Low back pain is one of the most common condition in this country and the world. Back pain affects 8 out of 10 people at some point during their lives (1). 27.5% of adults have had low back pain in the last 3 months (2). Back pain can last anywhere from a few days to weeks. The total direct costs of chronic low-back pain-related health care utilization are estimated to be $96 million a year (3) (this number does not take into account the indirect cost of low back pain). These statistics should impress upon you not only the prevalence and cost associated with low back pain, but also the importance of proper treatment.
Low back pain can start due to injuries (sports, work, auto accidents, etc.), repetitive stress/movement, or wear and tear (arthritis and degeneration). The pain may be due to various structures being injured: muscles and ligaments (strains/sprains), disc injury/damage, joint injury/arthritis, and more rarely organ system dysfunction (eg. kidney stones). Often times low back pain can also be associated with sharp, shooting pains (or numbness and tingling) into the legs that may go all the way to the feet. This pain is referred to as sciatica. Sciatica symptoms are often the result of significant injury and inflammation (or impingement) to the nerves that exit the spine at the low back.
Low back pain can be treated numerous ways by various professionals. Treatments can range from doing nothing (bed rest), conservative management, over the counter medications, prescription medications, to surgery. Ignoring pain or masking the symptoms may provide some relief but will never help heal the problem area. Care should be sought to locate the cause of low back pain, correct the cause, and then prevent it from recurring. Logically care should start conservatively and progress to more invasive procedures (if needed). Conservative care consists of Chiropractic, Massage, Acupuncture, and/or Physical Therapy. If these treatments do not resolve the issues then more invasive procedures can be considered including medications, injections, or surgeries (all of which have inherently greater risks than conservative management).
Chiropractic care focuses on the joints of the body (primarily the spine and pelvis) moving through their proper range of motion so they are less likely to be injured or cause low back pain. When an injury to the spine occurs and joint motion is inhibited it often leads to increased inflammation. This inflammation can cause the nerves that exit the spine to be hypersensitive creating pain, spasms, numbness and tingling, burning, sharp or shooting pains, etc. Restoring the proper motion to these spinal joints decreases the inflammation and allows the injured area to heal more appropriately.
“Patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors showed greater improvement and satisfaction at one month than patients treated by family physicians. Satisfaction scores were higher for chiropractic patients. A higher proportion of chiropractic patients (56 percent vs. 13 percent) reported that their low-back pain was better or much better, whereas nearly one-third of medical patients reported their low-back pain was worse or much worse.”
– Nyiendo et al (2000), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Here at Thiele Chiropractic & Wellness we are not only good at detecting and correcting the injured areas but we also go the extra mile to teach our patients how to stabilize and strengthen their core muscles to help prevent a recurrence of low back pain. Our spinal rehabilitation exercises create a strong and stable spine that is more resilient to stressors and less likely to be re-injured.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” -Benjamin Franklin
If you have low back pain or have had episodes of pain please give us a call so we can help you get out of pain and get back to enjoying life.
- Medline Plus. Back Pain. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/backpain.html. Accessed March 11, 2013.
- table 48 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus13.pdf
- Mehra M, Hill K, Nicholl D, Schadrack J. “The burden of chronic low back pain with and without a neuropathic component: a healthcare resource use and cost analysis.” J Med Econ. 2012;15(2):245-52
Thanks for your assist. Do you prefer inversion table treatment for lower back pain?
I don’t mind people using inversion tables for lower back pain but I wouldn’t say I prefer it or that it is actually a treatment. It can help alleviate some of the pressure by taking the effects of gravity and our body weight off of injured discs. The problem is you eventually have to go back to gravity and the underlying issues are still there. You also need to consider the individuals health before doing inversion. Anyone with cardiovascular issues should be cautious when doing inversion or not do it at all.
The best treatments for low back pain is chiropractic care (it is the number 1 reason people come see us!) combined with massage therapy and some rehab protocols. That will help address the root cause of most low back issues.
Hi, nice blog regarding back pain. Most of people suffering from the back pain due to different reasons. Your blog make people aware how back pan effect on the spine. Keep share informative information like this.
