Time to Straighten Up?

At some point in your life you have probably experienced back pain of some nature. Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor's office. Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic – in other words, the pain is not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection or fracture. So the big question is, what is back pain and what exactly do you do to handle it and – ahem – keep it off your back?

What Causes Back Pain?

The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements, like picking up a pencil from the floor, can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and stress can cause or complicate back pain.

Back injuries are a part of everyday life, and the spine is quite good at dealing with these often "pulled" muscles. These very minor injuries usually heal within 1 or 2 days. Some pain, however, continues.

Familiar reasons may include stress, mood changes, bad diet, lack of exercise and even the fear of further injury that may prevent you from being active. In addition, sometimes a painful injury or disease changes the way the pain signals are sent through your body, and, even after the problem has gone away or is inactive, the pain signals are still being sent. Chiropractic adjustments would then assist in restoring proper communication by relieving irritation or choking of nerves caused by misalignment of the spinal joints.

What Can I Do to Prevent Long-Term Back Pain?

In addition to any other measure a chiropractic adjustment will give you relief. Together we can also work on reversing negative conditions to actually improve the condition, rather than just relieve it. Your pain will often result from mechanical problems that I can address. Many chiropractic patients with relatively long-lasting or recurring back pain feel improvement shortly after starting chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a safe and effective spine pain treatment. It reduces pain, rapidly advances physical therapy, and requires very few passive forms of treatment, such as bed rest.

What Can I Do To Alleviate Back Pain?

Don't lift by bending over. Instead, bend your hips and knees and then squat to pick up the object. Keep your back straight, and hold the object close to your body.
Don't twist your body while lifting.
Push, rather than pull, when you must move heavy objects.
If you must sit for long periods, take frequent breaks and stretch.
Wear flat shoes or shoes with low heels.
Exercise regularly. An inactive lifestyle contributes to lowerback pain.