What You Should Know About Low Back Pain
By Sara Butler
Low back pain is very common. The National Institutes of Health reports that over the course of your life you have about an 80 percent chance of suffering from low back pain. Don’t like those odds? Well, the good news is you can do something about it! Here are a few things about low back pain that every chiropractic patient needs to know!
Prevention is Important
The best cure for low back pain is prevention! How do you prevent low back pain? One of the best things you can do to help prevent it is to see a chiropractor regularly. They can help to keep your body, including your spine and hips, in proper alignment. They can also educate you about the ways in which you can help to prevent low back pain, such as ergonomic techniques for sitting and lifting, that can help you head off back pain at the pass. One of the things chiropractors relish is educating their patients, so take advantage of it!
Know Your Options
There are many treatments for low back pain. After you have been given a diagnosis by your chiropractor, they can discuss pertinent treatment options with you. They can also let you know which they feel would benefit your specific case the most. The most common treatment options include:
- Spinal adjustments
- Heat/ice therapy
- Physical therapy exercises
- Message therapy
Finding Relief from Pain
If you are on medication to help reduce the amount of pain prescribed by a medical doctor, the good news for you is you may find you need the medication less and less as you continue with your chiropractic therapy. When your spine is properly aligned, and any compression of the nerves is alleviated, you may find you don’t need medication as much as you did previously and eventually you may not need it at all!
You Can Avoid Surgery
It depends on your specific condition, but seeing a chiropractor in order to treat your back pain or injury may help you to avoid surgery. The reason for this is that chiropractors don’t just seek to manage your symptoms, but seek to find the underlying problem and address it. If this can be determined and treated then the need for surgery can go right out the window!
Any back pain you experience should be discussed with your chiropractor. They are well qualified to treat conditions of the spine and musculoskeletal system. They can help you find relief for your pain and maybe even avoid that pain altogether!