It is good that you talked about how back pain treatment should start as conservative treatments and move to more invasive ones if they don’t work. My back has been hurting for a while now and has no idea what is causing it. I can see that it is always a good idea to consult with a doctor and make sure you know what the problem is so you don’t have to live in pain all the time.
Hi John,
Conservative is always the way to go, unless there is an obvious medical emergency. Invasive procedures will always be available if conservative ones don’t work. A great combination for back pain can be chiropractic, massage therapy and physical therapy. Those three disciplines should help manage most back related issues that haven’t progressed to the point of a surgical intervention. I sincerely hope you find some relief.
Add to that the possibility of failed back surgery syndrome. Also, certain surgical procedures carry long-term risks, so always best to exhaust conservative options first.
Hi Doria, you are absolutely correct. Conservative first then work towards more invasive procedures if needed. You can’t undo a back surgery!
Thanks Stefan. I am glad you found it valuable.
It’s good to see back pain being taken more seriously instead of just “oh that’s just the normal aches and pains of life.” Well, yes it is, but it’s also normal wear and tear on a car. Doesn’t mean you don’t have to work to keep it in good shape.
The car analogy is a great way to get people thinking about their health and one I use often. The biggest difference between a car and your spine however is you only get one spine!
My husband has been experiencing some back pain for about a week now and won’t admit it. So thank you for mentioning that if you just ignore it, you won’t be able to heal the back pain. Maybe if I let him know that ignoring it won’t make the problem go away, he’ll finally agree to see a specialist.
Ignoring the problems is rarely a solution and might just lead to much bigger issues down the line. Have him get it looked at while it might be an easier fix. Wishing him the best.
I’ve had an accident where I slipped and fell on my back. Since then, I’ve been suffering from chronic back pain. I’d rather not take prescription medicines all my life and would like to look for alternatives. I’m glad that I’ve stumbled upon your articles and found great ideas like visiting a chiropractor. Cheers!
Meds are fine in the short term. They can reduce inflammation and muscle spasms and even help when the pain is too great, however they are not a long term fix. Any injury should likely be looked at by a chiropractor to make sure your body has the ability to heal to it’s very best.
I had been suffered lower back pain problem. I totally agree that you have shared here tips and treatment. I would love to share this with needy one .
I think I have a spinal injury that needs to be treated because I’m suffering from low back pain. I’m glad you mentioned that low back pain could be due to injuries so I’ll go to a treatment center this month. If it can be treated in numerous ways by professionals, I might be able to sit properly again.
Spinal injuries can vary from fairly minor to rather severe. Assuming you haven’t had a severe injury (which you would have sought treatment for immediately) always start with more conservative options (Chiropractic, PT, massage) and progress to the more invasive options (medications, pain management, etc) if the problem doesn’t resolve. I hope that you find an effective solution to your issue.
Great blog to explain how the back pain gets started and the remedies for the same. Thank you for sharing.
thank you for this article this helps me a lot
thank you for this amazing article this is very helpful
It’s interesting to know that low back pain can start due to injuries or wear and tear. My husband has been struggling with low-back pain, and we are looking for advice. I will let him know about your recommendations to help him during his recovery.
It’s helpful to know that getting conservative care like a chiropractor for back pain early could help resolve the issue without it escalating to more invasive solutions. We’ve noticed that my back has been hurting a lot since I was in a minor accident recently. Getting a professional to take a look at it might be a good idea to prevent worse problems.
Great post and very informative as well. After many years of sports and poor posture, it seems like my lower back pain comes and goes unpredictably. I think taking the help of a chiropractor might prevent my back pain. Keep sharing such helpful posts.
Sports injuries can accumulate over time leading to worsening and more consistent symptoms if not treated appropriately. Poor posture is often a challenge, and one we see frequently, due to the posture often being a more of a chronic and repetitive problem.If you constantly put you spine in a poor position for extended periods of time it wears on it. Finding appropriate treatment for it sooner than later is a great idea.
Well most of people suffering from back pain as due to numerous reasons but the main reason which is due to bad sitting posture and how you use your things around you as the best way to sit is in right posture which is best way to control over back pain.
Awesome! The explanation of how to find the reason for the back pain is really very helpful. The remedies are again so well explained. Thank you for sharing.