The low back can withstand tremendous forces without injury.
However, if the low back is out of adjustment or has weakened supporting
muscles, something as simple as taking a bag of groceries can cause a
low back injury.
Eighty percent of people suffer from back pain at some point in
their lives. 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 low back pain affects more than half of
the adult population each year and more than 10% of all people
experience frequent bouts of low back pain.
The susceptibility of the low back to injury and pain is due to the
fact that the low 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.
As long as it is healthy and functioning correctly, the low back
can withstand tremendous forces without injury. Professional
powerlifters can pick up several hundred pounds off the floor without
injuring their low back. However, if the low 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 low back
injury.
Until recently, researchers believed that 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 low back pain
seriously and seek professional chiropractic care. This is especially
true with pain that recurs over and over again. Contact our chiropractor
. . . we can help!
The Causes of Low Back Pain
There are many different conditions that can result in low 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
low back pain, and some of those things can be quite serious if left
untreated, it is important to seek professional help. Chiropractors are
the experts at diagnosing the cause and determining the proper treatment
for low 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 low 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 low 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.
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 low 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 low 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
low back pain, it is important to do some relaxation exercises, such as
deep breathing, as well as to get regular exercise.
Treating Low Back Pain With Chiropractic
Chiropractic treatment for low 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 for the low back has been repeatedly shown to be the
most effective treatment for low back pain. In fact, major studies have
shown that chiropractic care is more effective, cheaper and has better
long-term outcomes than any other treatment. This makes sense because
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 serve to decrease the symptoms of the problem and do not correct
the problem itself.
