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Central Illinois Spine
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BACK PAIN TREATMENT
You Don’t Have To Live With Back Pain
Back pain. It can wreck your morning, not to mention your afternoon, and evening. Back pain is one of the most common health complaints out there. 80% of adults will have back pain at some point in their lives. It’s the single leading cause of disability in the world.
Back pain can result from trauma, sports injury, or even simply bending over to pick something up. The lower back, which carries a lot of our body weight is particularly susceptible to injury. Pain medication only helps mask the symptoms, and may lead to side effects, ranging from indigestion to dangerous addiction. Chiropractors focus on finding and fixing the root cause of the pain.
If your back is giving you problems, chiropractic care is a natural, drug-free way to address them, and is one of the most frequently sought-after treatments for back pain. Chiropractors are licensed healthcare professionals who treat millions of people for back pain every year. They specialize in problems of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Spending years in training in anatomy, microbiology, physiology, structure, and function.
The signature chiropractic treatment is a spinal adjustment, also called spinal manipulation, and is endorsed by the American College of Physicians. When performing adjustments, chiropractors may use manual techniques, or small instruments to restore optimal functionality of the spine and nervous system. This restores joint mobility, which relieves pressure and lets you move better. That allows the body to work at peak performance.
Chiropractors can offer nutritional and lifestyle counseling, and recommend exercises to keep your back in better shape, because good overall health can mean less back pain. For many of the millions of us who suffer from the all-too-common complaint of back pain chiropractic offers safe and effective treatment that can relieve pain without the need for drugs or surgery.
Back Pain
The back is a broad term that covers a large area of the body, made up of many tendons, ligaments, discs, muscles, and bones. Without a solid understanding of these different parts, it can be complicated to locate and address the source of the back pain. The following breakdown explains some of the most common issues, and their identifying features. It also explains how chiropractic medicine can help to resolve them. This is a general guideline to help you in your quest for effective treatment, but we highly recommend that you seek a professional opinion to properly diagnose these issues.
BACK PAIN BULDGING & HERNIATED DISCS
Very often back and neck pain can be traced to problems with the spinal discs. Discs act as shock absorbers between the vertebrae, so they don’t rub against each other and the spine can move freely. When there is an issue with a disc, the vertebrae are not sufficiently cushioned and the spine itself may be at risk. Two common disc problems are bulging discs and herniated discs.
Research shows that 50% of adults over age 40 have one of these disc abnormalities. They usually occur in the lower back or neck. These two areas of the spine support the most weight and move most, so they are more prone to injury. When a disc bulges it protrudes out of its normal position. Bulging discs often happen with age since discs degenerate from wear and tear. Your risk can increase from smoking or from pressure on the spine due to repetitive tasks, poor posture, or heavy lifting.
The condition becomes serious if it bulges enough to pinch a nerve or cause the spinal canal to narrow. For many people a bulging disc does not cause any pain, but for others it can cause pain that may radiate to other parts of the body.
Herniated discs, also called slipped or ruptured disks, aren’t as common as bulging discs, but they can be more serious. A disc becomes herniated when there’s a rupture in the firm outer shell of the disc. When this happens, some of the soft material inside the disc can obstruct or cause inflammation within the spinal canal. This places pressure on the spinal cord and can result in sharp intense pain, numbness, and muscle weakness. It may also cause tingling, aching, or burning, or pain that radiates to the arm or leg. If left untreated, this condition can cause permanent nerve damage.
Disc problems should not be ignored. If you suspect you may have a herniated or bulging disc, schedule an appointment with one of our chiropractors at Central Illinois Spine so that you can be diagnosed and treated. Depending on your unique condition chiropractic treatment may involve a variety of techniques, including spinal adjustments, stretching exercises, spinal traction, and lifestyle changes.
Don’t suffer needlessly, with proper care you can get on the road to recovery and healing. Call today to schedule a consultation.
