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 Bulges and Herniations
Disc bulges and herniations are conditions in which the outer edges of the discs, located between the vertebrae, are damaged. This causes the jelly-like center to bulge or be pushed out. This is a surprisingly common issue and it is often, but not always, very painful. Many people who have this condition feel nothing at all. The quality and intensity of it, for those who experience pain, depends on the type and position of the herniation. If the damaged disc is irritating a surrounding nerve, shooting or stabbing pain along with weakness in the legs is often severe.
It is important that this issue is properly identified and promptly treated to avoid further damage. A chiropractor in Leland will thoroughly assess your back to determine the extent of the issue and the appropriate treatment to prevent worsening of the herniation, and provide relief from the associated pain.
Muscular Sprains and Tendon or Ligament Strains
Strains and sprains most typically occur when we engage in tasks that our body is not accustomed to, or when we are involved in an accident. Lifting while twisting, or stretching past one’s limits are common causes to strains and sprains of the back. These can be extremely painful, and are often accompanied by swelling and bruising of the surrounding area. Strains and sprains in the back tend to involve changes to the alignment of the spine and typically respond well to chiropractic care.
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.