A pain management chiropractor focuses on conservative, hands-on care for muscle, joint, and spine pain: a detailed exam, chiropractic adjustments, and rehabilitation. A pain management doctor focuses on medical treatment: prescription medications and procedures such as spinal injections and nerve blocks. For many common kinds of pain, it makes sense to start with conservative care, and some people need both. At Modern Movement Medicine in Wilsonville, Oregon, chiropractic and medical care work together under one roof, and we'll tell you honestly when you need a specialist we don't have.
A chiropractor who focuses on pain starts by finding where the pain is coming from, then uses non-surgical care to improve how your spine and joints move. At our practice, that includes:
Chiropractors don't prescribe prescription pain medication or perform surgery.
Pain management physicians are medical doctors who specialize in treating pain, often with medication and procedures. Depending on the problem, that can include prescription medications, epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, and other image-guided procedures. MedlinePlus notes that an epidural injection may be recommended when back pain hasn't improved with medicines, physical therapy, and other treatments.
These treatments have an important place, especially for pain that hasn't responded to conservative care or that involves significant nerve compression.
For most common muscle, joint, and spine pain, national guidelines point to starting with non-drug options. The CDC's 2022 guideline on pain treatment states that nonopioid therapies are preferred for subacute and chronic pain, and it emphasizes a multimodal, multidisciplinary approach. For low back pain specifically, the American College of Physicians recommends starting with nonpharmacologic treatment.
That's the logic behind our model: begin with a thorough exam and conservative care, and add medical treatment when the findings call for it.
Conservative care isn't the answer for everyone. It may be time to see a pain management physician, a surgeon, or another specialist if:
If you have loss of bladder or bowel control, sudden severe pain after a fall or injury, or unexplained fever with back pain, seek urgent medical care first.
When your exam points to one of these situations, we'll tell you plainly and help you find the right next step. Sometimes that's a referral, and we'd rather send you to the right place than keep you in the wrong one.
Modern Movement Medicine is an integrated practice. Our chiropractors, including Dr. Alyssa Kurth, DC, work alongside a nurse practitioner and our rehabilitation team. Here's how it works:
Depending on your findings, a plan may combine chiropractic care and rehabilitation with medical options our team provides, such as trigger point injections for stubborn muscle tension or regenerative medicine, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Our goal is to help you avoid unnecessary medications and surgery whenever possible, and to coordinate with outside specialists when you need them. Our patient's journey page walks through each step.
If you're in Wilsonville, Canby, Aurora, Tualatin, West Linn, or elsewhere in the Portland metro and aren't sure what kind of care you need, request an appointment or call or text (503) 628-9082.
If you've already seen several providers and are stuck between conflicting opinions, Find Your Next Step™ is a one-hour virtual consultation with Dr. Kurth to review the full picture and help you decide where to go from here.
No. Chiropractors don't prescribe prescription medications. At our practice, the medical side of care is handled by our nurse practitioner, and we coordinate with your other providers when medication is part of your plan.
For most muscle, joint, and spine pain without warning signs, starting with a thorough exam and conservative care is reasonable, and it's consistent with national guidelines. If you have severe or worsening nerve symptoms, or conservative care hasn't helped, a pain management physician or surgeon may be the better starting point.
Yes. If your exam or imaging shows something that needs a pain specialist, surgeon, or other provider, we'll say so directly and help you find the right next step.
This article is general information, not medical advice, and it doesn't create a patient relationship. Talk with a licensed provider about your specific situation. If you have severe or sudden symptoms, seek urgent care.
