Back Pain and Chiropractic Care

Our lower back and neck allows us to bend, twist and turn supporting our various activities throughout the day. Along with this freedom of movement is the cost of increased risk of injury because of our body cannot support all actions. 

As long as we are healthy and functioning correctly, the lower back can withstand tremendous forces without injury. Think about the powerlifters who can pick up hundred pounds off the floor without injuring their lower back. However, the slightest stress to the lower can make simple tasks like picking up a bag of groceries an impossible task. Out of adjustment back or weak supporting muscles has to be realigned and strengthened to overcome lower back pain.

While sometimes, the back pain may disappear on its own, the underlying stressor might not have healed, and a recurring attack might follow.

 The Causes of Lower Back Pain

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 extreme results. Also, conditions such as arthritis, poor posture, obesity, psychological stress and even kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss can lead to pain. Chiropractors are experts at diagnosing the cause and determining the proper treatment for lower back pain. Here are some of the most common causes:

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 (a slight misalignment of the vertebrae) can lead to debilitating lower back pain. Fortunately, subluxations are easily treatable and often 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 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. While it is not possible to heal a herniated disc, it is possible to avoid further deterioration through regular chiropractic care.

Sprains, Strains, and Spasms

Sprains, strains & spasms are common sources of lower back pain among the weekend adventure seekers; i.e.: people who get little or no physical activity during the week but push past their limits on the weekend. 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

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.

Treating Lower Back Pain with Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic treatment for lower back pain 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. Chiropractic care is the only method of treatment that serves to re-establish normal vertebral motion and position in the spine. All other treatments, such as muscle relaxants, pain killers, and bed rest, only help to decrease the symptoms of the problem and do not correct the problem itself which is a misalignment. Chiropractic care is cost efficient and has better outcomes in the longer run.