The Right Choice for Low Back Pain

Back pain is a major health issue, so much so that is was recently confirmed as the number-one cause of disability worldwide. Add to that the shocking statistic that the average person has only about a 20 percent chance of not experiencing back pain at some point during their lifetime, and you can appreciate that low back pain (LBP) has been described as "a common threat to medicine and a reasonable threat to all national health care systems."

The authors of that quote conducted a study recently, results of which suggest a simple, drug-free way to counter that "threat": spinal manipulation, a treatment technique commonly provided by doctors of chiropractic. According to the study, spinal manipulation was more effective than a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and placebo in patients with acute LBP. In fact, patients who received spinal manipulation showed improvement in terms of their disability due to the pain, their subjective estimation of pain and their perceived quality of life compared to patients receiving drug therapy only.

This isn't the first time we've touted the benefits of chiropractic care for back pain, and it won't be the last. That's because a growing body of evidence suggests chiropractic's effectiveness and health-care cost benefits compared to the traditional medical approach, which often involves drugs and may ultimately lead to surgery. Suffering from back pain? Then do something about it; something that doesn't involve popping pills.

The Problem With Surgery for Low Back Pain

If you've ever experienced back pain, whether acute or chronic, there are a few facts you should know.

First, you're not alone; studies suggest 80 percent of adults experience at least one episode of low back pain in their lifetime. Second, thousands of people undergo back surgery every year for back pain, putting their bodies at risk for surgical complications. Third, chiropractic and other conservative, nonsurgical treatment methods have been shown to be effective for uncomplicated cases of LBP.

And here's one more important fact: Research suggests the big problem with surgery for back pain, particularly chronic back pain (recurrent pain over weeks or months), is that it doesn't seem to work – at least not any better than conservative care. The latest evidence: study findings published in the research journal Spine that found: "After an average of 11 years follow-up, there was no difference in patient self-rated outcomes between fusion and multidisciplinary cognitive-behavioral and exercise rehabilitation for cLBP (chronic low-back pain).

The results suggest that, given the increased risks of surgery and the lack of deterioration in nonoperative outcomes over time, the use of lumbar fusion in cLBP patients should not be favored in health care systems where multidisciplinary cognitive-behavioral and exercise rehabilitation programs are available."

This isn't the first study to suggest surgery isn't your best option when it comes to the back. And if you think you can go to any type of doctor, think again. Expertise aside, research indicates that the type of doctor you visit first – namely a surgeon vs. a doctor of chiropractic – can essentially determine whether you'll eventually undergo surgery.

So think surgery last and visit a chiropractor first. Your back will thank you for it.

Is There Risk of Death Using Pain Pills?

When you're in pain, you can feel overwhelmed. Nothing else seems to matter except finding a remedy to make the pain even a little less severe. The problem is, pharmaceutical companies have used the media and medical doctors to push pain-relief medications onto patients as the sole solution, to the tune of 259 million prescriptions annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The problem with that strategy, of course, is twofold: First, relieving pain is important, but it rarely gets to the root of the problem. That means the pain will keep coming back – and you'll need to keep taking pain-relieving medications to keep it at bay.

Second, evidence suggests pain relievers might take away the pain in a permanent manner (and not in a good way) – by relieving the sufferer of their ability to feel pain or anything else, for that matter.

We're talking about death by painkiller, and the CDC estimates that 46 people die every day from a painkiller overdose. That's nearly 17,000 Americans a year who seek pain relief – and end up dying for it.

If you're in pain, don't just turn to the medicine cabinet or a doctor's prescription. Get a thorough evaluation to determine the source of the pain, and then ask about nondrug alternatives like chiropractic care. Pain relief is important – but it's not worth dying for.

Chiropractic Myth Buster! Why You Should NOT Believe Chiropractic Can Help Relieve Back or Neck Pain

            Chiropractors say they can help relieve back pain.  They also say they can help neck pain and headaches… and, of course that their treatments are safe an effective.

            Well, should you believe them?

            The answer is NO!  Here's why…

            Have you ever seen the popular television show Mythbusters?  If you have, you know the show is designed to take common myths and test them scientifically to determine if they are fact of fiction.

            Many times, the things we are told as children and believe growing up turn out to be nothing more than urban legends or old wives tails.  

