Lower Back Pain
LOWER BACK PAIN TREATMENT
At some point in thier lives, 80% of people suffer from lower back pain. Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. In fact, it is estimated that lower back pain affects more than 50% of the adult population each year and more than 10% of all people experience frequent bouts of lower back pain.
The susceptibility of the lower back to injury and pain is due to the fact that the lower back, like the neck, is a very unstable part of the spine. Unlike the thoracic spine, which is supported and stabilized by the rib cage. This instability allows us to have a great deal of mobility to touch our toes, tie our shoes or pick something up from the ground, but at the cost of increased risk of injury.
The lower back can withstand tremendous forces without injury as long as it is healthy and functioning correctly. Professional power lifters can pick up several hundred pounds off the floor without injuring their lower back. However, if the lower back is out of adjustment or has weakened supporting muscles, something as simple as taking a bag of groceries out of the trunk of their car, picking something up off the floor, or even simply bending down to pet the cat can cause a lower back pain.
Until recently, researchers believed that lower back pain would heal on its own. We have learned, however, that this is not true. Recent studies showed that when back pain is not treated, it may go away temporarily, but will most likely return. It is important to take lower back pain seriously and seek care from Dr Richard R Chaney DC. This is especially true with pain that recurs over and over again. Contact Chaney Chiropractic Center today . . . we can help!
The Causes of Lower Back Pain
There are many different conditions that can result in lower back pain, including: sprained ligaments, strained muscles, ruptured disks, trigger points and inflamed joints. While sports injuries or accidents can lead to injury and pain, sometimes even the simplest movements, like picking up a pencil from the floor, can have painful results. In addition, conditions such as arthritis, poor posture, obesity, psychological stress and even kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss can lead to pain.
Due to the fact that there are a whole lot of things that can cause lower back pain, and some of those things can be quite serious if left untreated, it is important to seek professional help. Dr. Chaney is an expert at diagnosing the cause and determining the proper treatment for lower back pain. Here are some of the most common causes I see:
Subluxations
Whenever there is a disruption in the normal movement or position of the vertebrae, the result is pain and inflammation. In the lumbar spine, these usually occur at the transition between the lower spine and the sacrum. Subluxations can lead to debilitating lower back pain. Fortunately, subluxations are easily treatable and often times a significant reduction in pain is experienced almost immediately after treatment.
Disc Herniations
Contrary to popular belief, a herniated disc does not automatically mean that you are going to suffer from lower back pain. In fact, one study found that almost half of all adults had at least one bulging or herniated disc, even though they did not suffer any lower back pain from it. On the other hand, herniated discs can be a source of intense and debilitating pain that frequently radiates to other areas of the body. Unfortunately, once a disc herniates, they rarely, if ever, completely heal. Further deterioration can often be avoided through regular chiropractic care, but a complete recovery is much less common.
Sprains, Strains and Spasms
This is commonly the source of lower back pain among the weekend warriors. You know, the type who have very little physical activity during the week, but once the weekend arrives, they push themselves way too much. By the end of the weekend, they are lying flat on their back counting down the hours before they can get in to see their chiropractor. Overworking the muscles or ligaments of the lower back can lead to small tears in the tissues, which then become painful, swollen and tight.
Stress as a Cause of Lower Back Pain
Whenever you become stressed, your body responds by increasing your blood pressure and heart rate, flooding your body with stress hormones and tightening up your muscles. When you are stressed all the time, the chronic tension causes your muscles to become sore, weak and loaded with trigger points. If you are stressed out all of the time and you have lower back pain, it is important to do some relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, as well as to get regular exercise.
Lower Back Pain Treatment with Chiropractic
Lower back pain treatment at Chaney Chiropractic Center is usually pretty straightforward. Most commonly, it’s simply a matter of adjusting the lower lumbar vertebrae and pelvis to re-establish normal motion and position of your bones and joints.
Lower back pain treatment with Chiropractic has been repeatedly shown to be the most effective lower back pain treatment. In fact, major studies have shown that chiropractic care is more effective, cheaper and has better long-term outcomes than any other lower back pain treatment. This makes sense because chiropractic care is the only method of lower back pain treatment that serves to re-establish normal vertebral motion and position in the spine. All other lower back pain treatments, such as muscle relaxants, pain killers and bed rest, only serve to decrease the symptoms of the problem and do not correct the problem itself.
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