BACK PAIN DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE
When you’re a kid, your body can take a lot. Your joints are more mobile. Your spine is more flexible and healthy cartilage of spinal discs cushions your vertebrae better against injury. But as we get older, the wear and tear on our spine can begin to show. The discs that separate our vertebrae may become less effective due to injuries, wear and tear, loss of water and the effects of gravity. The rubbery discs that cushion the spinal vertebrae can dry out, thin or even tear causing changes to the spinal segments.
This is known as degenerative disc disease. Many people have no symptoms of degenerative disc disease for a long time. But as the condition advances, there is often pain, inflammation and reduced mobility in the back and neck. In serious cases of degeneration, the arms and legs can also feel weak, numb or have a tingling sensation.
Since we can’t stop the aging process, what can we do? Taking good care of your spine and muscles can slow down the degeneration process. Seeing your chiropractor regularly, maintaining good posture and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is key to maintaining a healthy spine. Chiropractic care can provide a safe, natural way to address disc degeneration. Even if you don’t have symptoms, chiropractors generally look for degenerative disc disease during an evaluation.
Degeneration cannot be reversed and serious chronic cases of degenerative disc disease may need surgery. If the degeneration is too advanced, your chiropractor will assist in making the right referral. In many cases though chiropractic treatment will restore function and ease pressure and pain. Organizations including The Arthritis Foundation recommend spinal manipulation, a key chiropractic technique to ease the pain of disc degeneration.
Your chiropractor can also recommend exercise and lifestyle changes to help ease your symptoms. Exercise in particular is important. It will help blood flow and carry nutrients to the spine while clearing away substances that cause inflammation. A combination of in-office chiropractic techniques and a healthy lifestyle can help keep your spine functioning well throughout life.
SCIATICA
Sciatica is a painful condition that affects up to 40% of adults at one point or another, and is most common in adults aged 30 to 50. While many assume that sciatica is a disease, it’s actually a set of symptoms that have various causes. Sciatica refers to pain that runs along the sciatic nerve.
This nerve is actually made up of five nerves, making it the widest and longest nerve in the body. It runs from the lower back, down the backs of each leg. Any condition that pinches or compresses the sciatic nerve can result in symptoms of sciatica.
Here are some common causes, all affecting that nerve.
A slipped or herniated disc can pinch the sciatic nerve at the base of the spine, causing pain and numbness down the leg. Spasming muscles in the buttocks, referred to as piriformis syndrome, can also constrict the sciatic nerve. And pregnant women commonly complain of sciatic pain as the expanding belly, added weight, and posture changes can place pressure around the sciatic nerve.
The most common symptom associated with sciatica is a sharp or shooting pain running down one leg. It’s also possible to feel a dull ache, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, or a burning sensation.
The risk for sciatica increases with age. Other factors that can increase the risk include diabetes, obesity, and prolonged sitting.
You can lower your risk through regular exercise, good posture, not smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight, and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.
If you suffer from sciatica, a chiropractor can identify the cause of your symptoms and help reduce pain and inflammation.
Since the root cause of sciatica can vary, treatment may include various therapies and special exercises. Research shows that chiropractic care can successfully treat sciatica, even among patients who didn’t improve with other types of treatment. So if you’re experiencing symptoms associated with sciatica and you’d like a non-invasive safe way to relieve pain, talk with your chiropractor.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM NAGGING BACK PAIN?
Chances are the nerve rich facet joints on back side of your spinal column are damaged and need treatment. Or even worse, the disc may be to blame for causing the pain. What are your options? Well you can ignore it like most people do, but that’s only going to make the situation worse. You may opt for some rest, go for therapy, or take medicine.
Now, while these treatments may help alleviate your pain temporarily, they certainly won’t address the root cause, and surgery is one of the most dangerous options and should definitely be your last resort. Now you’re probably wondering, isn’t there anything that’s holistic, or a more natural solution to this back you’re having? Well, actually there is.
With our pain relieving chiropractic adjustments in your arsenal, you can finally put an end to your back pain once and for all, without needing dangerous surgery or taking medication. Our experienced chiropractors will work with you to help keep your spine, discs, and soft tissue in the best possible shape, and functioning the way they should be. What are your waiting for? Contact us today.