Back pain can become chronic or can reoccur if it’s not treated promptly, but the good news is that chiropractic care for back pain can both help to alleviate the pain – sometimes almost instantly – and target the cause of the pain so that it won’t happen again.
Americans complain about having back pain. It’s one of the most common causes for missed work in our country, and more than half of Americans who experience back pain spend the majority of their workdays at their desks.
Because of the complexity of the back, there are numerous causes. Back pain can also present itself in many different ways, including radiating into different areas of the body.
What is Back Pain?
Back pain varies greatly from person to person. It can present itself as a mild ache, or sharp debilitating pain. It can increase when doing a physical activity such as lifting or twisting, or it can worsen after long periods of sitting.
Some back pain, particularly in the lower back, can radiate down through the buttocks, hip, and legs, and can be felt like pins and needles and tingling, or a stabbing pain that feels like an electrical current.
What Causes Back Pain?
The back is a complex structure that is comprised of muscles, tendons, ligaments, discs, and bones, which when working in perfect unison shouldn’t cause pain. But when one or more of these components is irritated, injured or out of alignment, back pain can occur.
Common causes of back pain include:
Strained Muscles or Ligaments: These sorts of injuries are commonly seen in people who spend their days doing manual labor jobs that involve lifting or twisting;
- Structural Problems: A herniated or bulging disc, particularly in the lower – or lumbar – spine, can cause both pains in the lower back, and pain that radiates down through the buttocks and limbs. The radiating pain occurs when the injured disc or other tissue in the lower back compresses or irritates nerves that run down through the spinal column;
Sciatica: When the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body, is compressed or irritated, it causes pain in the lower back that can travel down through the legs.
- Arthritis: Arthritis can lead to degeneration in the spine, including the narrowing of the spinal column.
- Abnormal Curvature of the Spine: Scoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature of the spine, can cause back pain.
Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis, which is a common health problem that occurs with aging, causes the bones such as those in the spine to become brittle.
Treatment of Back Pain
Chiropractic care for back pain in Garden City, MI. will include a full physical examination to determine the cause of the pain. Your chiropractor will prescribe an all-around treatment protocol including spinal manipulations to correct any misalignment in the spine or other musculoskeletal structures.
Francis Burns is an avid writer from Louisiana. With a Bachelor’s in English and a background in journalism, Francis has been writing for a variety of media outlets for the last five years. He specializes in stories about the local culture and loves to fill his work with inspiring words. When not writing, Francis enjoys exploring the outdoors of Louisiana and photographing nature.
