Pain after sitting or commuting
It builds through meetings, subway rides or car trips and feels stuck when you stand, then eases with walking.
Back pain is a symptom, and it can come from more than one place. For some people it builds through a long workday and feels stuck when they stand. For others it flares the day after heavy lifting, or makes bending to tie a shoe feel risky.
The usual sources are the muscles along the spine, the hip flexors and the glutes. The thoracolumbar fascia, a thick sheet of connective tissue across the low back, is often involved too. How the hips and back share the work of bending matters too. Sometimes nerves around the low back are involved, and the back feels tight when nerve sensitivity is what is holding it back.
For back pain, I use dry needling, a form of acupuncture, on the back and hip muscles that reproduce it. The lumbar plexus forms inside the psoas, a deep hip flexor, so easing a tight psoas can give those nerve branches more room. The dorsal rami are small nerves that supply the back muscles and spinal joints. When they stay irritable, I use electroacupuncture, placing fine needles near them with a gentle current to help change how they signal. If your whole system seems to be turning the pain up, I also work at the lumbar spine to help calm that amplification.
Most people with recurring back pain have tried pain medication, stretching, and often physical therapy or chiropractic care. Those can help for a while, but they may not reach a tight, sensitive muscle deep in the low back or hip. Imaging often shows disc bulges or wear. Those findings are common in people with no pain. The scan may not explain why one chair or one training week sets you off. Dry needling reaches those deeper muscles directly, and in New York it isn’t something your PT or chiropractor is permitted to offer.
I ask what brings your pain on, how long you can sit, how bending and lifting feel, and how training and sleep are going. Then the exam:
I work alongside your primary care doctor, orthopedist and physical therapist. If anything I find suggests checking back in with one of them, I’ll let you know and share what I found.
Yes. Disc bulges and wear are common in people without any back pain, so they don’t always explain yours. I look for the muscles and nerves that reproduce your pain on exam and treat those.
It can help ease the tight muscles that keep a sore back guarded, including deep ones that are hard to reach by hand. Settling the psoas and the muscles along the spine also relieves pressure on the nerves beside them. Most back pain involves a combination of tight muscle, irritable nerves and an overall heightened pain signal, and I treat whichever are present.
Usually not. I’d rather adjust your training than stop it, by changing volume, range or exercise choice for a while. If a short break makes sense, I’ll tell you and help you plan your return.
Most people begin with 1 or 2 visits a week, then space them out as sitting and bending get easier. I base the schedule on how your back responds, not on a fixed package.
It’s rarely that simple. Recurring back pain usually involves sensitive tissue, muscles guarding the area and how the hips share load when you bend. Trunk endurance matters, but so do coordination and the way you brace.
Pain that spreads into the buttock or thigh is common and often comes from muscles or irritated nerves, which I check for. Get urgent medical care for new or worsening leg weakness, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or changes in bladder or bowel control. The same goes for fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer or recent significant trauma. Severe night pain that doesn’t change with position needs a doctor first too.
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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118 W. 72nd St, Rear Lobby, New York, NY 10023
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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