Got Low Back Pain?
Say it with me, "low back pain."
As much as I hate harping on it, it’s something a lot of people deal with and something chiropractors have significant success with. So, let’s get into it.
It’s one of the simplest things to understand about chiropractic care. Our spines carry the vast majority of our stress – chemical, emotional, and physical. Misalignments in our spine can cause instability. That instability can lead to a slew of other problems. But all of those problems serve a purpose. Let’s talk about them.
1. Degeneration
Most people over 30 who’ve had an x-ray have probably been told they have degeneration. Degeneration is a big scary word, that basically means wear and tear on a joint. When a joint is misaligned, it causes undo stress on that joint. Our body’s way to compensate for that extra stress to is lay down new bone to make the area more stable. Remember…the body does nothing on accident! The problem is this new bone can start to cause problems. It can push on nerves and cause areas to become inflamed.
How does chiropractic help?
Well chiropractic care cannot undo degenerative changes, but it can prevent further damage and help to reposition the bones in a way that causes less stress on the joint. Less stress on the joint = less pain and more likely to decrease the rate of degeneration.
2. Muscle Spasm
As stated before, when our bones are misaligned it cause instability. The body’s main goal then becomes to stabilize that joint at all costs. One way it does that is by tightening the muscles around the area. Stiff muscles decrease motion, and prevent you from hurting yourself. Think of it as a natures brace. The problem is, spasms and if left there for long periods can lead to other problems down the road.
How does chiropractic help?
Realigning the spine helps stabilize the joints and allows those muscles to relax, as they don’t need to guard and protect the area of concern anymore.
3. Disc bulges and Degenerative Disc Disease
Our spines have little squishy discs between each vertebra. Ongoing stress from poor posture, accidents, and even just normal everyday life wear on these discs. They get pushed down on can decrease in size. Sometimes a weakness in the disc will eventually cause it bulge out. Some disc bulges don’t cause any issues, but in other cases they can press against certain nerve endings and cause significant pain.
How does chiropractic help?
Chiropractic adjustments can relieve pressure on the nerve and alleviate pain. There is nothing conservative care can do to get the disc back to its original state, but we get the joint moving, back in its proper position, allowing more room for the disc.
And now you know! Those are the three main ways chiropractic care can help with low back pain. Now that you’re all educated, go tell all of your friends!
