Lower Back Pain? What Are Your Options?
It can literally stop you from performing your normal everyday activities.
Yet, it is one of the most common conditions known.
How you treat this condition will determine what the future will hold for you.
First, let's understand something.
Our normal posture is one of the main causes of lower back pain.
From an anatomical perspective the spine is at risk because of our upright posture.
Now, I am not saying we should be crawling on all fours, however, the spine in an upright position puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the lower parts of the spine.
Interesting, the most common back pain is as the absolute lowest area of the spine for just that reason.
There are a number of different treatment options available...
First, you have to determine what are your goals with treatment.
Are you wanting to reduce or get rid of the pain, OR are you wanting to correct the condition as best as is possible? That's the first choice you must make.
Lets start with pain relief only...
Over the counter medications have been used to help reduce the pain associated with lower back conditions.
Of course, over the counter meds will typical only be partially effective and only in very minor cases.
For pain that is more significant a patient may decide to visit their medical doctor for a stronger medication.
These can range from muscle relaxants to anti-inflammatories to pain medication.
Anti-inflammatory medication is used to reduce swelling that is typical around the nerves of the lower back with the hopes that it will reduce the pressure on the nerves, and therefore the pain.
Sometimes, the medical doctor will decide to use an injection at the site instead.
Pain medication is self explanatory, except to understand that it does nothing to correct the cause of the pain.
A second choice of treatment could be the use of physical therapy modalities.
These can range from use of ice to reduce swelling, to various electrical machines which help reduce muscle spasm and can help rehab the affected muscles.
Stretching is also utilized and can be effective in certain types of cases.
Of course, for very serious cases, surgery can be an option, however, that should be the last case scenario.
And finally, there is chiropractic care.
It's funny over the years, Chiropractic care has taken a beating from other physician groups for a variety of reasons.
However, a recent government study indicates that Chiropractic treatment is the most cost effective treatment for lower back conditions.
What can you expect with Chiropractic treatment.
First off, in the majority of lower back cases, the primary reason for lower back pain is a malposition of the spinal segments.
Which means, when the vertebra have been forced out of place, they put pressure on the spinal nerves, thus causing pain.
This malposition can be caused by heredity, poor posture, physical activities like working out, auto injuries, and poor posture to name a few.
Chiropractic treatment is the primary treatment type that focuses on, not just pain relief, but improving the spinal condition that caused the pain in the first place.
Current day Chiropractic also incorporates physical therapy and rehab exercises to give the patient the best opportunity for a successful outcome, not just in the short term, but also in your future.
For more information and for a better understanding of chiropractic treatment as an option for your lower back pain feel free to visit the web address below.