How To Prevent Chronic Low Back Pain?
We specialize in chiropractic interventions for injuries and accidents
Today we will talk about low back pain and why it’s important to take care of it before it gets too bad and out of hand. Nonspecific low back pain accounts for 85% of all pain over the world and 10% will go on to develop chronic low back. With all strength we want to prevent chronic pain because it is much harder to treat and even harder to fix. Chronic pain changes the way our brain functions and treatment are aimed to “retrain the brain” through spinal chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic exercises, and massage. One of the main causes of chronic neck pain are car accident and whiplash injuries. If you ever where in a car accident, make sure to give us a call, let us know and talk to us immediately, so we can get you scheduled for an examination and treatment. I will be able to get on the phone with you and answer all your questions. If you need that all you must do is text our office, call the office and we will be able to respond promptly if you tell us that this is because of a car accident / “I was in a car accident”/ “I need some help”/ “I have some questions”. My staff will be able to get me on the phone.
How spinal manipulation or adjustments of the spine work?
Spinal manipulation works by the following mechanisms on our body: creates freedom of
articular movement, breaks up adhesins adhesins (scar tissue) in the articular surfaces or
articular joint capsules (1). Chiropractic manipulation has been shown to Improvement of
mobility of the trunk and creates a reflexive relaxation of hypertonic muscles by sudden
stretching (1).
The quick movement of an adjustment releases captured synovial folds that occur in the
joints of our spine and extremities. A joint manipulation also decreases alpha motor neuron
activity in the brain and increases proprioceptive sense of our body. For example,
adjustments of the ankle joints and spine improve the ability to balance on one foot. This is
just one measurement of the bodies sense we call proprioception. A chiropractic spinal
adjustment also creates a release of beta endorphins in the brain.
How do we know if our back pain has gotten bad enough that we need
treatment?
TOf course, preventing the development of “chronic pain” would mean you come for
evaluation and treatment before it gets “bad enough”. As we have said previously chronic
condition take much more time and money to resolve. But not all back pain is the same.
Every mechanic knows that when the car does not start it could be a simple problem (a dead
battery) or something beyond repair (broken engine). When you and I have back pain we
judge it according to how “bad the pain is”. This is absolutely the incorrect way to gage
“how bad your problem is”. I had that were not able to walk due to the pain and were fixed
in one adjustment, and others walking in with very serious problems that took a lot of effort
to improve. Here I will go through some pointers so you can tell if your problem has become
“bad enough” to seek care.
If you are having back pain with leg pain that is a more serious condition than just back pain.
Another finding of “serious back problem” would be directional preference. This means that
certain bending and twisting positions hurt less and others hurt more. For example, bending
backward and twisting to one side may completely relieve the leg pain or back pain you are
having. In medical terminology you have a finding of “directional preference”. That is a sign
of discogenic pain. Discogenic pain means that the disk is the source of your problem.
Discogenic pain does not mean you have a disc herniation, but it is sure on its way if we do
nothing about it. We will discuss how we can differentiate discogenic pain and a disk
herniation in future posts.
How do we know if our back pain has gotten bad enough that we need
treatment?
Next reason for care we will discuss are injuries we sustain. If you injury your back, a simple
regiment of 2-4 chiropractic adjustments, manual therapy, massage, will usually resolve the
pain and prevent arthritis and chronic pain. Therapeutic exercises will be necessary to
maintain your improvements. Such care will take anywhere from 1-2 weeks and will prevent
years of future pain. Another reason to get treatment is also a sign of aging and can be
prevented. If you are unable to comfortably squat and pick a small object off the floor you
will get older faster. This will cause you to automatically move less, have more pain, and
increase your risk of developing various diseases. Being stiff in the morning is another sign
of aging, arthritis and can be reversed.
So, my recommendation is: get yourself better, keep moving, and come in when you see any
functional limitations or pain. You can wait for the problem to arise but also, I can evaluate
your spine and tell you that your spine is healthy and moving well. It is usually obvious to my
patients and me that a problem is developing. Upon examination we may find one hip
turning in half the amount of the other. If such a person does not have knee or back pain,
they are likely to develop it. One shoulder may have a limited internal rotation from an old
injury causing increased neck strain and headaches. People gradually lose their mobility and
only after an adjustment they are surprised how much neck rotation was missing. Lack of
neck rotation and agility of movement is precisely why so many people get into car
accidents. Those two factors can be easily tested with a large joint goniometer (a body
protractor) and you can see the improvements immediately. If you or someone you know is
involved in a car accident, we will be able to see them on the day of the crash.
Doctorverg.com. you can find more information about us.
(*1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1297319X03000745
