BACK IN BALANCE Clinic in downtown Toronto assesses and treats lower back pain, sciatica, disc injuries, spinal stenosis and hip and knee osteoarthritis. Care is led by Dr. Matthew Serrick, a University of Pittsburgh–trained Primary Spine Practitioner with Advanced Practice Provider training in structured spine triage. No referral is needed to book.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Matthew Serrick, BSc (Hons), DCLast updated September 2026
Most back pain is mechanical, and most of it improves with the right mix of hands-on care, plain-language education and graded exercise.
Spine care at BACK IN BALANCE is led by Dr. Matthew Serrick, BSc (Hons), DC, a Primary Spine Practitioner trained through the University of Pittsburgh, with Advanced Practice Provider training in structured spine triage.
Every first visit at BACK IN BALANCE screens for red flags and tells you plainly whether imaging or a referral is actually needed. Most patients never need an MRI.
A first visit at BACK IN BALANCE is 45–60 minutes and costs $150, with no contracts and no pre-paid packages.
There are two routes in: book private or insurance-billed care directly at BACK IN BALANCE, or ask your family doctor about the OHIP-funded Rapid Access Program.
Every one of these has its own guide — start with whichever sounds like you.
Lower back pain is the most common reason patients book at BACK IN BALANCE, from acute flare-ups and sciatica to chronic pain that limits daily life. Same-day chiropractic assessments for lower back pain at our downtown Toronto clinic.
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Disc bulges, herniations, and disc-related sciatica. What the imaging actually means, when surgery is and isn't on the table, and the conservative pathway most patients respond to.
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Conservative care for narrowing of the spinal canal, neurogenic claudication, leg cramping with walking, and pain that eases when you sit or lean forward. Advanced spine triage included.
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Hip and knee osteoarthritis: stiff, painful joints that flare with use, ease with rest, and don't always match what shows up on imaging. Treatable with individualized, evidence-based education and exercise, drawing on GLA:D® principles.
Read the guide| What you feel | What it often points to | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| An ache across the low back that's worse after sitting or bending | Mechanical low back pain | Lower Back Pain |
| Pain, tingling or numbness running down one leg | Disc-related sciatica or nerve root irritation | Disc Injuries |
| Leg heaviness or cramping when you walk that eases when you sit or lean forward | Spinal stenosis | Spinal Stenosis |
| Neck and shoulder tension that builds through a day at a desk | Mechanical neck pain, often with a cervicogenic headache | Neck Pain |
| Back pain past 12 weeks that hasn't improved with standard care | A case for Advanced Spine Care | Advanced Spine Care |
| Stiff, painful hips or knees that flare with use | Hip or knee osteoarthritis | Osteoarthritis (Hip & Knee) |
What we'll typically pull from when we build your plan.
Hands-on chiropractic care for back, neck, and joint pain, adjustments, mobilizations, soft tissue work, and rehab exercises tailored to your assessment.
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Expert assessment and care for complex spine cases, disc-related pain, sciatica, stenosis, and chronic low back pain that hasn't responded to standard treatment.
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Ontario's OHIP-funded Rapid Access Clinic (RAC) program for low back pain, formerly ISAEC. Referral-only: your family physician or nurse practitioner refers you for a rapid, structured spine assessment. Dr. Serrick serves the program as an Advanced Practice Provider.
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Individualized, evidence-based education and exercise for hip and knee osteoarthritis, drawing on GLA:D® principles. Dr. Serrick is GLA:D®-trained; care is one-on-one and tailored to you, not a fixed group class.
Learn moreDr. Serrick's Primary Spine Practitioner training through the University of Pittsburgh, and his Advanced Practice Provider training in structured spine triage, run on the same red-flag rules, classification systems and escalation thresholds that specialist spine programs use. That's the assessment you get here: structured, without the wait, and without assuming surgery is where you're headed.
Classification comes before treatment. Mechanical low back pain, disc-related nerve root pain, stenosis and sacroiliac pain can feel remarkably alike and respond to very different care, so the first job is working out which one you actually have. Most patients improve without imaging; the ones who genuinely need it, we identify quickly and refer out.
It also means we're careful about what a scan means. Degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease show up on plenty of adult spines and often explain nothing about the pain someone walked in with. What moves the needle is a clear diagnosis, hands-on care, and a short daily exercise program that holds the progress.
BSc (Hons), DC
Leads Advanced Spine Care: complex, disc-related and long-standing low back pain, plus the triage that decides who needs imaging or a referral.
BA, DC, Contemporary Medical Acupuncture
Back and pelvic pain through pregnancy and beyond, plus medical acupuncture and custom orthotics where they support the plan.
DC, MSc, BSc
Back pain in runners and active patients, with rehab-forward care and pre- and post-surgical spine rehabilitation.
RMT (since 2006)
Soft-tissue and myofascial work that supports your spine plan, drawing on nearly two decades of massage therapy experience.
Book online or call and describe the problem in your own words. If you're not sure whether you need a chiropractic assessment or something else, say so — the front desk will point you at the right first appointment.
History, orthopedic testing and a movement exam, plus a neurological screen: reflexes, sensation and strength. We check for red flags at the same time, and you'll hear what we're finding as we go rather than only at the end.
You leave with a working diagnosis in plain language, treatment the same visit, a short daily exercise program and a realistic idea of how many visits this usually takes. We direct-bill most major insurers.
We direct-bill most major insurers in Ontario. Fees effective September 2026.
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Read the articleA few words from people we've helped get back to what they love.
“Steps from College station and they direct-bill my insurance, so it's an easy visit. Real assessment, no pressure, and a plan I could actually follow at home.”
“I saw Dr. Clarke through my pregnancy for pelvic pain. Gentle, knowledgeable, and reassuring the whole way. It made a real difference to how I felt day to day.”
“Booked for a running gait analysis before a half marathon. The video breakdown of my stride was eye-opening and the exercises sorted out the knee pain that kept derailing my training.”
Tell us what's going on and the front desk will match you with the right spine & back practitioner.