            For example, just about everyone struggles with weight at one time or another in their lives.  Very few people have “perfect” physiques – and the ones who do usually eat like birds and workout 7 days a week!

            The worst part about maintaining weight is this:  It is much easier to gain weight than it is to lose it.

            Right?  Everyone know that.

            Well, “Everyone” is wrong!

Here are the facts about

weight gain and weight loss:

It is mathematically easier to lose than to gain. 

For example, if you eat 3,500 calories more than you burn, you will gain 0.3 pounds (0.14 kg), but if you burn 3,500 calories more than you eat, you will lose 1 pound (0.45 kg). 

Also, if you want to lose weight, you can expose yourself to significant changes in temperature which speeds up your metabolism. Finally, the above information is based on a pure fat diet – variations to the math occur when you introduce other types of food.

Now, it may be more difficult to eat right than to eat bad – but that is a different story. 

 

You see, we only “believe” when we do not have proof.  That’s what faith is all about.  But, if we have solid evidence, we don’t have to  “believe.” 

That’s why you should not “believe” in Chiropractic.

Why do you think Chiropractic has been accepted into mainstream medicine?  Modern physicians don’t believe in Chiropractic… they know it works.

 Chiropractic has not been a “belief” for quite a while.  Check out what these experts had to say… and look at the dates…

“There is an overwhelming body of evidence indicating that Chiropractic management of low back pain is more cost-effective than medical management… Chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low back pain.  Chiropractic management is greatly superior to medical management in terms of scientific validity, safety, cost-effectiveness and patient satisfaction.”

Pran Manga, PhD.  

The Effectiveness And Cost Effectiveness Of Chiropractic Management Of Low Back Pain.  University Of Ottowa, 1993

“There are more than 30 randomized controlled clinical trials studying the effectiveness of spinal manipulation in the relief of spinal pain, the majority of which have looked at acute low back pain.  Manipulation has been compared to most non-surgical treatment modalities including placebo, ultrasound, traction, exercise, bed rest, analgesics and corsets.  The meta-analyses performed by Anderson et al led to the conclusion that the average patient receiving spinal manipulation is better off than 54 to 85% of the patients receiving the comparison treatment.”

Dr. Scott Halderman, M.D., D.C., PhD., FRCP(C), Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine.  Presented at the Alternative And Complementary Medicine And The Orthopedic Surgeon, February, 28, 2001

Clearly, Chiropractic is not a belief system.  New research comes out every year and Chiropractic is part of many mainstream and progressive medical practices and hospitals.

Sure, there are some people (and even Doctors) who still believe in old urban legends and wives tails simply because, “that’s the way it’s always been.”

Then, there are the open-minded people who have the ability to change their mind when the facts are presented to them.  Many of these people usually find a solution for their back pain in a Chiropractic office.

Getting Rid of Back Pain

Doctors of chiropractic spend years in chiropractic college learning to manipulate the spine, but that's certainly not all they learn. Chiropractors are effective at relieving back pain because they know that long-term solutions come from taking a well-rounded approach to dealing with the problem.
A study involving 147 patients (101 of whom were classified as "disabled" from car accidents or work-related back injuries) provides evidence of the effectiveness of this approach to managing back pain. Patients participated in a four-phase rehabilitation program consisting of:
1) chiropractic treatments, including spinal adjustments, ultrasound therapy, and TENS (electrical stimulation of the muscles), along with cardiovascular exercises;
2) isometric strength training;
3) resistance weight training; and
4) education on back pain, including strategies for coping with pain, relaxation techniques, etc.
After nine weeks of rehabilitation, patients reported decreases in pain and disability compared with pre-rehabilitation measurements. Strength, flexibility and range of motion were also higher, and most significantly, 91 of the 101 disabled patients were able to return to work.
So if back pain's got you down, get up and take a trip to your doctor of chiropractic. You'll get a comprehensive, caring approach that's sure to help you get back on your feet.
Reference:
Guerriero RC, Rawani M, Gray E, et al. A retrospective study of the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation of low back pain patients in a multidisciplinary setting. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, June 1999: Vol. 43, No. 2, pp89-103.

