Back Pain

Back Pain Q&A

What are the symptoms of back pain?

Back pain is an uncomfortable feeling in your back or spine. It could be mild, moderate, severe, or crippling in some cases. Sometimes you may even experience pain in the back of your neck as a direct result of ongoing back pain. You may have back pain because of a disease, age-related wear, heavy lifting, or an accident. Lower back pain, middle pack pain, and upper back pain are all very common. If you experience back discomfort, it could feel like:

• Dull, aching pain
• Sharp pain
• Radiating discomfort
• Shooting pain
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Stiffness

You might have limited movement or range of motion with back pain. It could come and go or linger long-term. If you leave a back injury or back pain alone for too long it may become chronic or even crippling. It's extremely important to seek chiropractic care before these situations develop. Chiropractic treatment can help you achieve lasting back health so that you can enjoy full mobility and quick back pain relief.

What are the risk factors for back pain?

Common causes of back pain include:

• Spinal degeneration
• Herniated discs
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Deterioration
• Trauma
• Scoliosis
• Sprains and strains
• Tendon injuries
• Narrowed spinal canal
• Sciatica
• Pinched nerves
• Whiplash

You may have back pain after falling, lifting something heavy, playing contact sports, or being in a work-related or car accident.

Sciatica occurs when your sciatic nerve gets compressed or irritated. It can cause radiating pain in your lower back, buttocks, and down your leg. You might feel burning or excruciating discomfort, as well as an electric shock-like jolt.

A common cause of back pain is a pinched nerve in the lower back, which occurs when nerve fibers are compressed by surrounding tissue and bone. This can be very painful and a severe shooting pain or tingling may radiate through the lower back, buttocks, legs, or feet.

Risk factors for developing sciatica include older age, heavy lifting, weight challenges, diabetes, and prolonged sitting.

What are some causes of back pain?

The cause of back pain may be as simple as stress-related factors. Sometimes health conditions such as obesity, arthritis, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections result in lower back pain. We will discuss some of the most common direct injury or conditions such as a pinched nerve, degenerative arthritis and several others:

Herniation and Disk Bulges

A herniated disk is when your disk has a hole or tear, causing the jelly-like center of the disk to leak into the spinal canal. A disk bulge is slightly different, and occurs when the disk sags and bulges outward, putting pressure on the spine and nerves, decreasing mobility.

Depending on the type and position of the herniation, the patient may experience varying levels of pain. If the herniation is disrupting a surrounding nerve, a shooting pain may be experienced along with numbness in the legs. Although some patients with this condition feel nothing at all, it's important that these conditions are properly diagnosed to prevent much more serious injury or degeneration from occurring down the line. Herniated disk treatment is very effective at the chiropractor's office, where the method involves using light movements to gradually move the bulging or herniated disc from the nerves.

Subluxations

Subluxations are often overlooked but are one of the most common causes of back pain. They occur when there is a misalignment in the vertebral column or backbone, which causes pain and disrupts mobility. A subluxation is a serious condition because it not only affects the spine but it also compromises the entire nervous system. The nerves of the spine essentially affect the health of our entire body because they control every single cell and organ system (i.e. heart, lungs, stomach, colon, reproductive and immune systems). Regular chiropractic adjustments will treat the subluxation and restore integrity of the body’s core systems. A chiropractor can easily identify and treat a subluxation using non-invasive adjustment techniques.

Muscular Sprains or Tendon or Ligament Strains

Muscular sprains and tendon or ligament strains are most often caused by heavy/improper lifting or being involved in an accident. They can be extremely painful and cause swelling and bruising in the surrounding area. Long-term strains and sprains can change the alignment of the spine, however, these injuries respond well to chiropractic care.

Stress

Chronic stress can result in tension and muscle spasms in the spine when stress hormones are released. These areas of tension often form trigger points, which require specific chiropractic techniques to resolve.

Pinched Nerve in Lower Back

A common diagnosed cause of back pain is a pinched nerve in the lower back, which often causes sharp or tingling pain in the lower back, legs, and buttocks. A chiropractic adjustment easily addresses the pinched nerve by treating misalignment in the bones, joints, or muscles.

How does my provider diagnose the cause of back pain?

To find the root cause of back pain and develop an effective treatment plan, Dr. Gailes discusses your symptoms and medical history. She will complete a comprehensive physical exam, and may recommend undergoing blood work, x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or other imaging procedures.

What are common treatments for back pain?

According to the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society, spinal manipulation is a preferred treatment for back pain. Depending on a thorough diagnosis, Dr. Gailes puts your needs first and will recommend treatment based on your specific condition. Common back pain treatments include:

Home remedies

Things you can do at home to alleviate back pain include resting your back, using ice or heat packs, wearing a brace, and doing stretches and strengthening exercises. Eat nutritious foods, maintain a healthy body weight, stay active, and get plenty of sleep.

Massage

Dr. Gailes offers therapeutic massage to relieve muscle tension and nerve pressure while reducing back discomfort.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy stretches and strength exercises help diminish back pain, improve mobility, and give you a better quality of life.

Chiropractic Adjustment

Chiropractic adjustments can realign your spine or other parts of the body, reduce tension, and alleviate discomfort due to back pain. Chiropractic treatments Dr. Gailes offers at Indian Harbor Chiropractic include motion palpation, spinal adjustments, activator application, drop table care, neuromuscular therapy, and more to reduce your pain.

Spinal manipulation therapy (SMT)

Spinal manipulation is a technique where Dr. Gailes will apply a controlled thrust to a joint of the spine. This motion moves the joint more than it would on its own. SMT is actually a collection of techniques which include massage or mobilization of soft tissue, adjustment of spinal subluxations, trigger point therapy, cross-friction massage, active release therapy, and mechanical traction on an area of the spine or on an extremity.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS sends electrical pulses through the skin to start your body's own painkillers. The electrical pulses can release endorphins and other substances to stop pain signals in the brain. TENS can reduce pain. Tens also works on muscles and causes muscle contractions by stimulating α-motor neurons. It is highly effective in improving muscle function, strengthening muscles, and improving joint range of motion.

Laser therapy

Dr. Gailes is currently the only chiropractor in Greenwich, CT offering Class IV Laser Therapy. Dr. Gailes uses chiropractic adjustments and laser therapy to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions and speed up recovery times for all types of injuries. Laser therapy will reduce pain by over 50% in three to four treatments and can complement chiropractic adjustments or be used as an independent form of treatment.

Begin with chiropractic care today

To learn more about back pain treatment at Indian Harbor Chiropractic call the office or request your appointment today.