Short Term, Convenient Back Pain Relief Care
Low back pain is one of the most common ailments that many of us have to face at some point in our lives. How we deal with the pain initially is very important and can determine whether this turns into a chronic problem or not.
For Americans, the statistics show that over 75% of the population will experience back pain in their lifetime, with over 50% of those suffering with more than 10 episodes. Episodes could mean anything from back spasm, spinal misalignments, Sciatica and even Disc Degeneration. Over 150 million days of work are lost each year due to back pain, at a staggering cost to employers of over one billion dollars.
There is a myriad of factors that can lead to back pain, including lack of exercise, postural stress, the couch potato, obesity, too much exercise, a basal metabolic index (BMI) above 25, computer workers, physical occupations, previous accidents and injuries, business travelers, and especially home office ergonomics these days.
Though we are all trying to get as much done as possible, we stress our bodies to the max, and for some reason we think we are bulletproof. Many of our patients are injured when they come in. They have severe inflammation, muscle spasms and sometimes nerve irritation. Over time, these chronic injuries form scar tissue, which means full blood flow and nerve flow is inhibited to that area. Any area with lack of blood and nerve flow is going to feel stuck or immobile; the body isn’t meant to work that way. Scar tissue is very inflexible, which is why you might have trouble bending over or twisting your low back. Limited movement causes extra pain, and this is a symptom that your body is trying to say, “Hold on, there is something wrong here!” It is easy to try and ignore the pain and take over the counter NSAIDS like Aleve or Advil, but unfortunately this can cause more damage and a more serious diagnosis down the road. Remember that symptoms are a signal that something is wrong, don’t ignore that signal or your back pain could turn from an acute to a chronic, long-term problem.
Most of the low back pain problems we see in our office are a result of cumulative postural stress. In these patients, their back can handle the stress over and over again, and then…it can’t. This is why we often here patients say, “I just bent over to pick up my golf ball,” or “I just reached for the shampoo in the shower,” or “I must have just slept wrong.” Everyone thinks back pain is caused by a single incident, however, unless it is a car accident or fall, this is rarely the case. The accumulation of postural stress or irritation over time is what leads to people saying, “I don’t know what happened, my back just went out.” So, what can be done about this back pain? What are your choices?
We recommend starting with the least invasive treatment options, the simplest being heat, stretching, self-muscle releasing, ice and rest. You can try taking over-the-counter NSAIDS for 3-4 weeks to see if that makes a difference in the pain. NSAIDS will usually help reduce inflammation which should take the edge off of the pain. If these home remedies are not working, then it is time to figure out what exactly is causing your back pain. The doctors who see the most back pain cases are chiropractors. They help to identify the root cause of the problem and provide treatment to fix it. Often times what is causing low back pain is the compression stress on the lumbar vertebra, the discs, and sometimes irritated nerves. Research has predicted that the intervertebral disc is the primary source of most back pain. Think of squeezing a jelly donut together. The jelly gets compressed and comes out each side, which is basically what is happening to the disc. There are lots of nerves surrounding the disc, when it’s compressed it makes sense why it can be quite painful in that area of your low back. Chiropractic treatment looks to decompress the spine and take pressure off the disc and nerves to help alleviate the pain. Chiropractic care is simple—remove the stress/compression on the disc using specific spinal treatments and follow that up with corrective exercises to help stabilize the area. Restoring proper alignment will decrease pain and get your back moving and functioning like it is supposed to.
Chiropractic care is safe, effective, affordable, and one of the most successful solutions for low back pain relief. Let us examine and treat the cause of your back pain and get you back to living a normal, pain free life.
