• Low Back Pain •
Stop suffering back pain and improve your life
Almost everyone suffers from low back pain at least once in their lives. It can be extremely debilitating. Indeed lower back pain is a pervasive problem – statistics show that 8 out of 10 Australians suffer from back pain at some time. Back pain is one of the most common reasons patients come to our clinic for help. Maintaining proper spinal function, staying active and with the help of beneficial chiropractic treatment may well be the best solution.
What makes up The Low Back?
The lower back is the area of the spine between the bottom of the ribs and the pelvis. There are five movable lumbar vertebrae with discs in between them. They are supported by strong surrounding muscles and ligaments with spinal nerves existing between each of the vertebrae. The pelvis articulates with the spine and provides additional stability and support for the spine. All of these structures combine to make your body a strong but flexible structure, allowing you mobility while protecting the spinal cord and nerves.
What Causes Low Back Pain?
Lower back pain is caused by abnormal spinal function or damage such as joint strains or degeneration. The symptoms often start off as a dull ache and can progress over time to sharp, severe and constant pain. If the nerves leaving the spine are affected, it can cause pain in the legs known as sciatica. The problem with the lower back is the pain often feels the same regardless of what the cause is. That is why an accurate diagnosis is so important. Back pain tends to be aggravated by lifestyle factors including lack of exercise, obesity, injuries, poor posture and ergonomically incorrect workplace environments. One of the most typical causes of lower back pain is putting unnecessary strain on your back such as heavy lifting. This damages the spine and leads to swelling and inflammation of the facet joints. Facet joint problems have been scientifically proven to respond exceptionally well to chiropractic care. Strains to the lower back and disc injuries are the most common causes of low back pain that we see. There are many other causes including bone and disc degeneration, sacroiliac joint sprain, piriformis syndrome and spinal cord stenosis that also present in our clinic. Often severe back pain is followed by a protective muscle spasm which can make moving difficult. This is your body’s way of protecting your back from further damage. In this situation, patients will think the problem is muscular however the cause is actually from your injured joints. It is imperative that other pathological causes of back pain, such as tumours, infections and fractures are ruled out before treatment is commenced.
Can Chiropractic Care Help Low Back Pain?
Recent research shows that spinal manipulation by professional chiropractors in combination with an effective exercise program is the best treatment for both acute and chronic back pain. Each time you injure your lower back the chances are it will continue to happen. These episodes will usually get more frequent, last longer and eventually the pain will remain. This is why it is essential to have a quality treatment program that addresses the movement of the spine to restore normal muscle control and function.
How do Chiropractors Treat Low Back Pain?
As part of our regular chiropractic procedures, we will take a complete history of your symptoms and complete a thorough examination to find the cause of your problems accurately. We will then explain clearly to you what is wrong and recommend an individual treatment program explicitly designed to remove your symptoms and restore your health. It’s important to remember that lower backache and sciatica are just descriptions of where the pain is located not a diagnosis. Discovering the cause of the symptoms and structuring the correct treatment regime is the essence of good chiropractic care.
