Chiropractic Adjustments Help Back Pain

Can Chiropractic Help Back Pain?

Low Back Pain

Low back pain is a common health challenge that often affects more than 80% of people, making it second in prevalence only to the common cold. However, unlike the common cold, back pain is often puzzling to most of its sufferers. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor is an expert at solving that mystery.

Anatomy

To understand back pain, it is important to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back consist of posterior joints called facets that join vertebrae to one another and serve to dictate the motion of the spine. The inter-vertebral discs link the bodies of the vertebrae and are comprised of a form of tough cartilage that encases a soft material in the center, called the nucleus. The principal function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also connect the vertebrae. The wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine is the sacrum and is joined to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. The spinal cord is positioned between the facets of the vertebrae. The spinal nerves go out from the spine between the vertebrae.

Causes of Back Pain

In most cases, back pain happens without a trauma, an accident, or a major injury prior to the onset. The cause of most back pain is the cumulative effects of unhealthy sitting posture, harmful work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of regular exercise and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors.  All of these factors produce stresses and imbalances on the spine and eventually generate pain. This is why people can often injure their back simply by bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The spine was already compromised and just the simple act of bending was enough to set off the condition. When this comes about, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor can help you to get out of pain quickly.

Disc Problems & Sciatica

Prolonged sitting, especially in a awkward position creates increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles encompassing the spine. Eventually the lower spine loses its usual function and no longer can accommodate for the normal day-to-day stresses in ones life. In the end, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, allowing the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. If the disc pushes on sensitive tissues, it produces the pain that is often referred to as a slipped disc. Sciatica develops when the disc presses on the spinal nerve. The symptoms of sciatica include pain, tingling, numbness, and often weakness in the lower extremities. Sometimes if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition is not managed correctly, surgery is necessary to dispose of the herniated disc material. With chiropractic adjustments and care, which often includes postural exercises, most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be alleviated. If you are experiencing any of the conditions defined above, it is essential for you to seek chiropractic treatment.

Spondylosis

Repetitive injury to the discs, facet joints, and surrounding ligaments may cause increased erosion and weight-bearing stress on the spine. Bone spurs are produced when the cartilage around the joints is adversely affected by stress that causes calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae. These spurs can constrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This condition – known as Spondylosis – is a form of arthritis that seems to affect almost everyone at some point in life, as it is a common part of the aging process of the spine as well. Nevertheless, factors such as previous trauma, unhealthy lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influence the time of onset in life. Regular chiropractic care and overall chiropractic management is extraordinarily helpful in slowing the aging process of the spine, as well as helping Spondylosis sufferers in managing their condition. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor has treated many Spondylosis sufferers.

Sacroiliac Problems

The sacroiliac joints are a common area of dysfunction or injury in the low back. These weight-bearing joints connect the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are innately very strong and stable. However with damage such as falls, sports injuries, or lifting heavy objects, the joints can become unstable and move to an abnormal position.  This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. Women may get this condition during or after their pregnancy. The imbalances in the lower extremities caused by sacroiliac subluxation can produce a functional long and short leg. Those with this condition will feel pain specifically with prolonged standing and walking, or during or after physical activity. Many complain of lack of energy and being easily fatigued.  Other symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches, can develop further up the spine. Chiropractic adjustments establish the proper alignment of the joints and are extremely affective in eliminating sacroiliac problems. Ask your Fort Worth chiropractor how you can experience effective pain relief.

Spinal Subluxation

Subluxated or misaligned facets joints are a commonplace disorder of the lower back, as well as the entire spine. Subluxations can happen on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and Spondylosis. Subluxations are not only painful, but they can compress the nerves as they exit the foramen (or spaces) between the vertebrae, producing paraesthesia. Paraesthesia is an alteration of sensation described as a tingling, burning or “funny feeling.” Paraesthesia in the upper extremities oftenoriginates from nerve problems in the neck, while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is commonly associated with nerve challengesin the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also becorrelated with, or complicated by, spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best corrected by chiropractic adjustments.

Trauma

Injury such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury can create over-stretching or tearing of the tissues of the spine and lower back and cause extreme pain and immobility. In order to avoid long term disability or the development of any of the conditions listed above, chiropractic adjustments and treatment at the onset of symptoms is very important. If you experience a trauma, call your chiropractor as soon as possible.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is often associated with low back pain. Chiropractic care offers exceptional pain relief.

When it comes to the spine, chiropractors have more education and training than medical doctors. I can provides state of the art diagnosis and highly competent treatment for any of the above-mentioned conditions of the spine and lower back.