Where Will You Go Without Your Spine?
Eighty percent of us at one time or another in our lives will experience back pain. Once an individual suffers from low back pain, it is not uncommon to suffer additional bouts thereafter. Research shows that it is also common for back pain to persist in the majority of patients at one year after the initial onset. Since our lower back is subject to more stress than any other part of the human frame makes it the most susceptible to injury.
Furthermore, the spine is a sophisticated structure and its importance is reflected in the fact that almost every structure in the body is dependent on its optimal function. Fortunately for us, most back pain is the result of simple strains and sprains that can be prevented and with appropriate care allowed to heal within a short period of time. Neglect, misunderstanding and inappropriate care of the human frame are the three most common reasons that delay the recovery from lower back pain.
The Causes of Back Pain
Diagnosis and management of lower back pain can be simplified by dividing the causes into three broad categories:
Mechanical Back Pain:
This most common subgroup which includes everyday sprains and strains. It is characterized by pain aggravated by certain movement, changes in position, poor posture, tense back muscles, and local tenderness.
Disc Injury:
Researchers estimate that one-fifth of all back pain is due to a herniated disc-which is when the displaced material from within the disc presses upon a spinal nerve causing radiating pain, tingling or numbness into the leg on the affected side. Herniated discs are common with individuals that hurt themselves in a combination movement such as with bending, lifting and twisting.
Underlying Disease or Structural Problems:
A small percentage of back pain can be caused by systemic health problems such as kidney disease, cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis or spinal infection. Scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine) and hyperlordosis (excessive inward curvature of the lower back) are also associated with a predisposition for chronic spinal discomfort.
When To Seek Professional Care:
Generally any spinal discomfort is considered abnormal. As such, it is advisable to seek care if you experience spinal discomfort and especially if that discomfort is associated with other symptoms that include and are not limited to:
- pain, tingling or numbness in the leg(s)
- acute pain that persists even with rest
- pain post-accident or fall
- vomiting, fever or urinary symptoms with back pain
- backache in the elderly or in children
PREVENTING LOWER BACK PAIN
The paradigm in health care has shifted. Health encompasses taking care of the whole body (all the parts) so that it may function optimally without disease and without dysfunction daily. Spinal pain prevention adheres to the same principle. Once the initial injury has been treated properly and function has been restored, it is important to follow a healthy daily regimen to prevent spinal injury and pain from disrupting your life in the future.
One of the traps that we have fallen into as a society is an overemphasis on medication to cure our spinal ailments. For example, pain medications are readily prescribed act to mask pain and do not address the underlying problem causing the discomfort. Consequently back pain symptoms resurface time and time again and may become chronic due to initial neglect of the actual problem. Be mindful of your body and be responsible for it.
Follow these simple steps to properly address and prevent back pain:
First and Foremost Seek Proper Care:
It is vital with any bodily issue to quickly arrive at a correct diagnosis and effectively treat the area(s) involved. This allows resolution of symptoms as well as reducing the probability of a minor issue becoming more chronic and disabling.
The Manga Report, the largest unbiased government analysis of scientific literature on lower back pain to date, was commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Health in 1993. The report found a constellation of evidence supporting greater effectiveness of chiropractic management of low back pain versus traditional medical treatment. It concluded greater safety of chiropractic treatment over other treatments; cost effectiveness of chiropractic management over therapies, as well as and in my mind the most important, great patient satisfaction levels by patients of chiropractors
Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle:
The road to Wellness relies on our discipline to engage in behaviours that promote health. Once the ailment has been properly diagnosed, treated and full functional capacity has been restored, it is vital to adapt a lifestyle that promotes wellness. This lifestyle will allow you to function optimally on a day to day basis and prevent future ailments.
This is the essence of wellness behaviour. Taking responsibility for your health to allow yourself to be dis-ease free. Your practitioner, whether it be your chiropractor, naturopath or medical doctor, should be your primary resource on healthy living. A major part of your doctors treatment plan should focus on preventative care and lifestyle coaching.
With chiropractic care as the patient is being restored to normal functioning after a bout of spinal pain, he or she is also equipped with the necessary lifestyle education for the maintenance and preservation of their spinal health. Lifestyle factors that are addressed include a home exercise, stretch, and strengthening program, postural modification and reeducation, ergonomic assessment, nutritional advice and supplementation, gait and foot analysis, as well as mental and emotional stress reduction. Be mindful that unless special attention is paid to each of the parts, the whole can not be well.
Get In Touch With Dr. Maninder Badyal (Surrey Chiropractor) Today For All Your Chiropractic Needs