How Chiropractic Care Can Help with Back Pain

Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Back pain is a common problem that affects almost everyone at some point in their life. It can be caused by injury, poor posture, or even stress. Chiropractic care can help with back pain relief quickly and without pharmaceuticals.

Chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat problems with the spine and other joints in the body. They use hands-on therapy to manipulate the spine and other joints to relieve pressure on nerves and improve joint function.

Other treatments are often recommended such as exercise rehabilitation, nutritional therapy, lifestyle changes, and other treatments to improve a patient’s overall health.

Chiropractic care has many overall benefits including improved mental clarity, stress reduction, and improved sleep. The chiropractic profession has been around for more than 100 years and continues to gain popularity in the United States as more people become better educated about alternative treatments for their health problems now than they were before. Chiropractic care is a safe, drug-free, non-invasive treatment option and many people find that chiropractic care is less expensive than traditional medical treatments.

The Most Common Causes of Back Pain

Back pain can range from a mild muscle ache to debilitating pain that makes it hard to stand, walk or even sit. It can present as a throbbing, burning or shooting pain and may even radiate into the leg or cause numbness.

The most common causes of back pain are:

• Injury: Injuries can occur from lifting heaving objects or even awkward, jarring movements that cause muscle or ligament strains.
• Bulging or herniated disks: Between each of our vertebrae disks act as cushions. Age or injury can cause these disks to deteriorate or rupture creating pressure on the nerves.
• Osteoporosis: As we age our bones become more porous and brittle. This can lead to fractures in the vertebrae of the spine.
• Arthritis: Arthritis can affect our spine like any other joint, causing pain and loss of movement. In some cases, it can even lead to a narrowing of the space surrounding the spinal column, a condition called spinal stenosis.

What to Expect at Your Chiropractic Visit to Treat Back Pain

The first thing I do is discuss the type of pain you are having and any events that may have been the cause. The second step is to perform a thorough assessment and examination of your spine to identify any misalignments or abnormal curvatures that may be causing your back pain.

The most common tool used by chiropractors is the adjustment table. In my practice, I use the Thompson Drop Table. It is used to properly position my patient while I apply hands-on techniques to adjust the spine and relieve your back pain. Most often patients experience immediate relief and are able to resume their normal activities. In some cases, further treatment may be advised such as cold therapy, massage therapy, corrective exercise, lifestyle changes, or spinal decompression.

The goal is to adjust your spine into its proper alignment so that it and the surrounding tissue inflammation can heal properly relieving the pain.

Healthy Habits to Avoid Back Pain

As a Chiropractor, I do more than just correct alignment of the spine to relieve pain. Prevention in the form of healthy habits is equally important to helping my patients heal and live a pain-free, active lifestyle.

Based on the initial exam and lifestyle assessment I may recommend a corrective exercise plan to correct biomechanical imbalances that are physically contributing to recurring back pain issues. Recommendations and education towards maintaining a healthy weight and proper nutrition also contribute to relieving pain, especially when arthritis or osteoporosis is a contributing factor.

Many painful conditions, including back pain, can be avoided or alleviated by focusing on our overall health and optimal physical conditioning. If you suffer from chronic back pain seeing a chiropractor can help alleviate the pain in the short term and provide you with the knowledge and tools to prevent future occurrences.