Low Back Pain
Low back pain is second in frequency only to the common cold. It affects more than 80% of human being. However, unlike the common cold, back pain is often a mystery to most of its sufferers. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor is an expert at solving the problem.
Anatomy
To understand back pain, it is useful to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back are comprised of posterior joints called facets that link vertebrae to one another and serve to dictate the motion of the spine. Inter-vertebral discs, made of dense cartilage, connect the bodies of the vertebrae. This tough cartilage covers the nucleus, a soft material in the center of the inter-vertebral discs. The discs act as shock absorbers and spacers between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also connect the vertebrae. The sacrum is a wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine. It is attached to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. The spinal cord is located between the facets of the vertebrae. The spinal nerves go out from the spine between the vertebrae.
Causes of Back Pain
In most cases, back pain occurs without a trauma, an accident, or a major injury prior to the onset. The cumulative effects of unhealthy sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other poor lifestyle-related factors produce most back pain. All of these factors create stresses and imbalances on the spine and eventually produce pain. This is why people can often injure their back merely by bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The instability of the spine makes it vulnerable to even the most simple movements, such as bending. When this happens, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor can help you to get out of pain quickly.
Disc Problems & Sciatica
Prolonged sitting, especially in a unsuitable position creates increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles surrounding the spine. After a while the lower spine loses its ability to function normally during everyday stresses. Ultimately, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, letting the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. If the disc pushes on sensitive tissues, it creates the pain that is often referred to as a slipped disc. Sciatica develops when the disc presses on the spinal nerve. The symptoms of sciatica include pain, tingling, numbness, and often weakness in the lower extremities. Sadly, if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition isn’t managed appropriately, surgery may berequired to clear away the herniated disc material. With chiropractic adjustments and care, which often includes postural exercises, most disc complications, including sciatica, can be resolved. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms defined above, it is crucial for you to seek chiropractic treatment.
Spondylosis
Repetitive damage to the discs, facet joints, and surrounding ligaments may result in increased wearing away and weight-bearing stress on the spine. This stress can negatively affect the cartilage around the joints and engender calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae, forming bone spurs. These spurs can constrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This condition – known as Spondylosis - is a kind of arthritis that is likely to affect almost everyone at some point in life, as it is a common part of the aging process of the spine as well. But|However, determinants such as previous trauma, unhealthy lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influence the time of onset in life. Regular chiropractic care and overall chiropractic management is very effective in slowing the aging process of the spine, as well as aiding Spondylosis sufferers in managing their condition. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor has treated many Spondylosis sufferers.
Sacroiliac Problems
Another general area of dysfunction or injury in the low back is in the sacroiliac joints. These weight-bearing joints link the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are innately very strong and stable. Disturbances from falls, sports injuries, or the lifting of heavy objects can cause the joints to become unstable and relocate to an abnormal position. This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. Pregnancy can also cause this condition. Sacroiliac subluxation produces imbalances in the lower extremities giving a person a functional long and short leg. People with this condition will feel pain specifically with prolonged standing and walking, or during or after physical activity. Many complain of lack of energy and being easily fatigued. Other symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches, can advance further up the spine. Chiropractic adjustments and treatment are extremely effective in fixing this problem by establishing proper alignment of the joints.. Ask your Fort Worth chiropractor how you can get effective pain relief.
Spinal Subluxation
Subluxated or misaligned facets joints are a common disorder of the lower back, as well as the entire spine. Subluxations can happen on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and Spondylosis. Subluxations are not only painful, but they can constrict the nerves as they exit the foramen (or spaces) between the vertebrae, causing paraesthesia. Paraesthesia is a change of sensation described as a tingling, burning or “funny feeling.” Paraesthesia in the upper extremities usuallyoriginates from nerve problems in the neck, while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is commonly associated with nerve challengesin the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also belinked to, or complicated by, spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best eliminated by chiropractic adjustments.
Trauma
Damage such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury can cause over-stretching or tearing of the tissues of the spine and lower back and produce extensive pain and immobility. Expert chiropractic care at the onset of symptoms is very important in order to avoid long term disability and the development of any of the above conditions. If you experience a trauma, call your chiropractor as soon as possible.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is often associated with low back pain. Chiropractic care offers exceptional pain relief.
When it comes to the spine, chiropractors have more education and training than medical doctors. They can provide state of the art diagnosis and skilled treatment for any of the above-mentioned problems of the spine and lower back.
Tags: back pain, chiropractic adjustments, chiropractic care, Fort Worth chiropractor, sacroiliac pain, sciatica