Low Back Pain

Low back pain (or lumbago) is a sudden, sharp, persistent, or dull pain or discomfort in the area of lower back. It is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting 80% of people at some point in their life. This pain can vary from mild to severe and can be short-lived or long-lasting. Low back pain is most commonly caused by muscle strain associated with heavy physical work, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting, awkward positions, or standing in one position for too long. Old age can also be a severe cause of low back pain. 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 low back pain.

Some of the possible causes of low back pain are:

Subluxations

One of the primary sources of back pain is subluxations. A subluxation, vertebral subluxation or spinal subluxation is the malposition of abnormal function of a motion segment (a joint and surrounding bone and tissue) that can affect the nervous system, muscles, organs, and other systems of the body. One of the most common causes of vertebral subluxation is automobile accidents and many everyday activities can also result in subluxations.

Disc Herniations

Herniated discs result in back pain by compressing the spinal nerves where they exit the spinal column. The bigger the herniation, the more likely it is to cause “trouble,” for the patient, i.e. back or leg pain – the latter of which is called sciatica. A herniated disc may occur suddenly in an event such as a fall or an accident, or may occur gradually with repetitive straining of the spine.

Stress

There is a strong connection between stress and back pain. 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. With long hours of stress, your muscles become sore, weak and loaded with trigger points and can go into painful spasms.

Sprains, Strains and Spasms

Although back pain can be caused by fracture, disc disorder, or tumor, the most common cause is sprain (stretched or torn ligament) or strain (stretched or torn muscle). As a pivot point the turning of the waist and the lower back is especially vulnerable to muscle strains. When the lumbar spine is strained or sprained, the soft tissues become inflamed. This inflammation causes pain and muscle spasms. This muscle spasm is your body’s way of immobilizing the affected area to prevent further damage. Strains and sprains can occur because of various reasons including improper lifting, excess body weight and poor posture.

How Steve Baek DC: Chiropractors can help you?

Due to the fact that there are a whole lot of things that can cause low back pain and can be quite serious if left untreated, it is important to seek professional help.

Chiropractic treatment is extremely helpful in relieving pain due to disc injuries. The low back disc is always seen in the context of the spine as a whole. Chiropractors use hands-on spinal manipulation and other alternative treatments, the theory being that proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure, particularly the spine, will enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. A chiropractor first takes a medical history, performs a physical examination, and may use lab tests or diagnostic imaging to determine if treatment is appropriate for your back pain.

The chiropractor considers stress and nutritional and lifestyle factors, especially as they relate to pain perception and reduction of inflammation. There are many gentle techniques used to decrease pain, and increase function of the injured area.

At Steve Beak DC, we specialize in gentle, fast, safe relief from back pain. Our goal is to make the treatment efficient, painless and comfortable.