Let’s say you needed a heart operation. Who would you go see: a dietitian, your primary care doctor, or a heart surgeon? That’s exactly the kind of choice you’re making when you decide between Dorsal and other providers for your back pain.

When you seek treatment for any pain disorder, the provider's experience and training have a huge impact on the care outcome. Primary care physicians don’t specialize in musculoskeletal pain, and non-MD providers like chiropractors are limited to physical interventions. They have a harder time managing a comprehensive care program, which drastically reduces your chances of a successful recovery.

At Dorsal, we’re tackling this problem head-on with our comprehensive online back pain clinic. We only work with doctors who are board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, sports medicine, and orthopedics. The common thread? These disciplines extensively train doctors in both pharmacotherapy (medicine-based treatment) and manual therapy (exercise-based treatment like physical therapy).

Our clinical protocols were developed and vetted by our medical advisory board, consisting of leading experts from some of the world's top medical institutions – Columbia, NYU Langone, Hospital for Special Surgery, and more.

With Dorsal, you can be sure that you’re receiving the gold standard of musculoskeletal care.

So what does this gold standard look like? If you’ve researched pain medications, you probably know that strong drugs like opioids can sometimes help control pain, but at tremendous risk of addiction and potentially overdose. On the other end of the spectrum, over-the-counter medicines like Advil and Tylenol are often insufficient.

In between the OTC medicines and opioids, there’s a wide range of clinically supported, FDA-approved drugs for chronic and acute back pain. Dorsal doctors prescribe over 15 types of clinically proven prescription medications such as topical and oral NSAIDs, muscle relaxers, steroid dose packs, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants.

Combination therapy – in which doctors treat patients with multiple, simultaneous drug courses – features heavily in our treatment plans. Research shows that different pain medications are best suited to address different aspects of back pain. So, we often combine topical NSAIDs with oral muscle relaxers or steroids to achieve the best results for our patients. The topicals provide precise, targeted relief at the sites where the pain is most concentrated, while the muscle relaxers and steroids provide widespread relief from aches and spasms. To address more challenging chronic pain cases with a radicular component, our doctors make effective use of anticonvulsants and antidepressants.

Unlike an insurance company, we don’t put up barriers to medication access, and we never charge hidden fees. One affordable flat monthly rate covers all the medications that your doctor prescribes for your pain, at prices that are highly competitive with most insurance copays.

On top of that, doctor consultations, follow-up visits, and 24/7 messaging are all included as part of your Dorsal membership.

Medication is only half the battle. A large and growing body of research highlights the importance of physical therapy in a pain care program, and so we’ve made physical therapy a key pillar of our treatment plans.

In addition to selecting the right combination of drugs for optimal pain relief, our doctors design custom, 10-week physical therapy programs for patients.

The course is delivered digitally in your patient dashboard, complete with demo videos and written instructions for each exercise. Unlike simple physical therapy DVDs and one-size-fits-all online mega classes, your Dorsal physical therapy program is personalized for you by your doctor based on the results of your online exam, including a short, guided movement exam which you can do right at home.

Since the only thing you need to access the course is your phone or computer, you can do the exercises anytime and anywhere. No more missing work for in-person PT sessions and having to wait hours in the lobby for your appointments.

Between our comprehensive physical therapy and medication plans, expert doctors, and seamless patient experience, we offer the highest quality, most convenient care option for back pain. If you’re ready to crack your back pain, get started below. It takes just 15 minutes, and you won’t be charged until your doctor proposes a treatment plan that you approve.