What is Low Back Pain?
The lower back is made to offer strength, support, and flexibility to the whole body. This is actually the main reason why the lower back is sensitive to pain and injury from daily life. Low back pain emanates from a variety of causes and comes in different severities. This pain can be mild at first and work up to be severe and debilitating. In fact, a good number of Americans experience low back pain and discomfort on a regular basis.
What Happens Before Chiropractic Adjustments for Low Back Pain
Before the chiropractor works on your back, they need to examine you before creating your treatment plan. The assessment done on you can include different aspects like health history and physical examination. Let us have a look at these main aspects in detail:
- Health History
The chiropractor examines your health history to get a good idea of what could be causing the pain or the different characteristics of the pain that you are experiencing. At times, there may be some red flags that could suggest further diagnostic testing to be conducted to eliminate instances of serious medical issues, which could be causing back pain like fractures, tumors, and neurological disorders. Back pain is caused by a variety of reasons and it is important to identify these problems to gain a good understanding of the best treatment.
- Physical Examination and Testing
The chiropractor has to do some physical examination to test sensory nerves, reflexes, muscles, and joints. If required, advanced diagnostic testing can be done in case of any signs of a serious underlying condition.
The chiropractor looks at the symptoms and conditions of your low back pain and uses this information to come up with a proper treatment plan for you. Therefore, it can be said that physical examination is an important part of the chiropractic therapy process.
Methods Used to Treat Low Back Pain
- Spinal and Manual Manipulation
This type of manipulation refers to high-velocity and short lever arm thrust, which is applied to an abnormal vertebra in a bid to reduce nerve irritability, improve functionality, and restore range of motion in the lower back.
- Mobilization
Mobilization entails low-velocity manipulation, stretching, and movement of the joints and muscles with the aim of improving the overall range of motion within these areas.
During the treatment process, the chiropractor will be in constant communication with you telling you what is going to happen. The chiropractor will ensure that you understand everything that will happen during the diagnosis and examination. They will also educate you on the specific procedures that are going to take place and expect direct approval from you to start the treatment. Approval is an important part of the chiropractic therapy process because some techniques may carry some risk, meaning there could be a possibility that a specific procedure will cause injury.
How Does Chiropractic Care Help With Low Back Pain?
Chiropractic care offers an excellent way to manage pain coming from the lower back. Frequent visits to the chiropractor ensure that you get a safe, non-addictive, and non-invasive alternative to over-the-counter drugs and prescription medication, which are usually given to patients to help them manage swelling and pain. Chiropractic therapy can offer health benefits such as reduced pain and discomfort, improved range of motion, better flexibility, improved muscle strength, and reduced inflammation.
Studies show that 85% of people experience back pain at some point in their lives, requiring them to seek medical treatment for this condition. Despite how common this condition is, the exact cause of pain is usually unclear. This applies to the treatment too, which is also unknown. Due to these reasons, doctors’ recommendations vary. However, standard care entails stretching, exercising, resting, and taking pain relievers. Some doctors also suggest trying chiropractic therapy. This article has given information regarding the use of chiropractic care for dealing with low back pain.