What Causes Low Back Pain?
Low back pain is the number one reason people worldwide visit a doctor and miss work. If you’ve dealt with it in the past (or maybe even right now), you know back pain can change your life instantly. Not being able to enjoy hobbies, difficulty in your ability to work, and a sneaking suspicion that you may never get “back to normal” are all normal when you’re experiencing a bout of back pain. So why do so many people struggle with back pain?
In many cases, your daily habits are a big contributor to your back pain. Repetitive stress, nagging injuries, a diet filled with inflammatory foods, and a lack of daily exercise and movement can increase the likelihood of back pain. Here are the three most common causes of back pain.
Sprain/Strain Injury: Repetitive stress can create inflammation and lead to sprain/strain injuries
Spinal Disc Issues: Disc bulges and herniations can cause back pain that travels by pressing on your spinal nerves
Arthritis: As you get older, your body will go through degenerative changes, but if your spinal joints get inflamed, you may notice pain associated with arthritis
For over 80% of us, back pain will be something we deal with at some point. And while it may feel like you’ll never return to your old self, chances are you will. An overwhelming majority of people recover from back pain naturally or with additional help from a spinal decompression doctor. Even if you recover by taking it easy for a few days, it’s still smart to visit a spinal decompression doctor to discover the specific steps you can take to reduce your chances of experiencing back pain in the future.
How to Move Your Way to Back Pain Relief
Movement is one of the best ways to recover from back pain. Science has shown us that medications and rest are a few of the least effective ways to find relief. Your body is designed to move, and often, it’s a lack of daily movement (or chronic postural changes) that causes back pain to begin in the first place. Discovering the right movements and exercises can help you recover quickly and prevent future back pain episodes.
Your body has three types of movements: Segmental, regional, and whole body. Segmental motion occurs between the individual joints of your body. Regional movement occurs in a body region such as your neck, mid-back, or low back. And whole-body movement is typically what we think of as exercise. All three types are essential and work together to keep your spine and musculoskeletal system healthy and functioning at its best.
Segmental Movement: Spinal decompression doctors are specifically trained to move the individual joints of your body. Proper segmental movement can help reduce pain, improve your range of motion, and influence your central nervous system
Regional Movement: Dynamic stretching with regional range of motion exercises can reduce low back stiffness
Whole Body Exercise: Daily whole-body exercise can help your brain and body feel better as well as improve your rest and recovery at night
The foundation of all movement is segmental. If your joints aren’t moving correctly, you’ll never be able to optimize your regional or whole-body movement. Moving may be the last thing you want to do if you’re struggling with back pain. However, top research organizations have proven that proper movement and exercise are the best ways to relieve back pain. If you’ve dealt with back pain, call us today. Our team will happily provide you with a complete movement assessment and personalized movement and exercise plan to help you get (and stay) well for years
Is My Leg Pain Coming from My Back?
It may seem weird to think that leg, calf, or foot pain can often be traced back to a low back problem. But if you’ve had pain in your leg or foot, a pinched nerve in your lower back may create your issue. Pain that travels along a spinal nerve is called radicular pain, one of the most common types of pain due to spinal nerve compression.
Bones, discs, or ligaments can pinch or compress your spinal nerves. Facet hypertrophy or bone spurs sometimes grow large enough to pinch your spinal nerves. Disc herniations or bulges can invade the space of your nerves and cause the narrowing of the canals. And ligament hypertrophy can happen with age and injuries and ultimately cause your nerves to get squeezed. Whether your pain is coming from bone, disc, or ligament, it’s important to know that all can recover without needing drugs or surgery.
Bone Spurs- Bone spurs or osteophytes form due to joint damage associated with osteoarthritis
Disc Herniations- disc bulges, herniations, or tears can cause inflammation and pressure on your spinal nerves
Ligament Hypertrophy- ligamentum flavum hypertrophy or overgrowth happens due to biomechanical stress and aging
Leg pain that begins in your low back can start with an injury or for what seems like no reason at all. Either way, your body is telling you to Pay Attention Inside Now! Our practice helps people regain their quality of life from compressed nerves every day. Our care plans are to reduce inflammation, establish proper joint motion, and take proactive steps to reduce the likelihood of the pain returning. If you’ve felt leg pain- give us a call today.
Why Medications Aren’t Recommended for Low Back Pain
A staggering 100,000 people each year are hospitalized due to NSAIDs. Just because these medications can be purchased over the counter doesn’t mean that they don’t have risks and dangers. Leading healthcare organizations have taken note and now recommend that movement-based care options, such as spinal decompression therapy, are explored for most low back issues before any medications. The added benefit is that most people who explore spinal decompression therapy care take far fewer medications than those who don’t. Why? Because it works.
Over the past twenty years, we’ve seen the effects of low back pain change our healthcare landscape forever. The numbers of people with low back pain have remained the same even as we’ve lost millions to the opioid epidemic and hundreds of thousands more due to complications from NSAIDs. The good news is that major healthcare organizations have updated their guidelines and the care that spinal decompression doctors deliver ranks at the top of nearly every list.
Over 100,000 people are hospitalized each year from NSAID-related complications
Each day, over 100 people pass away due to Opioid overdoses
Leading healthcare organizations now recommend the care delivered by spinal decompression doctors as the best first-line treatment for low back pain.
Next Steps:
Medications are designed to mask the pain, not fix the problem. Receiving a complete and comprehensive evaluation is the first step towards finding relief. After discovering the cause of your pain, we can work together to craft a care plan to help you reach your health goals. If you know someone struggling with low back pain, call us today.
Science Source:
Mayo Clinic. Back Pain Symptoms and Causes. 2020
Harvard Health Publishing. 5 Steps to a Pain-Free Back. 2016
Johns Hopkins Medicine. Radiculopathy. 2021
Annals of Internal Medicine. Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. 2017
