Eight out of ten people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. In most cases, the cause is mechanical, not a disease process like arthritis or fractures. Treatments for low back pain cost over 80 million dollars per year in America. But, before you use drugs to dull the pain, I cannot stress enough how important it is to get to the root cause of the pain. Many times, the cause can be treated with chiropractic care, lifestyle changes, and the way to use your lower back.
A sedentary lifestyle and too much sitting is bad for your back. Staying in this position for hours every day causes some muscles to be very strong and others to be very weak, creating an imbalance that alone is a risk for back problems. The best advice that I give my patients who sit at a desk all day is simply not to sit all day. Standing, stretching, walking all reduce the stress on the body. Also, while sitting, pull the shoulders back, center the ears over the shoulders and suck in the gut, then hold this position for several minutes. If these suggestions do not help, you will want to consult an expert.
One of the best tactics to help treat back pain is to see a qualified chiropractor. I am an avid supporter of the chiropractic philosophy, which puts great emphasis on your body’s innate healing wisdom and does not rely on “Band-Aids” like drugs and surgery.
The problem is that a lot of people ignore chiropractic care, thinking that it’s just “pushing bones into place.” However, there’s a whole lot more to chiropractic care. In fact, one of the basic foundations of this health system is “vitalism” – recognizing that the human body has an innate healing intelligence or ‘life force’ that guides and directs your body’s healing process.
Qualified chiropractic, osteopathic, and naturopathic physicians are reliable, as they have received extensive training in the management of musculoskeletal disorders during their course of graduate healthcare training, which lasts between four to eight years. These health experts have comprehensive training in musculoskeletal management.
Many studies have confirmed that chiropractic management is much safer and less expensive than allopathic medical treatments, especially when used for low-back pain treatment.
What’s more, researchers have also found that chiropractic adjustments may affect the chemistry of biological processes on a cellular level. Chiropractic care can affect the basic physiological processes that profoundly influence oxidative stress, immune function and DNA repair. This means that aside from addressing any immediate spinal misalignment that might cause back pain, chiropractic care can also help address, prevent and treat deeper dysfunctions in your body.
Chiropractors also focus on exercise and therapies to strengthen and balance muscles that have been compromised.
If your chiropractor is well versed in weight loss and herbs, they may also guide you toward more natural methods of controlling pain and inflammation that support the body’s innate pain-blocking systems.
I strongly urge you to try these simple, but effective methods before settling on invasive and sometimes harmful pharmaceutical or surgical “Band-Aids.”
