PowerBack · Desk Worker Survival Kit
You sit 8+ hours a day.
Your spine is paying for it.
Here's how to fix it.
A structured 4-week back pain program — built on the McKenzie Method — designed for people whose job keeps them in a chair. Not generic stretches. A real treatment direction, found in 3 questions.
Dr. Raj Padalia, DPT
McKenzie-trained physical therapist
PowerBack Physical Therapy · Austin, TX
What's inside
Find your direction
3 questions tell you whether extension or flexion is your treatment direction. Most programs skip this. This one doesn't.
4-week program
9 sections covering why it works, how pain moves, your stretches, desk setup, and strength. Text-heavy like a book; videos only for the exercises.
Daily Desk Reset
A 90-second cheatsheet — 2 exercises + a 2-minute walk — that undoes hours of sitting. Print it, tape it to your monitor.
Habit tracker
Streak calendar, daily check-in, and optional reminders. The program works if you do it. The tracker makes sure you do.
Why this approach works when others don't
Most back pain programs give everyone the same stretches. This one starts by finding which direction of movement reduces your pain. That's the McKenzie Method — and it's the reason this works for chronic pain that hasn't responded to anything else.
Study after study shows that people who identify their directional preference and exercise in that direction have far fewer recurrences than those who don't. One study found half the recurrences and a quarter of the GP visits after one year of the press-up exercise alone.
This program is the same framework — organized for desk workers, with the posture, setup, and habit-building content that makes the difference for people who sit all day.
Get Access — From $17Common questions
Is this for chronic pain or acute flare-ups?
Both. The program works whether you've had pain for two weeks or two years. McKenzie's research shows directional preference is present at any chronicity. The triage section helps you find yours regardless of where you are right now.
My MRI shows a herniation. Can I still do this?
Most people with disc herniations are excellent candidates for this approach. Imaging findings don't predict pain or outcomes — what matters is whether your pain responds to a direction of movement. The program's built-in red flag check will tell you if you need to see a doctor first.
How much time does it take per day?
In the acute phase: 6–8 sets of 10 reps, spread through the day — about 2 minutes each set. Once pain improves, 1–2 sets daily plus the 90-second Desk Reset. The program is designed for people with full-time jobs.
Does this replace seeing a PT?
No — and it says so clearly. If you're not improving after 7 days or if pain is spreading further down your leg, the program will tell you it's time to see a clinician. Think of this as what you do between visits, or as your first line of defense.
Ready to stop just managing it?
Prevention from $17. Fix Pain from $97. 30-day refund if it doesn't work for you.
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