Back Pain and Chiropractic

Pain of any kind is a signal that something’s amiss. Some people silence their symptoms with a pain reliever and ignore the message. But that would be like removing the battery to quiet a smoke detector!

Two Common Causes

The nerve-rich facet joints on the back side of each spinal bone are a common cause of back pain. The pain can be a sign these interlocking “fingers” aren’t moving right.

The discs between spinal bones can be involved, too. Trauma can cause the soft, pulpy material in the middle to bulge, putting pressure on nearby nerves.

Your Choices

We’ve helped many people with safe and natural chiropractic care. However, other choices include:

  • Ignore it (Spinal problems may worsen.)
  • Bed rest (May prolong the problem.)
  • Therapy (Stresses malfunctioning joints.)
  • Medicine (Numbs the body.)
  • Surgery (The most serious last resort.)

Imagine balancing a 12 lb. (5.5 kg.) bowling ball on the tips of your fingers.
All day long.

That’s just one of many things your neck must do. Your neck and shoulders work hard. Even the smallest deviation in the relationships of the seven bones of your cervical spine (neck) can cause pain and reduced head and neck mobility.

Minor and Major

Generally, we see two types of neck pain cases. Minor neck and shoulder pain involve sensations of discomfort, stiffness or soreness. If these symptoms last for more than a day or so, occur frequently or were preceded by an accident or some type of injury, we consider it major.

Response to Stress

Physical, emotional or chemical stress can affect the frequency and severity of neck pain. For many of us, the neck and shoulders are the “weakest link in the chain” and so stress shows up here.

Often, emotional stress is the overlooked culprit. Ever hear of something being a “pain in the neck”? Fear, anger or frustration can trigger the tightening of our neck muscles without our even being conscious. In time, chronic muscle spasms set in. Which can lead to headaches.

Some over-the-counter pain reliever might dull the pain, but it ignores the underlying cause!

The Chiropractic Approach

Specific chiropractic adjustments can help improve spinal function. By restoring the way your spine works, discs and soft tissues may heal, nerve involvement may be reduced, pain can ease and better stability can return.

If you don’t have a chiropractor, we’d like to be yours. Schedule a consultation today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Isn’t some back pain normal?

Pain of any kind, at any age, is a sign that something is amiss. Pain is the way your body signals that a limit has been reached or a problem has developed. Since we can adapt, minor aches and pains are often shrugged off. While they may go away, if the underlying problem remains unattended, the problem may slowly worsen until it becomes more difficult and expensive to resolve.

Does insurance pay for chiropractic?

These days, many policies cover at least a little of the care you’ll need. It’s convenient when an insurance company or some other third party helps pay the bill. But be careful! Don’t allow the profit motives of a huge corporation to make decisions for you. If you sincerely want your health back, we can probably help. Find out how we make chiropractic care affordable for just about anyone.

How does chiropractic work?

Chiropractic works because you are a self-healing, self-regulating organism controlled by your nervous system. Millions of instructions flow from your brain, down the spinal cord, and out to every organ and tissue. Signals sent back to the brain confirm if the body is working correctly. Improper motion or position of the moving bones of the spine can interfere with this vital exchange by irritating nerves and compromising the function of affected organs and tissues. Specific spinal adjustments are designed to improve mind/body communications. Health often returns with improved nervous system control of the body.

What about muscle relaxers?

First, chiropractors don’t dispense drugs. We rely on natural methods. When properly applied, ice can have an analgesic effect without the unwanted effects associated with some pain medications.

 

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