Back Pain

For some people back pain is little more than discomfort, whereas for others it can leave them immobile. Lower back pain, being an extremely debilitating condition, will likely have a higher success rate if intervention is initiated sooner rather that later.

Lower back pain is experienced by up to eighty percent of people at some stage of their lives and, although it is believed by many that its main cause is injury through accident, the most common reason is that of stress to the muscles and joints of the back through normal, everyday activities (or inactivities). These can be: sitting badly or for too long in one position; poor general posture; incorrect lifting, bending and even sleeping.

The lower back area and core muscles support a significant amount of our body weight and, as a consequence, rely heavily on the strength of the vertebrae and supportive soft tissue in and around our spine. To have these vertebrae out of position (or subluxated) for even a short period of time can lead to anything from mild discomfort to severe disablement. If the spine is not in correct alignment, areas of weakness can occur, resulting in irritation of nerves in the spine, or in a bulging disc, which can place pressure on the spinal cord.

Pain is a warning from the brain that something within the structure of the body (or the brain) is not functioning as it should. Through chiropractic care the appropriate adjustment is carefully applied depending on the location and type of pain. It is worth remembering that even though pain can subside within a few days it may still be a sign of an underlying condition and should be checked by a qualified health professional without delay.

Masking the symptoms (pain) of lower back problems doesn't solve the real problem – that of 'what has caused the pain to appear in the first place'? Treating the symptoms should only ever be a very short-term measure to diminish the pain and to make you more comfortable until you can get the cause addressed.

Following a study of the treatment of lower back pain, the Ontario Ministry of Health stated, ‘On the evidence, particularly the most scientifically valid clinical studies, spinal manipulation applied by chiropractors is shown to be more effective than alternative treatments for lower back pain.1 

Until you are checked by a professional chiropractor or health care provider, here are a few things you can do and questions to ask yourself in order to help prevent lower back pain.

• Avoid sudden bending, twisting or sharp movement
• Check that you are adopting a correct posture during the day
• How is your posture while sitting at work? Is your spine curved or (relatively) straight? (This includes things like a supportive chair, a well-placed computer monitor and a workstation layout that does not require a lot of twisting and turning)
• How firm is the mattress on your bed?
• Do you get regular exercise? Even a low-impact exercise such as walking for a half hour each day will loosen muscles in the back and thus keep them active
• Don't take to your bed – this is the least likely treatment to get rid of your lower back pain
• Don't wear shoes with high heels
• Do wear comfortable flat or low-heeled shoes

Remember that a visit to your chiropractor in Mt Martha & Rosebud West often provides more immediate relief. It appears to be most helpful in the first month after of the onset of back pain.

Chiropractors work on the principle of reducing interference so the nervous system and body can work better. Providing that any symptom or condition is occurring as a result of nerve interference from vertebral subluxation, there is a very good chance that it will improve with chiropractic care.

1 Pran Manga, Ph.D., Douglas E. Angus, M.A., Costa Papadopoulos, M.H.A., William R. Swan, B.Com 1993. The Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low Back-Pain: Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health