Lower Back Pain:
Maybe you’re lucky enough to not have had to experience back pain yet, but your day’s may be numbered. Anyone can experience lower back pain at any given time, even if you don’t have a prior injury or risk factors. When back pain presents itself, it can completely change your activities of daily living and reduce your quality of life. You are not alone! It is estimated that at any given time, 540 MILLION people around the world are experiencing the effects of back pain on a daily basis. Wow, put this into perspective…. that is about the size of the entire populations of the United States of America, Mexico, Canada, and Austraila! Here are some more interesting facts about back pain:
· The economic burden of back pain on the US Economy is estimated at $635 billion dollars anually
· 8-10 American will experience back pain in their lifetime
· Back Pain is the most common reason for missing days at work
· Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability in the USA and the World
Causes of Lower Back Pain:
The number one cause of lower back pain is TIME! As we age, the spinal joints begin to degenerate due to everyday wear and tear, that we place on our bodies. This trauma breaks down the cartilage between the spinal vertebra joints causing inflammation of the surrounding tissues. The inflammation and narrowing of the spinal joints is a contributing factor in lower back pain and nerve related pain. As a patient once told me, “Once Arthur moves in, he never moves out.” He meant Arthritis!
Below are some common conditions that cause Back Pain:
· Sprain and Strains: Injuries to the soft tissue, ligaments, tendons, and muscles that move and provide support for the spine and joints
· Muscle Spasms: Occur when a muscle and tendon are injured
· Arthritis: occurs when a joint becomes stiff, inflamed, and swelling occurs. Morphological changes begin to occur to the joint capsule and structure of the joint surface.
· Osteoarthritis: is a slow and progressive arthritis that happens when cartilage and bone break down due to joint misalignment, previous injury, stiffness, inflammation and swelling. Often affects individuals in middle age and glory years.
· Bulging Discs: Degeneration of the intervertebral discs (IVD) occurs due to the result of injury, spinal misalignment, spinal fixation, overweight/obesity, dehydration, poor nutrition, poor posture, weak abdominal core, smoking
· Herniating and Non-Herniating Discs: Tearing and breakdown of the annulus fibrosis leads to radial and circumferential degeneration of the intervertebral discs (IVD). The nucleus pulposus pushes into the spinal canal, known as a protrusion or extrusion. Causes of disc herniations are injury, spinal misalignment, spinal fixation, overweight/obesity, dehydration, poor nutrition, poor posture, weak abdominal core, and smoking.
· Degenerative Disc Disease: The shock absorbs of the spinal vertebra are known as discs. When the discs narrow, shrink, and tear this cause pain and inflammation within the spinal joints.
· Spinal stenosis: Is the narrowing of the spinal canal, intervertebral foraminal stenosis or lateral recess stenosis that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Causing pain, numbness, tingling and other neurological deficits.
· Spondylolisthesis: occurs when one or more vertebra in spine slip forward, laterally or posteriorly. Commonly associated with spinal fractures, arthritis and disc herniations. Typically found in the lower back region but will occur in the cervical spine.
· Spondylosis: is a fancy term for spinal arthritis. Moderate to severe degeneration of the spine has occurred and is usually associated with arthritis, disc degeneration, herniation.
· Spine or Vertebral Fractures: A portion of the spine is fractured as a result of accident, fall, blow to the back, congenital fracture (Isthmic Spondylolisthesis), or severe osteoporosis
· Compression Fractures: A fracture that occurs due to weakening of the bony matrix. Associated with osteoporosis, osteolytic lesions, hemangioma, Pott’s Disease
Less Common Causes of Lower Back Pain:
· Spinal Tumor/Cancer – Malignancy (secondary) spread is the most common cause of spinal related tumors. The most common body structure associated are prostate, lung, and breast. Few Primary causes of spine pain Osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, chordoma and Ewing Sarcoma.
· Ankylosing Spondylitis: Is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the ligaments and joints along the spine. More common in young Caucasian males. Associated with a gene that makes a protein called HLA-B127.
· Kidney Stones and Kidney Infections: Severe viscerosomatic referral pain from the kidney’s and ureters. Associated with Severe lower back, flank and groin pain. Associated with painful and burning urination, hematuria, nausea, and fever
· Osteomyelitis or discitis: Infection of the bone and discs of the spine
· Endometriosis: a collection of uterine tissue outside the uterus
Equilibrium Chiropractic incorporates a comprehensive treatment approach to optimize patient health and improve outcomes. Individual treatment plan are not a one size fits all approach, every individual is unique and requires a customized treatment plans to reach optimal health and function.
Electrical Muscle Stimulaton/TENS
Is a type of electrotherapy, stimulating muscle contraction using electrical impulses in order strengthen weak muscles, reduce tissue swelling, pain relieve, and helps with wound health.
The benefits of electrical muscle stimulation would be to decrease neck pain generated from tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints. Promote tissue healing of the neck region, while promoting muscle strength.
Intersegmental Traction
An intersegmental traction table, also known as a roller table, is a wonderful modality that chiropractors utilize to re-establish normal range of motion of the body’s spine. The table helps facilitate motion throughout the spine, by mobilizing and massaging tight, stiff muscles and ligaments. The wave like motion stretches the spinal joints while improving movement. It also promotes disc imbibition, the process of water and nutrients going in and waste products coming out the discs.
K-Laser Therapy
This safe, effective, drug free, non-surgical treatment is known as Photobiomodulation Therapy, or Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT) is a new and exciting treatment offered to patients with neck pain that is generated from the ligaments, tendons, muscles, discs and nerve of the neck region. K-Laser Dynamic therapy uses several pulsed light frequencies to produce a combination of analgesia (pain relief), inflammation reduction, biostimulation, and antimicrobial effect, thus accelerating the regeneration of tissues and increasing cellular energy.
Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression
Spinal Decompression is a safe, effective, and non-surgical treatment for treating acute and chronic neck pain, lower back pain, facet syndrome, pinched nerves and sciatica caused by bulging, herniated, protruding and degenerated discs. Non-surgical spinal decompression produces a negative pressure within the intervertebral disc, creating a vacuum effect that pulls fluid and nutrients to help maintain and promote healing of the intervertebral discs.
Myofascial Release Therapy(MFR)/IASTM
Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization is a myofascial release therapy produces controlled microtrauma to the soft tissue to stimulate a local inflammatory response. MFR is utilized to reduce musculoskeletal pain, restore proper muscle movement and mobility, reduce inflammation, increase collagen production, and speed up recovery time.
Chiropractic Spinal Manipulations aka “The Adjustment”
Chiropractic care is the largest complementary alternative medicine (CAM) care system utilized by patient for a wide range of conditions. Chiropractic physicians approach your health and well-being holistically, as it is essential to truly understanding the underlying issues that are causing your health to be less than optimal. One common root cause of dysfunction that can manifest a condition is spine misalignment. This is because poor spine alignment and spinal decay leads to reduced nerve signaling.
Chiropractic physicians are healthcare professionals trained in the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of neuromusculoskeletal conditions ailing the general population. Chiropractic care is one of the safest forms of healthcare and has an enviable healthcare safety record. Chiropractic care is effective, safe, non-invasive, non-surgical, and reduces the need of medication. Some of the most documented benefits of chiropractic care are reduced headache symptoms, improved neck pain and back pain, reduces osteoarthritis symptoms, reduces reliance of dangerous opioid pain relievers and anti-inflammatories medication, lessens scoliosis symptoms, improves posture, increases athletic performance, helps with sleep, and improves energy.