Chronic Low Back Pain

When more than 50% of all Americans admit to experiencing back pain each year, there’s probably a problem we’re not fixing.  Most people think that chronic low back pain is caused by tight muscles that are in spasm, so a common solution involves drugs such as muscle relaxers combined with stretching.  It may be true that our muscles are in spasm, but the question we should be asking ourselves is, “What caused them to ‘spasm’ in the first place?”

You might feel great all day, but then that evening you bend down to pick up few of those toys before the kids head off to bed, and pain shoots down the back of your leg.  You try to stand back up, but you’re stuck in that position.  You have your son bring you your phone to call the doctor and get some drugs.  They work… for a while, but the next morning the pain is back.

Realistically, your first experience of back pain is usually a sign of more to come.  Your doctor might suggest stretching, pain management shots or even surgery…but your pain still comes back. The truth is, most chronic low back pain cases don’t just appear overnight.  It builds up over time.  Smaller micro-injuries to your joint structure and tissues eventually result in major injuries.

The Many Parts of the Low Back

Your low back is made of up tendons, muscles, ligaments, nerves that travel down the legs and into the feet, and complex joints and gel-like pillows between each of your vertebra called discs.  If any of these structures becomes irritated, low back pain can occur.  If several of them are irritated, chronic low back pain often results.  Once one structure begins to heal, another becomes irritated and flares up or spasms.  Left untreated, the entire low back area can become inflamed.

Although 31 million Americans experience low back pain each year, their symptoms very greatly.  Someone with a muscle strain might experience enough pain to send them to the emergency room, while another person with a herniated disc might only feel dull, intermittent pain.

Therefore, uncovering the cause of the pain is the most important step in finding chronic low back pain relief.

Common Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain

Muscle Strain – Often caused by lifting a heavy object…(can someone say, “Couch!”), or a sudden twisting movement that causes the muscles and ligaments to over-stretch.  This causes small tears in the tissue.

Herniated Disc – When a nerve root in the low back is pinched, it can cause pain to shoot down the sciatic nerve causing sciatic pain to run down the buttocks and the back of the leg.

Lumbar Disc Degeneration –  The bones in the lower back are called the lumbar spine.  When the discs that provide a cushion between the vertebra become compressed, it can cause  pain, inflammation and muscle spasms.

Spondylolisthesis – When a vertebra slips forward and puts pressure on the disc and nerve root, low back pain can result.

Symptoms of Chronic Low Back Pain

• Sciatica – Pain shooting down the buttock and leg
• Difficulty standing or sitting for long periods of time
• Difficulty walking
• Pain or soreness isolated in one area near the top of the buttocks
• Muscle spasm

What You Can Do at Home

Rest

Stop doing the activity where you first experienced the pain and sit or lay in a position that does not put pressure on the area of discomfort.

Apply Ice

Use an ice pack or some frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel and place directly on the area where you feel the most discomfort. A good rule of thumb is to apply ice for about 20 minutes every hour.

Make a Home-made Ice Pack

Making an ice pack at home is easy.  Take a plastic (ziploc) bag, fill it with ice, push the air out and seal.  You can add a little water to make it flatter.  Other ideas:

• Freeze a Wet Towel – If you dampen a wet towel for about 20 minutes, it can be used as a cold compress.
• Freeze a Wet Sponge – A wet sponge can also be put in the freezer, but wrap it in a towel or sock before placing it on the skin.
• Cold Rice – Keep a small bag or rice in the freezer.   Rice will become just as cold as ice, but it doesn’t melt.
• Homemade Gel-pack. Fill a ziploc bag with liquid dishwasher or laundry detergent and freeze.  This will create a frozen cold pack very similar to those you could purchase at your local drugstore.

When to See a Doctor for Chronic Low Back Pain Treatment

Chiropractors specialize in chronic low back pain relief.  Through chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy, they restore motion to joints that are locked or fixated.  These short thrusts to the joint release oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, relieving joint pressure.  The ‘popping’ sound is similar to the sound of cracking your knuckles.

Through an individualized treatment plan, chiropractic care provides patients with an effective, non-invasive approach to back pain relief.

The Olathe chiropractors at Fulk Chiropractic specialize in low back pain relief.  Learn more at www.fulkchiropractic.com.