Care - Back Pain
Back pain affects almost
everyone at some time, causing restricted movement and
untold misery, stress and discomfort. It also causes
millions of people to take valuable time off work,
costing companies enormous sums in sick pay and lost
production.
What causes back pain?
Chiropractic adjustments
have been recognized as highly effective in treating
back pain, and the Royal College of General
Practitioners issued guidelines for GPs in 1996 which
recommended adjustments within six weeks of onset for
the relief of acute low back pain.
Chiropractors are trained
to identify and treat the specific cause of your back
pain, and once you have begun care, they may also advise
you on an appropriate rehabilitation and maintenance
exercise plan to prevent a recurrence.
The bones of your spine
protect the spinal cord; if they lose their normal
motion or position, this can irritate the nerve roots
that branch off the spinal cord to the organs and
tissues of your body. Sciatica is a general term
describing pain in the sciatic region, which extends
from the base of the spine down the back and side of the
upper leg.
Unless there is a specific
injury to this region, pain here is 'referred' from
other areas. (The irritation of the nerve in one area
can sometimes lead to pain, known as 'referred' pain, in
other parts of the body). The nerves that supply the
sciatic region come from the lower back.
In order for the spine to
be flexible, the vertebrae are joined together by soft
tissue structures known as discs. Each disc is made up
of two parts - a central soft core and outer rings of
tough cartilage. The discs allow movement and also help
to absorb shock. A slipped disc is the rather inaccurate
term used to describe the condition, often in the lower
back, where trauma or 'wear and tear' have caused damage
to the outer rings of cartilage, so that the core is
squeezed outwards.
This can eventually result
in a bulge which can press on the spinal cord, the nerve
root or the nerve itself. It can cause excruciating
pain, either in the back or referred elsewhere - for
example in the lower leg or foot. Chiropractic
adjustments can mobilize the spine to reduce any
pressure around the spinal cord or nerves.
Trigger points (sometimes
referred to as 'fibrositis') are very common and related
to back pain. They occur in the neck or shoulders (often
caused by bad posture or stress) or sometimes in the
sacroiliac region at the base of the spine. Painful
knots form within muscles which have gone into spasm - a
reaction which the body triggers in order to tighten
muscles round a problem area to prevent further injury.
This is why the condition
so often occurs in patients who have had a back pain
problem for some time, and it can make the care of the
original complaint more difficult by putting unequal
pressures on joints when they have been adjusted. Your
chiropractor will therefore use adjustments to adjust
the relevant joint, but may also use deep massage and
soft tissue work to relieve the condition. Since the
knots of muscle are often very tender, the soft tissue
treatment may be painful at first.
Any questions?
Call the office at 503-644-8844 today!
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