Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, just behind upper respiratory infections.  It is estimated that each year more than half of the adult population is affected by low back pain; 10% of all people have frequent episodes of low back pain.

The low back is very susceptible to injury and hence pain due to the fact that the low back, like the neck, is an unstable part of the spine.  The thoracic spine is stabilized by the support of the rib cage. 

The instability of the neck and low back gives us benefits of mobility that enables us to bend over and touch our toes and tie our shoes but at the cost of increased risk of injury.

When the low back is healthy and functioning correctly it can withstand incredible force without injury (think professional power lifters).  However, is the low back is out of alignment something as simple as taking the groceries out of the back of your car can cause injury. 

Until recently, many people believed that low back pain would eventually go away on its own.  Today we have learned that this is not true.  When back pain is not treated, it may go away temporarily but will most likely return.  It is very important to take low back pain very seriously so as not to further damage the area.  Seek professional chiropractic care as soon as your symptoms begin. 

The Causes of Low Back Pain
Conditions that can result in low back pain symptoms include: subluxations, sprained ligaments, strained muscles, ruptured disks, trigger points and inflamed joints.  Sports injuries and accidents can lead to injury and pain in this area, but even simple movements like bending down to pet your cat or dog can have painful results if the spine is not aligned correctly.  Other conditions such as arthritis, poor posture, obesity, psychological stress and even kidney  stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss can lead to pain. 

Due to the fact that there is an array of conditions that can cause low back pain, and some of those can be quite serious if left untreated, it is important to seek professional help.  Chiropractors are experts at diagnosing the cause and determining the proper treatment for low back pain.  The most common causes of low back pain are described below. 

Subluxations
A vertebral subluxation is when one or more of the bones in your spine move out of position and create pressure on your spinal nerves.  These nerves are responsible for coordinating and controlling most of the functions of your body.  If the signals from these nerves are faced with interference, parts of your body will not receive the proper nerve message.  The result: parts of your body are not functioning at 100%.  Chiropractors are the only health professionals that are trained in the detection, location and correction of subluxations.

Disc Herniations
Herniated discs can be a source of intense and debilitating pain that can radiate to other areas of the body.  However, many people with herniated discs don’t even know they have one because they don’t feel any pain and are not under regular chiropractic care.  In either situation, once a disc herniates it rarely ever completely heals.  Prevention and avoiding further deterioration can be avoided through regular chiropractic care with spine checks and exercise.

Stress
When you are emotionally or physically stressed your body responds by increasing your blood pressure and heart rate, flooding your body with stress hormones and tightening up your muscles.  Frequent stress causes chronic muscle tension which results in sore, weak and muscles loaded with trigger points.  If you are “stressed out” all the time and have low back pain it is important to do relaxation exercises and visit your chiropractor!

Treating Low Back Pain with Chiropractic
Chiropractic treatment for low back pain is straightforward – correct the structure of the spine to resolve the cause of the pain instead of decreasing the symptoms with superficial treatments.  The chiropractic adjustment is moving the bones of the spine back to their original position so the nerves within can send their signals properly. 

Chiropractic for the low back has been repeatedly shown to be the most effective treatment for low back pain.  Major studies have shown that chiropractic care is more effective, cheaper and has better long-term outcomes than any other treatment.  This makes sense because with other treatments such as muscle relaxers, pain killers, and bed rest, they only cover up the pain temporarily but chiropractic re-establishes the normal position of movement of the spine.