Therapies and Treatments for Low Back Pain
Sacro Occipital Technic®, Reflex Pain Treatment, Craniopathy, Myofascial Release, Shockwave Therapy, Cupping
What is Low Back Pain?
Low back pain refers to the discomfort, tension, or pain localized in the area between the rib cage and the pelvis, commonly known as the lumbar region of the spine. It can range from a dull, persistent ache to sharp, shooting pains that may radiate into the buttocks or legs. It is one of the most common reasons for visits to healthcare providers and can vary greatly in severity and duration.
What causes Low Back Pain?
Low Back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including muscle strain, ligament sprain, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, sacroiliac sprains, TMJ dysfunction, or other underlying medical conditions.
FAQs for Low Back Pain
What are the common causes of low back pain?
There are various factors that can contribute to low back pain. This includes muscle strain, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, loss of arch in feet, overpronation of feet, poor knee and hip mechanics, exercising with poor form, and more.
What are the best treatments for low back pain?
In a recent study Chiropractic has been found to be a superior treatment to physical therapy. Peer-Reviewed literature revealed that physical therapy increases opioid use by 90%, increases spinal injections by 53% while Chiropractic decreased opioid use by 55%. Chiropractic also decreased disability by 313% compared to physical therapy.
When should I see a doctor for my low back pain?
Understanding when professional medical evaluation and treatment is necessary is crucial. You should seek help when the pain begins to interfere with your activities of daily living, becomes more severe, radiates down the legs or buttocks and/or thighs.
How can I prevent low back pain?
The best way to prevent low back pain is by maintaining good posture, keeping good form when lifting heavy objects, exercising with proper form, maintaining a strong core, train specifically for the activities that you do. The repetitive stress that your activities from work or fun put excessive strain and trauma on the musculoskeletal system. If you include strengthening exercises to tone the muscles that you use for work/fun then they can handle it better with less injury.
Are there any specific exercises or stretches that can help alleviate low back pain?
Exercise and stretching routines tailored for low back pain relief are commonly sought after. The best program is one customized to your condition as some exercises that help one person can significantly injure another person. This is because there are many causes to low back pain.
Should I stretch if I feel tight?
There are three reasons why a muscle is tight.
1. You are genuinely a stiff person. Can you touch your toes?
2. The muscle is protecting something.
3. The muscle is already being stretched/under tension due to a mechanical compromise.
The first one is the only reason you should be stretching. Otherwise, correcting the root cause of the problem is paramount. In fact, if you stretch under conditions 2 and 3 you risk making your problem worse even if it feels better in the moment when you stretch it.
Are there specific ergonomic adjustments I can make at work to reduce low back pain?
Many people spend significant time sitting at desks or engaging in repetitive tasks at work. Things to consider getting a specialist to help optimize is your chair setup, desk height, monitor/screen position, mouse and keyboard position and type. All of these factors can contribute to repetitive strain on the areas related.
Does being overweight make low back pain worse?
Excess body weight can exacerbate low back pain by placing additional stress on the spine. There are many other health consequences to being overweight as well. It would be advised to seek help, if needed, to get to a healthy weight through proper diet and exercise. This will alleviate the unnecessary strain on the lower back.
Is it safe to exercise with low back pain, and if so, what types of exercises are recommended?
Many individuals with low back pain are unsure about the safety and efficacy of exercise. If you are unsure if it is safe, seek the advice/guidance of a healthcare practitioner that specializes in the treatment of low back pain. If you begin a program and the pain gets worse, discontinue immediately and seek help. Some generally safe exercises that tend to be well tolerated are swimming and yoga.
What are the potential complications or long-term effects of untreated low back pain?
Understanding the potential consequences of leaving low back pain untreated is important for making informed decisions about seeking treatment. If the pain progresses and radiates down the leg it could be a disc herniation. If the herniation gets bad enough it may become resistant to conservative treatment resulting is surgery. Depending upon the severity the surgery could range from a microdiscectomy (removing a small piece of herniated disc material) to a fusion of the involved vertebra and full disc removal. The latter has significant health repercussions as it has a tendency to create instability above and below the fusion requiring additional surgeries and fusions later on in life.
