Back Pain
Anyone who has ever suffered an acute episode of back pain is
also
acutely aware of how mechanical stress affects the back. For instance,
some back pain sufferers will notice it hurts more when sitting than
while standing. This is because sitting actually places 50% more weight
on the bones of the lower back and more weight (pressure) equals more
pain. Other back pain suffers notice an increase in pain from
mechanical stress due to bending, stooping, lifting, or even from
coughing or sneezing.
Chiropractors help many patients with mechanical types of back pain,
which usually presents as when the bones of the spine, called
vertebrae, are out of alignment. This misalignment between vertebra
creates a mechanical stress that causes inflammation to the area that
surrounds the nerves. When the nerves of the back become irritated,
pain and dysfunction are the end result.
Lower back pain comes in many shapes and sizes. Pain can range from
mild stiffness to difficulty or the inability to move, bend, or walk.
Back pain can be constant or intermittent (come and go.) The pain can
be dull and aching or sharp and stabbing. There may also be numbness,
tingling, a sensation of heat, or weakness in one or both legs. In some
cases, leg symptoms will present with or without back pain. This is due
to a specific type of irritation to the sciatic nerve, called sciatica.
A disc bulge could be the underlying cause of some of the more serious
types of back conditions and sciatica. A disc acts like a shock
absorber and a pivot point between the two vertebra. When a disc gets
overly stressed or injured, it begins to bulge. In the lower back, a
disc bulge in the side of a disc is more likely to cause leg pain as
the predominant or only symptom. A disc that bulges more to the middle
is more likely to cause back symptoms, rather than leg symptoms.
Although back pain is most often caused from a mechanical stress, it
could also be a sign of more serious trouble including genetic
(conditions you are born with), nutritional disorders (osteoporosis),
malformation of the vertebra (improper bone growth), infection, and
even malignancy (cancer).
No matter how back pain presents, if it persists, you should seek
professional help to find out what is causing the pain and why it will
not get better. However, if your pain happened due to an injury, you
should seek attention as soon as possible, as treatment outcome can be
greatly improved by treating the injury early.
There are many types of treatments for back-related pain. These
treatments range from massage and acupressure to drugs and surgery. For
those of us who would like to avoid taking medication, which only masks
the symptoms, and avoid a surgery, there is a leading alternative
choice of treatment called chiropractic care. A Doctor of Chiropractor
is trained and licensed in the diagnosis of back pain. Through careful
history, examination, and the aid of x-rays, or when needed, CT
(computerized tomography), or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), a
Doctor of Chiropractic can often determine the cause of your back pain
and recommend a corrective treatment program. If your diagnosis
demonstrates your condition cannot be treated chiropractically, your
Doctor of Chiropractic can refer you to the appropriate health care
practitioner.
Chiropractors commonly adjust (manipulate) misaligned vertebra (the
bones of the spine) to relieve back pain. When the alignment of the
vertebrae is improved, the stress on the soft tissue and nerves in the
surrounding area is relieved, which allows the natural healing process
of the body to overtake the adverse effects of the misalignment.
Continued treatment, good posture, proper rest, and exercise will help
the healing process continue. Disc problems have also been successfully
treated with manipulation or by specialized chiropractic treatments
with flexion-distraction, a mild traction technique that helps to
reduce both disc bulges and small disc herniations. Advances in the
chiropractic care of disc cases has given many back pain suffers a
desirable alternative to costly back surgery.
Your chiropractor may also apply various forms of physiotherapy such as
massage, acupressure, moist heat, ice, or ultrasound, to help
facilitate healing and ease your back pain discomfort. You may be
advised to avoid certain activities that could hurt your recovery
progress and you may also be shown and advised to do back-strengthening
exercises, to help prevent re-injury. (A little known fact is that
injured tissue heals first as a glob of fibers that patch the injured
area, but over a two-year period, with proper care, strengthening, and
stretching exercises, this patch can organize into working tissue that
is almost as good as new.)
In addition to helping your body through a physical approach,
today’s chiropractors often help their patients further by
providing qualified nutritional advice, which can promote healing and
result in over-all improved strength of the back and body. If you are
one of the many whom suffer from back pain, you may want to consider
the benefits of modern chiropractic treatment and take the first step
towards putting your back pain behind you.
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DISCLAIMER:
Articles posted on this site are for informational purposes only.
Articles are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment. Users of
this site should consult with their doctors before making any decisions
regarding their health care.
Back Pain
| Neck Pain
| Headache
| Migraine
| Dizziness
| Pinched Nerve
| Numbness
| Tingling
| Sports Injury
| Whiplash
| Work Injury
Hip Pain
| Knee Pain
| Shoulder Pain
| Elbow Pain
| Carpal Tunnel
| Low Back Pain
| Sciatica
| Disc Condition
| Cold Hands / Feet
Arthritis
| Bursitis
| Tendonitis
| Asthma
| Stress
| Fatigue (CFS)
| Fibromyalgia
| TMJ (Jaw
Pain) | GI (Digestion)
| Other Symptoms
|
