Pain that changes with position
Sitting and driving usually make it worse, while standing or a short walk can ease it for a while.
Disc pain often shifts with position. Sitting or driving makes it worse, and a cough or sneeze can send a jolt down the leg or arm. Some days the back or neck is the problem, and other days it’s the burning or tingling further down.
A disc herniation happens when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes out past its tougher outer layer. It can press on or chemically irritate the nerve root beside it. The muscles around that level then tighten to protect it, and they can develop trigger points, tight knots that refer pain of their own.
Your spine specialist or surgeon manages the disc itself, along with any decisions about imaging, injections or surgery. My part is the pain and the muscle and nerve problems around it, using dry needling, a form of acupuncture. Downstream, a guarded piriformis can press on the sciatic nerve that the lower lumbar roots feed, and needling it gives that nerve more room. In the neck, the scalenes can crowd the brachial plexus in a similar way. When the root itself stays irritable, I use electroacupuncture: fine needles along its path with a gentle current to help change how it signals. I also work at the spinal level of the herniation, in the lower back or neck, to help calm the wider pain response.
Most people have tried rest, anti inflammatory or nerve pain medication, physical therapy, chiropractic care and sometimes an injection. Medication and injections can quiet the inflammation around the nerve, and that matters. They may not change the muscle guarding that keeps the area sore after the first flare settles. Generic stretching can also aggravate a sensitive nerve. Dry needling works directly on those guarding muscles, and New York law doesn’t allow physical therapists or chiropractors to use it.
I ask where the pain travels, which positions ease or worsen it, and what your imaging and specialists have shown so far. Then the exam:
I work alongside spine surgeons, physiatrists, pain management doctors and physical therapists. Should anything I find point to checking back in with one of them, I’ll let you know and share my findings.
Not always. If your doctor has ordered one, I use it as part of the picture. If your symptoms suggest you need imaging or a medical workup, I’ll tell you so you can follow up with your doctor.
Not necessarily. Many herniations settle with conservative care and time. That decision belongs with your spine specialist, especially if there is weakness or other nerve changes.
It won’t change the disc, and it isn’t meant to. It aims to ease the muscles guarding the area, which also relieves pressure on nerves further down the limb. Usually more than one thing is going on, so treatment combines muscle work, electroacupuncture for the irritated root and work at the spinal level.
I look at where the symptoms travel, whether there’s numbness, and how nerve tension tests respond. I also press on muscles to see if they reproduce your familiar pain. Plenty of people have both.
Movement in general is fine. Limit the things that clearly send pain further down the leg or arm. Long slumped sitting, poorly timed heavy lifting and hard stretching of a sore nerve are common examples. I’ll help you find positions that calm it.
Get urgent care for loss of bladder or bowel control or numbness in the saddle area. Weakness that is getting worse, such as foot drop or losing grip, is also urgent. Fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, significant trauma or severe unrelenting pain at rest also need prompt medical attention.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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