Five Common Fitness Mistakes That Can Make Your Back Pain Worse

Even when they have the best intentions, exercisers often make mistakes that keep them from getting the most out of their workouts, and in some cases, do them harm and increase back pain. Here are a few of the most common mistakes, and how you can avoid them yourself.

1. Walking with hand weights. Carrying dumbbells while you walk may seem like a smart way to add strength training to your cardio workout, but it compromises your posture and can lead to injury. Best to keep your cardio and strength training separate, so each can get your full attention.


2. Focusing only on cardio. Though cardio workouts are great for you, we start losing muscle as early as 30, which can significantly slow your metabolism and leave you vulnerable to injury. Even a few days of strength training per week can increase bone density, and help you burn more calories, even while at rest!


3. Skipping the stretch. Stretching at the end of your workout (when your body is nice and warm) can significantly decrease aches and pains, reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, and prevent overuse injuries. Plus, stretching is your body's reward for all that hard work!


4. Seeking a quick fix. We all want to see results fast, but don't let crash diets and overly-intense exercise programs lure you into false expectations: the best (and lasting) results come from making changes you can see yourself doing for life. Embracing an extreme program for a few weeks to lose weight fast only sets you up to gain the weight back (and then some later), and wreaks havoc on your thyroid. Instead, figure it will take at least as long to lose the weight as it took you to gain it.


5. Letting social media be your trainer. It's one thing to collect inspirational quotes and healthy recipes on your social media pages, but don't mistake fitness memes for sound advice. 30-Day Push-up (or Squat) Challenges tend to overuse the same muscles day after day, and can lead to injuries and poor posture. Better to find a qualified trainer to help create a program that works best for you.

Headaches – How Does Chiropractic Work?

            Headaches are a common complaint at chiropractic clinics. There are many causes of headaches, some of which are “idiopathic” or, unknown. Some headaches arise from “vascular” (blood vessels) causes such as migraine and cluster headaches.  These often include nausea and/or vomiting and can be quite disabling and require rest in a dark, quiet place sometimes for a half or a whole day.  Another type of headaches can be categorized as “tension” headaches.  These usually result from tightness in the muscles in the neck and upper back caused from stress, work, lack of sleep, sinusitis, trauma such as whiplash, and others. 

            So “how does chiropractic work?” To answer this, let’s first discuss what we do when the headache patient comes in.  First, the history is very important! Here, we’ll ask “how/when did the headaches start.  This may glean the actual cause of headaches such as a car accident or injury of some sort.

            Next, we’ll ask about activities that increase or create the headache, which gives us ideas of how we might help manage the headache patient. For example, when certain activities precipitate the onset of a headache, we will modify the work station and/or give specific exercises on a regular schedule to keep the neck tension under control. When information gathered about what decreases or helps the neck pain and headaches, we will recommend treatments often that can be done at home such as a home traction unit. This would be suggested if we are told that “…pulling on my neck feels great!”  The quality of pain (throbbing = vascular, ache and tightness = neck), intensity of pain (0-10 pain scale), and timing (worse in the morning vs. evening) help us track change after treatment is rendered, usually gathered once a month. 

            The examination includes blood pressure which can in itself create headaches when high, looking in the eyes to view the blood vessels in the back of the eye to make sure there is no evidence of increased pressure against the brain, ears – to see if there is an infection or wax blockage.  This can help if there is dizziness and/or balance loss.  We will sometimes listen to the throat as well as the heart to see if there may be a blockage, a valve problem, or other issues.  Neck muscle tightness (spasm) will be evaluated along with the range of motion, paying particular attention to the positions/directions that increases and decreases pain, especially those that decrease pain.  Nerve function by checking reflexes, sensation and muscle strength as well as correlating information like positions that decrease arm or leg pain will be included as any position that reduces pain in the arm or leg must be incorporated into an exercise. X-rays may include bending “stress” views so that ligaments (that hold bones together) can be evaluated for “laxity” (torn and unstable).  When this is found, we avoid adjustments to these vertebrae.

            As you can see, if is very important do a thorough evaluation so headache patients can be properly managed. Treatment approaches include: 1. Adjustments; 2. Soft tissue therapy (trigger point stimulation, myofascial release); 3. Posture correction exercises and other exercises; 4. Education about job modifications; 5. Co-management with other health care providers, if medication or injection therapy is needed.