Low Back Pain: How to Find Lasting Relief from Low Back Pain
Section 1 - Diagnosing low back pain
Low back pain is the single most expensive health care expense in the US, in front of cardiovascular conditions and cancer. It is the bane of athletes everywhere. At least a third of adults will experience it at some point.
To make matters worse, the cause of back pain, and low-back pain in particular, is rarely obvious and notoriously difficult to diagnose. It also often strikes out of nowhere, lingers for a while, and then suddenly vanishes for no apparent reason. Or not—sometimes it sets in the for long haul.
Low back pain can present in multiple different ways and can encompass any of the following symptoms, including but not limited to the following:
- Second-day soreness
- Muscle weakness
- Inability to bend forward/backward/rotate
- Inability to sit or stand for long periods
- Pain when muscles are at rest
- Pain when muscles are active
- Numbness or tingling (down one or both legs)
- The presence of a dull ache or sharp pain after any low back associated activity
- Difficulty with lifting heavy objects
- Difficulty with activities of daily living (ie getting dressed, putting on shoes, washing dishes, driving, etc)
- Point tenderness at a specific lumbar spinal joint
Section 2 - Causes
Low back came can be acute, chronic, or insidious in nature. Most often at Head 2 Toe we are treating acute and chronic cases of low back pain.
Acute onset low back pain can be due to a number of things, but commonly comes from picking up a heavy object incorrectly, lifting/pushing a heavy weight incorrectly (ie deadlifts or squats), or a sudden trivial movement (ie stepping off a curb wrong, getting into/out of the car).
Chronic low back pain can stem from a lifetime of doing a particular activity in a specific position (ie desk job), misdiagnosis, or incorrectly addressing a previous injury (ie disc herniation).
It is important that your provider thoroughly establish what could be causing your low back pain in order to create the best and most effective treatment plan for you for resolution of your symptoms.
Section 3 - Treatment
At Head 2 Toe, we pride ourselves on taking a multi-step approach to resolving our patients’ pain. This multi-step approach combines treatment techniques to increase your range of motion, reduce your pain, and get you to move better so you don’t sustain the same injury again.
In the case of low back pain, you can expect the following to occur while under our care:
- Chiropractic Manipulation - to increase range of motion at the low back, which can help to reduce pain
- Manual therapy - pin and stretch, active release, cupping, scraping, etc to release soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc), which helps in allowing the effects of adjustments to last longer
- Active rehabilitation - the icing on the cake! To teach you movement corrections, muscle activation, and ways to move your body better without pain
Section 4 - Low Back Pain Prevention
It is important to understand that all pain is preventable. That said, it is also key to know where it is coming from in order to truly address the main issue.
Teaching core stability and spinal stiffness is going to be hugely important in preventing low back pain from returning. This may sound simple, but it goes far beyond planks and crunches.
At Head 2 Toe, we want to teach the importance of bracing and breathing in a variety of different daily activities. For example, gardening, washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, dressing, picking up your kids, just to name a few.
With the proper home exercise program, you’ll have the tools needed to fix your own back pain and prevent future flare-ups.
Section 5 - Why Us & Call to Action
Maybe you’ve been suffering from low back pain for years or maybe it’s started to creep up recently. At Head 2 Toe you’ll experience our team of expert doctors and clinicians who’ve helped others just like you find last relief. With our unique treatment methodology, you can trust that we’ll get you back to what you love doing fast without the need for excessive treatment plans.
Call us to schedule your appointment today!