nonsurgical, and you are seated and reclined for it — not face-down and not in a harness. The system gently separates the vertebrae to take pressure off a disc and the nerve beside it, then releases, in a controlled cycle. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, and the settings are set for you. Whether it is appropriate for you depends on your evaluation. How we treat, in plain English.
Do I need an MRI?
Not to be evaluated. The examination comes first, and many patients are treated on the basis of the examination alone. If your findings warrant imaging, we will say so and help you arrange it.
Can I bring my MRI?
Please do. Bring the report and, if you have it, the disc or a link to the images. We read your imaging alongside the examination rather than instead of it.
Do you accept insurance?
The evaluation and treatment visits are self-pay at the price listed on this site, and we can provide an itemized receipt for a health savings or flexible spending account. Call (913) 355-5998 with questions about your situation.
How long does treatment take?
The first visit is about 45 minutes. A treatment visit after that is short — most people are in and out in well under half an hour. How long a course of care lasts depends on your condition and your response, which is exactly what the evaluation and first treatment visits are for.

All questions

Evaluation + 3 treatment visits · $149

Schedule a low back pain evaluation

Tell us how to reach you and we'll call to find a time. Prefer to talk now? Call (913) 355-5998 or text us.

  • Mon – Wed9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Thu9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Fri – SunClosed

If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.

Find out whether we can help with your low back pain.

Axis Spine & Disc · 1011 E 151st St, Suite A, Olathe, KS

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