LOWER BACK Pain
Struggling With Lower Back Pain?
Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint. One systematic review published in April of this year (2023), found that low back pain ranks in the top 10 reasons for ED presentation in the U.S, Canada and Australia. Although the majority of low back pain ED cases resolve with a good prognosis, expensive imaging studies are often ordered, and the findings of these studies often do more harm than good. Current medical guidelines strongly discourage the use of MRI and X-ray for the purpose of diagnosing low back pain. A herniated disc visible on an MRI study may not be the cause of low back pain but will raise alarm and emotional stress. Imaging studies can wait. Don't borrow trouble.
Fortunately, the association of severe pathologies with low back pain is rare, and conservative care is the primary recommendation, even if imaging reveals a disc issue. So, hold off on imaging studies!
Chiropractic treatments are a conservative care option used to decrease acute and chronic low back pain.
Identifying The Drivers of Undefined Low Back Pain. (Is it still undefined?)
Low back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including discs, facets, sprains, strains, spasms and emotional stress.
Discs are notorious for reaching out and pushing against nerve roots. Facets, the articulations of vertebrae, cause significant discomfort when irritated or inflamed. Sprains occur when ligaments are stretched beyond their normal range of motion. Muscles strain when they are overworked, and spasms are involuntary muscle contractions. These drivers of low back pain affect people differently based on age, lifestyle habits and other underlying medical conditions. Chiropractic manipulation has the potential to decrease acute and chronic low back pain associated with these drivers by inducing motion through fixated joints facilitating unrestricted motion.
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Chiropractic Adjustments for Lower Back Pain: Procedures and Benefits
Chiropractic care has saved lower back pain sufferers from surgery, for one reason or another, it has worked. A precise application of force, through a joint vector, can facilitate motion, relieving the strain of fixation restriction. Well, probably not, but it can provide temporary pain relief, encouraging unrestricted movement.
Chiropractors may also provide load management instruction for chronic low back pain. Effective treatment may require a combination of active and passive care modalities.