Back pain is something that happens to most people at some point in their lives. We see all sorts of injuries but one of the most common things we hear at DoroskiChiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA is "I didn't do anything." In quite a few instances you didn't do anything, at that time. It was all the stuff you did a month prior
that created an environment where a sneeze caused the entire thing to fall
apart. That is where seeing a
chiropractor on a regular basis helps, because you can keep making small
corrections to your back to prevent the flare ups.
Back pain is very common and is treatable but it does
require some regular maintenance once you have had your second or third
injury. Your back is made up of small
joints held together by muscles and ligaments.
Once you sprain (stretch) the ligaments they become loose and even after
they heal they are not as tight as before.
A good analogy I use with patients is a twisted ankle. The first time you twist your ankle you did
something. You stepped in a hole, jumped
and landed on it wrong…. Something! The
next time you did it you did something just not as traumatic. Maybe you step off the curb funny. The third time you are tying your shoe. By the fourth time you woke up and your ankle
hurts and you limp on it for a week trying to figure out what happened. Your back is the same way but with many more
moving parts that can cause the same stress and same pain. That is why maintenance after your second or
third time is necessary to prevent flare-ups.
Here are the ACA statistics about back pain.
Back Pain Facts &
Statistics
Although chiropractors care for more than just back pain,
many patients visit chiropractors looking for relief from this pervasive
condition. In fact, 31 million Americans
experience low-back pain at any given time.1
A few interesting
facts about back pain:
Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability
worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010.
One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain
symptoms each year.2
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common
reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory
infections.
Most cases of back pain are mechanical or
non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory
arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back
pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.3
Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will
experience a back problem at some time in our lives.4
What Causes Back
Pain?
The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints,
ligaments and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks,
and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports injuries
or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for
example, picking up a pencil from the floor— can have painful results. In
addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause
or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the
internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone
loss.
Manipulation as a
Treatment for Back Problems
Used primarily by Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) for the last
century, manipulation has been largely ignored by most others in the health
care community until recently. Now, with today's growing emphasis on treatment
and cost effectiveness, manipulation is receiving more widespread attention.
Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a safe and effective
spine pain treatment. It reduces pain, decreases medication, rapidly advances
physical therapy, and requires very few passive forms of treatment, such as bed
rest.5
In fact, after an extensive study of all currently available
care for low back problems, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research—a
federal government research organization—recommended that low back pain
sufferers choose the most conservative care first. And it recommended spinal
manipulation as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial
professional treatment for acute low back problems in adults.6
A patient information article published recently in the
Journal of the American Medical Association also suggested chiropractic care as
an option for people suffering from low back pain--and noted that surgery is
usually not needed and should only be tried if other therapies fail.7
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) urges you to
make an informed choice about your back care. To learn more about how the
services of doctors of chiropractic may help you, review the results of recent
research studies and contact a Doctor of Chiropractic in your area. Search our
online database of ACA members to find a doctor of chiropractic near you.
Tips to Prevent Back Pain
Maintain a healthy diet and weight.
Remain active—under the supervision of your doctor of
chiropractic.
Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest.
Warm up or stretch before exercising or other physical
activities, such as gardening.
Maintain proper posture.
Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve
in your spine.
Lift with your knees,
keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.
Quit smoking. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in
oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.
Work with your doctor of chiropractic to ensure that your
computer workstation is ergonomically correct.
References:
1. Jensen M, Brant-Zawadzki M, Obuchowski N, et al. Magnetic
Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People Without Back Pain. N Engl J Med
1994; 331: 69-116.
2. Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain:
Clinical Symptoms, Absenteeism and Working Environment. Scan J Rehab Med Suppl
1985; 11: 1-98.
3. This total represents only the more readily identifiable
costs for medical care, workers compensation payments and time lost from work.
It does not include costs associated with lost personal income due to acquired
physical limitation resulting from a back problem and lost employer
productivity due to employee medical absence. In Project Briefs: Back Pain
Patient Outcomes Assessment Team (BOAT). In MEDTEP Update, Vol. 1 Issue 1,
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville,
4. In Vallfors B, previously cited.
5. Time to recognize value of chiropractic care? Science and
patient satisfaction surveys cite usefulness of spinal manipulation.
Orthopedics Today 2003 Feb; 23(2):14-15.
6. Bigos S, Bowyer O, Braen G, et al. Acute Low Back
Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guideline No.14. AHCPR Publication No.
95-0642. Rockville, MD: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Public
Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December, 1994.
7. Goodman D, Burke A, Livingston E. Low Back Pain. JAMA. 2013;
309(16):1738.
Doroski Chiropractic Neurology
3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588
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