When Your Back Goes Out
By Sara Butler
Have you ever innocently bent over to do something seemingly simple, such as bend over to unload the dishwasher, and then your back goes out? If you have, then you are acutely aware of how incredibly painful it feels in the moment. You’re also left wondering what the heck happened. Was it something you did – or something you didn’t do? Why does your back seem to go out without any warning? Well, there’s an answer to those questions and you’re chiropractor knows it.
Your Spine
Your spine has a really high threshold for pain. In fact, you may do a million tiny things a day that would cause you pain if you did it to another part of your body, but with your spine you don’t notice it. So, things have been brewing for a while in your spine leading you to the moment when your back goes out and the muscles that support your spine spasm, quite painfully.
The Real Issue
You may think because the muscles are painfully contracting and causing the trouble that they are the source of the problem, but you’re wrong. The real issue stems from the joints of your spine. The inflammation and stress build up until another part of your body kicks into a protective mode (hello spasm!). That is the real culprit. The muscles have contracted in order to protect a joint that is misaligned and inflamed.
What You Can Do
This type of problem can’t be waited out. Stretching or exercises can’t put the joint back into alignment. No, if you truly want to address the underlying issue and fix it, then you need to make sure that you see a chiropractor who can perform an adjustment and set things right.
Every time you have an episode where your back goes out and you don’t take action to realign your spine, then you’re making it more likely that you’re going to experience the problem again in the future. The cycle must be stopped or you may begin to suffer from chronic lower back pain, one of the most common conditions in the world.
Your chiropractor will endeavor to make sure your acute pain is addressed immediately, but will also begin to work on correcting the underlying problem that put you in so much pain to begin with. You just have to remember that the condition will not get better until your spine is aligned!