Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek chiropractic care. Many of our patients describe their back as feeling “jammed” or “stuck”, where stretching no longer provides relief and the spine feels hesitant to move. This “locking” sensation is often the body’s protective response to disc compression, joint stiffness, or nervous system tension.
At CleanSpine, Dr. Tyler Bigenho uses a specialized approach focused on restoring natural motion and reducing protective muscle guarding. In the featured video below, you can see these techniques in action with a patient on their fourth visit. This real-life example demonstrates how we adapt care using gentle traction and precise adjustments to meet the spine where it is and help it feel safe to move again.
Video: Low Back Treatment At CleanSpine
In the video, Dr Tyler uses traction, decompression, and targeted adjustments to help a “locked” low back begin moving again, while explaining why each step is chosen.
Why a Low Back can Feel Locked- What’s Really Happening?
A low back can feel locked for many reasons, including:
Reduced joint movement over time
Muscle guarding or protective tension
Disc compression or spinal stiffness
The nervous system being hesitant to allow movement
✅ As shown in the video, this doesn’t mean your back is “broken”. It often means the spine needs gradual re-emphasis of movement, not force.
A Movement-Based Approach to Restoring Spinal Health
When a patient presents with a “locked” low back, the nervous system often triggers a protective guarding mechanism. Our clinical goal is to break this cycle of tension by prioritizing neurological safety over aggressive force. Instead of forcing a high-velocity adjustment into a guarded joint, we focus on re-introducing motion in a way that allows the body to relax and reset.
In the video, Dr Tyler’s three-step process for restoring motion:
Start with low-force techniques that signal to the brain that movement is safe.
Choosing specific adjustment angles (vectors) that bypass the body’s protective resistance.
We never force a “crack.” If the spine isn’t ready, we utilize gentle decompression or traction until the joint is ready to release naturally.
✅ This approach helps reduce fear, decreases inflammation, tension, resistance, and provides long-lasting relief for chronic low back stiffness.
How Traction Tables Create Space in the Lower Spine
Spinal traction is a core component of our low back treatments. As you can see in the video, we use a specialized traction table to:
Gently decompress the spine to relieve pressure on sensitive nerve roots.
Re-introduce controlled movement
Reduce pressure in stiff or compressed areas
Help the patient relax into motion
✅ Traction is especially helpful for people whose low back feels tight, compressed, or “stuck”.
Y-Strap Decompression For Compression-Related Tension
Spinal decompression is essential for relieving the vertical pressure that builds up from daily life. One of the most effective tools we use is the Y-Strap, a high-velocity, low-amplitude stretch designed to:
Open space through the spine to prevent nerve impingement.
Reduce compression-related tension that often causes chronic stiffness.
Take stress off the low back by providing a controlled, longitudinal stretch.
Help the nervous system reset by safely opening joint space as demonstrated in the video.
✅ The focus is always on creating space, not forcing movement.
Why Adjustment Direction Matters In Low Back Care
Dr Tyler explains why he chooses lateral flexion adjustments instead of other vectors. Not every low back pain requires the same movement. Effective chiropractic care relies on choosing the precise ‘vector’ or direction of an adjustment to ensure the spine responds without guarding. At CleanSpine, we prioritize:
Patient-specific adjustments are chosen based on how the patient responds.
Gentle lateral flexion techniques (as seen in our featured treatment) for patients who are too ‘locked up’ for standard rotations.
Reducing protective muscle guarding by meeting the spine where it is comfortable, rather than using forced or aggressive movements.
Adapting the approach in real-time if a patient shows hesitation or tension, not cookie-cutter.
✅ This is what personalized chiropractic care looks like.
Beyond The Adjustment: Building Stability At Home
Chiropractic adjustments are highly effective at restoring joint movement, but spinal stability is what keeps those joints in place. To ensure long-term recovery and prevent future “locking” episodes, Dr Tyler emphasizes active recovery through specific corrective exercises. These movements are designed to strengthen the “inner core” and improve the neuromuscular control of your spine.
As highlighted in the video’s home-exercise, Dr Tyler teaches 3 pillars of stability:
Core Bracing & Neuromuscular Control: Exercises like planks teach the deep abdominal muscles to stabilize the lumbar spine during movement.
Functional Movement Patterns: Integrating squats and hinge movements to ensure you are moving from your hips rather than over-stressing your lower back.
Rotational Resilience: Utilizing cable rotations or anti-rotation movements to build strength in the transverse plane, protecting the spine from sudden twists.
✅ Chiropractic care works best when movement and strength support each other.
What To Expect At CleanSpine
Just like you see in the video, your visit starts with listening.
Dr Tyler takes time to understand:
Where your low back feel stuck or tight
How your spine is moving today
What activities you want to return to comfortably
Care is explained clearly, without pressure, and adjusted as your body responds.
⚡ We invite you to visit our What To Expect page to read more about what your visit will be like.
Low Back Pain Treatment in Irvine & Orange County
CleanSpine is located in Irvine and serves the Orange County community with honest, high-quality, effective chiropractic care.
We are located in the blue building off Jamboree and Baranca in Irvine. We are walking distance from Coffee Dose, 4 miles from John Wayne airport, 1 mile off 405 Fwy on Jamboree. Come visit us!
If your low back feels locked, jammed, or hesitant to move, a movement-focused approach like the one shown in the video may help. At CleanSpine, we specialize in helping the Orange County community regain their mobility through personalized chiropractic care.
