Low Back Pain
Some Quick Statistics:
80% of Americans experience one form of back pain or another during the course of their lives.
31 million Americans have low back pain at any given time (1).
1/2 of all working Americans admit to having back symptoms each year (2).
1/3 of all Americans over age 18 had a back problem in the past five years severe enough for them to seek professional help (3).
Low back pain can have a major impact on the social,
personal, and work life of those it affects. The low back is an incredibly
complex structure of bones, muscles, nerves, joints, tendons, and ligaments.
Injury or disease affecting any one or more of these structures can
not only trigger an episode of pain, but if left untreated can often
lead to issues with other areas of the low back and the entire body.
Determining the cause of the low back pain and getting proper treatment
will not only improve your quality of life but will decrease the amount
of time required to heal and help decrease the likelihood of future
episodes.
Listed here are some frequently asked questions about low back pain.
What are common low back conditions?
What can be done about my back pain?
Emergency related low back pain symptoms
How can chiropractic help with my back pain?
How can manual therapy help with my back pain?
If your back pain is from a fall or some other type of trauma, the cause is easily identifiable. However many times there isn’t a fall or trauma, and that is why receiving a thorough examination is helpful in diagnosing the cause of your low back pain whether there was trauma or not.
Most cases of low back pain are either general in cause - such as sprain or strain - or due to a specific condition, such as degenerative disc disease or a lumbar herniated disc.
Most sprains or strains of the low back will present with a spasming of the back muscles, causing sharp stabbing like pains to either side of the spine. The pain often gets worse with movement and activity, and better with rest and ice.
Specific conditions will present with different symptoms depending on the structures involved and the severity of the condition itself. A herniated disc can be completely painless and other times the herniation can cause inflammation of its surroundings and cause irritation to a nearby nerve. When irritation of the nerve occurs, the pain is often referred down into the buttock and leg of one side or the other.
The severity of the pain is not always in direct proportion to the extent of physical damage. For example, muscle spasms from a simple back strain can cause excruciating back pain that can make it difficult to walk or even stand, whereas a large herniated disc or completely degenerated disc can actually be completely painless.
Below is a list of some common low back conditions, click on the condition for more information:
"Slipped" disc or herniated disc
For the first 48-72 hours use ICE. NOT HEAT!!! Using ice will help decrease the inflammation and help alleviate the pain. Follow a 15 minutes on 20 minutes off protocol. Do not place the ice directly on the skin and remove the ice if it gets too painful. Also do not ice longer than 15 minutes to avoid frostbite to the area.
What can be done about my back pain?
The first step to getting better is to get a thorough examination; this will help to diagnose what is causing your back pain. A thorough examination should include orthopedic testing, range of motion testing, and a sensory neurological evaluation related to the area of concern. The next step is getting proper treatment for your condition. The treatment for a slipped disc or herniated disc is much different than the treatment protocol for a simple muscle strain. Here at the Center for Advanced Bodywork we will perform a thorough examination to identify the cause of your pain, tailor a treatment plan with both the patient and the condition in mind, and address your pain from both structural and functional aspects.
Emergency related low back pain symptoms
There are some symptoms that are indications of a serious medical condition possibly requiring emergency surgery. Patients with any of the following symptoms should seek medical attention immediately:
Sudden bowel and/or bladder dysfunction (cauda equina syndrome)
Progressive weakness in the legs (cauda equina syndrome)
Severe, continuous abdominal and low back pain (abdominal aortic aneurysm)
Back pain coinciding with fever and chills, history of cancer with recent weight loss, or recent severe trauma should also seek immediate medical attention.
If you have any questions please feel free to email Dr. Friedline
References:
1. Jensen M, Brant-Zawadzki M, Obuchowski N, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People Without Back Pain. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 69-116.
2. Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms, Absenteeism and Working Environment. Scan JRehab Med Suppl 1985; 11: 1-98.
3. Finding from a national study conducted for the American Chiropractic Association. Risher P. Americans' Perception of Practitioners and Treatments for Back Problems. Louis Harris and Associates, Inc. New York: August, 1994.