Types of Back Pain and Their Origins
By Debra Rodzinak
Back pain is the number one complaint received by chiropractors every day. With a variety of reasons for back pain, it takes a skilled chiropractor to identify and treat this complex mesh of bones, nerves, and muscles that is so important to the body.
Designed to provide stability, strength, and protection to the body, the spine protects the nerve roots and spinal cord that allows the body to function and move in many directions. Many different conditions can cause this complex body part pain and discomfort. Therefore, a consultation and treatment plan developed with a highly qualified doctor of chiropractic is necessary to discover the root cause of pain.
Characteristics of Back Pain
Back pain can come on suddenly and last anywhere from a few days to weeks or even months. When the pain lasts for more than three months, chronic back pain is present. Some common characteristics for back pain include pain that:
- May be always present, comes and goes, or only presents with particular activities or positions
- Moves to many different areas or stays in one local spot
- Feels like a burning sensation, a sharp piercing pain, or just a constant, dull ache
- Begins in the spine, but moves to other parts of the body, such as the leg, foot, arm, or hand
- Includes numbness, tingling, or weakness
Causes of Back Pain
Due to the complexity of the spine, there are numerous reasons that people experience back pain. For example, those who are between 30 to 60 years old suffer from pain related directly to disc herniation or degenerative disc disease, while those over 60 tend to suffer from pain directly connected to joint degeneration.
Leg Pain
Leg pain may be the complaint that is often misdiagnosed. Many chiropractors see patients who have been told that their leg pain is due to some type of injury to the leg, but it actually originates in the spine. Some lower back conditions that may be causing leg pain include:
- Lumbar herniated disc
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Isthmic spondylolisthesis
- Osteoarthritis
If you are suffering from any type of bodily ache or pain, drop by The Joint Chiropractic. With no pesky insurance forms to fill out or appointment times to remember, finding relief for your back or leg pain is simply a walk-in away.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.