LOW BACK PAIN
Back pain is the leading cause of disability for Americans under age 45. Eight out of ten adults in the United States will experience a low back problem at some time in their lives. Most will have more than one episode of acute low back pain. One third will be disabled for more than two weeks because of back pain. With back problems so widespread, chance are, you too will experience back problems at some time.
What Helps Low Back Pain?
Standard medical management of back pain includes a range of treatments depending on the severity of the problem. Painkillers and muscle relaxers are commonly prescribed. Bed rest, physical therapies such as traction, and hopitalization are sometimes used. When the condition doesn't improve or even worsens, surgery may be performed. However, scientific investigation has proven, these approaches are expensive and often fail to produce favorable results.
The fact is, a 1994 report from the federal government's Agency for Health Care Policy and Research concluded that chiropractic care is teh safest, drug-free initial form of treatment for acute low back problems in adults. The study also recommended that for most patients conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation should be pursued before surgical intervention is considered.
Evidence, and the experiences of millions of chiropractic patients, suggests that spinal manipulation is, in many cases, the most effective approach to reducing pain and helping recovery, especially within the first month of symptoms.
What Causes Low Back Pain?
Even with today's advanced diagnostic techniques, it is difficult to pinpoint the specific cause of low back pain in any one patient. Often, the symptoms are blamed on poor muscle tone in the back, muscle tension or spasms, sprains, ligament or muscle tears, or vertebral problems. Because our vertebrae protect the nerves which are channeled through the spinal column, even a small disturbance to the spine can profoundly affect delicate nerve tissue.
Another cause of lower back pain can be nerves from the spinal cord irritated by a bulging or ruptured disc. This condition may bause buttock or leg pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs. Degenerative changes in the vertebrae also can irritate or inflame delicate nerves in the spinal bones.
At higher risk for low back problems are people in poor physical condition, and those with jobs that include heavy labor or long periods of sitting or standing. These people also recover from their back problems more slowly. Emotional stress or long periods of inactivity may intensify symptoms, or trigger recurrence of a previous problem.
How Chiropractic Can Help?
The chiropractic approach to treating low back pain is to find the source of the problem and correct it, not just to treat the symptoms. By correcting the source of the problem, the body can heal naturally without nerve interference. Low back pain often responds dramatically to the restoration of normal position and motion of the spinal bones through chiropractic care.
The chiropractor's primary tool in treating spinal malfunction is the use of manipulation or teh spinal adjustment. By applying precisely directed force to a joint that is out of position or not moving properly it is gradually restored to a more normal position and function. Depending on each individual condition, the doctor's hands or a special instrument may be used to deliver a quick, therapeutic thrust to the affected joint. Other adjustments may require slow, constant pressure.
Your chiropractor may also recommend a program which includes exercises to strengthen and retrain back muscles, hot or cold compress, massage, and even diet, stress reduction, and lifestyle modification.
When To Seek Help For Low Back Pain?
When pain is severe, problems with your back can't be ignored. "Stop pain" immediately goes to number one on your list. Falls, car accidents, sports strains, heavy lifting, or repetitive work may cause sudden damage, or damage may occur slowly over time. However, most problems are more easily treated within the first month symptoms are noticed.
While some patients seek chiropractic care only when pain is unbearable, this "crisis" approach often costs more in the long run, in time, stress, and dollars. Longstanding problems that have been neglected for years can't be cured with a single adjustment, any more than a single pill in a prescription can cure an illness.
Chiropractic care for low back pains has been proven to work. The sooner you seek professional care, the sooner you'll find relief from your pain. Don't continue to suffer.