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Although chiropractors care for more than just back pain, many patients
visit chiropractors looking for relief from this pervasive condition. In fact,
31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.
A few interesting facts about back pain:
- One-half of all working Americans admit to
having back pain symptoms each year.
- Back pain is one of the most common reasons for
missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to
the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
- Most cases of back pain are mechanical or
non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as
inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
- Americans spend at least $50 billion each year
on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.
- Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the
population will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.
What Causes Back Pain?
The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles.
You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints,
all of which can lead to back pain. While sports injuries or accidents can
cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a
pencil from the floor— can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor
posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain.
Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as
kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.
Manipulation as a Treatment for Back Problems
Used primarily by Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) for the last century,
manipulation has been largely ignored by most others in the health care
community until recently. Now, with today's growing emphasis on treatment and
cost effectiveness, manipulation is receiving more widespread attention.
Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a safe and effective spine pain
treatment. It reduces pain, decreases medication, rapidly advances physical
therapy, and requires very few passive forms of treatment, such as bed rest.
In fact, after an extensive study of all currently available care for low
back problems, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research—a federal
government research organization—recommended that low back pain sufferers
choose the most conservative care first. And it recommended spinal manipulation
as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial professional treatment
for acute low back problems in adults.
Tips to Prevent Back
Pain
- Maintain a healthy diet and
weight.
- Remain active—under the
supervision of your doctor of chiropractic.
- Avoid prolonged inactivity or
bed rest.
- Warm up or stretch before
exercising or other physical activities, such as gardening.
- Maintain proper posture.
- Wear comfortable, low-heeled
shoes.
- Sleep on a mattress of medium
firmness to minimize any curve in your spine.
- Lift with your knees, keep
the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.
- Quit smoking. Smoking impairs
blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal
tissues.
- Work with your doctor of
chiropractic to ensure that your computer workstation is ergonomically
correct.
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