CHIROPRACTIC & LOWER BACK PAIN

Chiropractic and Low Back Pain

Chiropractic and lower back pain go together like mornings and coffee, eggs and bacon, rugby and beer… you get the idea.

Lower back pain is the third most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office. Majority of physicians prescribe NSAIDs and painkillers that more often than not, don’t help, or treat the symptom and not the cause of the pain. The truth is that lower back pain is the number one cause of disability worldwide, and over 80% of people will experience severe lower back pain during their life.

An important thing to note is that most cases of back pain are mechanical, meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as infection, trauma, or cancer. This is a result of hours upon hours of less than favourable positions and postures. Many people sit at their desk, drive for long hours, or engage in repetitive tasks in the incorrect position. This causes prolonged stress to the body or joints and can create instability, stress, muscle tightness, nerve irritation, and inevitably, pain. With this additional “stress” the body’s joints tend to be out of alignment, therefore restricting movement of that joint which may increase the risk of injury.

Now, as I mentioned, most drugs aren’t the answer to your problem. A recent study found that NSAIDs did not work well for back pain. The American College of Physicians came out with new guidelines for the treatment of low back pain based on a review of more than 150 studies, And included in these guidelines is spinal manipulation aka CHIROPRACTIC.

Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to treat lower back pain. Chiropractic treatment differs from medication as it focuses on the underlying cause of the back pain while most conventional treatments focus on the symptoms. When only treating the symptom or the pain you may experience relief, but whatever is causing that pain will still be there.

Here are some TIPS to reduce your risk of lower back pain:

• Move more, sit less. A quote I always preach is that "movement is medicine."

• Stretch daily (yoga or pilates is a great way to increase your flexibility and core strength).

• Make the correct posture a habit (sitting correctly will take pressure of your back muscles and lower joints in the spine).

• Seek chiropractic care, put lower back pain where it belongs… behind you.

Cheers,

Team Hughes Chiropractic

(Blog post is written from a combination of my experiences and the various research I have read over time).

Reference Articles: Epidemiology and risk factors for spine pain. - NCBI, The Lancet