Why Chiropractic Can Relieve Your Low Back Pain

Doctors of chiropractic are known for treating low back pain – and preventing its recurrence – and recent research emphasizes the science underlying their effectiveness. A recent study suggests chiropractic care (spinal manipulation) can reduce LBP, but it also suggests chiropractic can increase spinal disc height.

Why is that important?

 Well, loss of intervertebral disc height is one of the traits of low back pain. Discs are the ligaments between the bony vertebrae that act as shock absorbers for the spine. As we get older, our discs have a tendency to get smaller, which can lead to all kinds of problems, including pain. Fortunately, as this study suggests, chiropractic can help.

That's good to know no matter your age and the condition of your spine.

Can Stress Really Be Causing My Back or Neck Pain?

Stress is a part of life, and so is back pain. Ironically, stress is a leading cause of episodic back pain. Your body experiences a cascade of physiological responses during chronic stress setting the stage for injury.

The human body is genetically programmed to respond to stressful situations by stimulation in a survival part of your brain known as the limbic system. Otherwise known as the reptilian or primal brain, it is responsible for the emotional "flight or fight" (run or stand and fight) response to negative stimuli. Your brain response functions the same in stressful situations regardless of the source and extent of the threatening stimuli. The limbic brain does not recognize differences between types and degrees of stress. It simply reacts. Your body releases hormones (chemical messengers) which cause a physical reaction to stress; shortness of breath, sweating, increased heart rate, muscle tension, tightness or stiffness in joints, etc., in preparation for survival reaction. So whether you are about to be chased by a rabid dog, cut off in traffic, or had a tough day at work the same response occurs. The same negative physical impact also occurs on the body.

There are several different types of stress and learning how to control them can make all the difference. You have physical stress (lack of exercise, illness, sleep habits, etc), mental stress (how you deal emotionally with life) and chemical stress (nutritional and environmental).

Stress alters breathing patterns by causing you to breathe more from the chest/lungs than the diaphragm. This altered pattern increases tension in the neck and upper back leading to poor posture, muscle tightness and headaches. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that sits in the lower part of the ribcage underneath the lungs. Optimal breathing patterns should occur from the diaphragm first, followed by the lungs. Most often people have dysfunctional patterns where this sequence is reversed. Breathing is the foundation for relaxation.

Learn to control your breathing and you will have discovered a secret weapon of relaxation and stress reduction. To check your breathing pattern lie on your back with knees bent. Close your eyes and place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath in through your nose. The lower hand should move first and the upper hand second. If the upper hand moves first you have an altered breathing pattern. Luckily it is fairly easy to learn how to breathe again properly. In our quick tip help guide below you will learn how to restore normal breathing patterns.

Stress increases tension in the body 24/7. It is like flipping the light switch on for self- protection, muscle tension and tightness. Think about how stiff and tight you feel when walking across ice. Your body tenses up in anticipation of falling and is trying to protect you from injury. Imagine how your muscles would feel if you were in this constant state of tension for weeks at a time. It would not feel good! That is what chronic stress is doing.

Stress increases production of specific hormones known as cortisol and adrenaline located in the adrenal glands. These are two small glands that rest on top of the kidneys, one on either side. Cortisol is nicknamed the "stress hormone" and it can cause many negative reactions in the body if it is unbalanced. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline will cause increased inflammation in the body. In essence, your own body begins to turn on itself.

So what are some simple and effective tips you can start doing today to help alleviate stress? Below are suggestions for helping physical, mental and environmental stress in your life.

Nutrition: Eat healthy and eat often to control blood sugar levels. When you wait long periods between meals, you have a spike of a hormone known as insulin. This hormone controls how fast sugar enters your bloodstream after eating. Big surges in insulin occur when you wait too long between meals which may increase stress on your body chemistry. You can get cravings and mood swings. Eating only three meals a day is insufficient in keeping this delicate balance of hormones in check. It is recommended to eat three meals a day, mixed in with 2-3 healthy snacks. You will notice a renewed sense of energy and vitality with regular feedings.

Mental: Take some "me" time every morning before you start the day. Use this time to reflect on yesterday and plan out today's events. With the craziness of non-stop information overload in today's society it's more important than ever to take quiet moments. Set your alarm 15-minutes early and wake up to silence. Do not turn on the television or open the newspaper. You may find that problems which have plagued you suddenly become more manageable and put into perspective. When was the last time you sat in a room without white noise all around? Try it and see what happens.

Physical: Learning how to breathe with your diaphragm takes some practice, but in time it will become second nature. Practice the following technique on a daily basis for 3-5minutes. Lie on your back, putting a pillow support under your knees to relax your lower back. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. Slowly inhale through your nose and make sure the only hand to move is the one on your abdomen. Try to keep the hand on your chest as still as possible. Exhale through pursed lips and repeat. You may become temporarily lightheaded after your first few, but this is a normal response to the increase in oxygen uptake by the body. Do this before bed time and you will have a more restful sleep leading increased recovery and regeneration.

You do have power over your body. Simple changes in your life to help reduce stress can have a profound impact on your health. Take back control of your life from pain. Empower yourself to feel good again mentally and physically. Start with the simple strategies above and when you feel the positive difference you will want more for yourself.

To decrease the stress in your life, talk to your chiropractor about your concerns.

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.