A diagnosis of chronic back pain usually means that your back problem is ongoing and recurring. The medical term for back pain that lasts more than twelve months is called chronic back pain. Chronic back pain is also a common symptom of other conditions (such as Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or fibromyalgia), which may require medical treatment. Many people have chronic back problems, even though they do not seek treatment. Some of the reasons for this could be that their conditions are easier to treat and control elsewhere, or that they just don't want to spend money on treatments that may not be effective.
Discs in your spine can damage easily and are subject to wear and tear. This causes the discs to become stiff and inflexible, causing pain, inflammation and swelling. Chronic back pain often occurs because the discs are stiff or inflexible and have formed a physical barrier around the nerve roots so that blood cannot pass through them easily, creating pressure. This can be caused by injury, aging, or by standing or sitting for long periods of time.
Your body mechanics (how your body is positioned and organized) determine how you will be able to use your muscles and joints. If you have a weak pelvic floor muscle, you may not be able to bend your knees fully to relieve pain. On the other hand, if your abdominal muscles are strong enough to hold up your spine, then you may be able to extend your back and relieve the pressure on your discs.
Chiropractic treatment has shown great promise in helping people who suffer from acute low back pain. Chronic back pain often occurs secondary to some other underlying problem. This is why many chiropractors believe that it is important to combine spinal adjustments with massage therapy. In order to address the actual cause of your back pain, chiropractors will usually do a complete evaluation along with x-rays, diagnostic tests and laboratory tests in order to find the exact cause of your problem.
Chiropractors also evaluate your lifestyle and diet in order to make sure that your spine and body mechanics are aligned properly. One common reason that people experience back pain is that they are either not getting enough calcium or are not maintaining their diets correctly. Often times the simplest things such as not resting between sets or taking care of the small problems in your back can have a large impact on your overall health. Chiropractors are very well trained in adjusting your spinal and balancing your body mechanics in order to improve your overall health and prevent back pain.
If you have been experiencing severe back pain, then your first step should be to see your chiropractor. Your chiropractor will perform an evaluation in order to properly diagnose your condition and then determine the best way to treat it. In most cases, treating your back pain with chiropractic treatments will be less successful if you do not address the underlying cause. Your chiropractor will take a complete history, look at your symptoms, assess your spine and examine your lab results for evidence of low back pain or whiplash. With the help of your chiropractor, he or she will design a program of treatment that will specifically target your back pain. You may receive chiropractic adjustments to your cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacroiliac joints depending on the nature of your symptoms.
Other conditions that can cause back pain include Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Lupus and Fibromyalgia among many others. Chiropractic is an excellent choice for those who suffer from these other conditions since chiropractic will not only focus on your spine but also your entire body. These other conditions involve the involvement of the soft tissue and the muscles of the body, making chiropractic treatments highly effective in relieving back pain. Chiropractors are specially trained in the detection and treatment of spinal joint disorders and have years of experience and education in this field.
Other treatments such as physical therapy, exercise and massage are also administered by chiropractors in order to relieve your low back pain. Chiropractors will often start their session by starting out with x-rays and then work their way up to doing various manipulation and soft tissue treatments. You could also seek the advice of a chiropractor if you are experiencing numbness, tingling, weakness, poor range of motion or if you are having trouble getting up after bending over. If your back pain is caused by spinal misalignment, your chiropractor may recommend that you go through spinal replacement surgery. He or she may also refer you to someone who can give you more extensive medical care including prescription medication and regular doses of physical therapy. Chiropractors should be seen by patients who want an alternative to standard medicine and want to rid their body of all the ills that come with chronic back pain.
