Back pain chiropractic patients experience more relief than patients treated with standard care alone, according to new research.
A new study from the journal Spine tested the effects of combining chiropractic with standard medical care. 91 military personnel with low-back pain participated in the test. While all service members receive standard medical care, half of them also benefit from chiropractic spinal adjustments.
Chiropractic shows a major difference: 73% of chiropractic patients have moderate to substantial pain relief. As a result, compared to just 17% of standard care patients, this result proved to be incredible. These patients also had significantly lower disability scores.
The study shows that there’s a significant advantage in incorporating chiropractic into the standard care of backache.
Types of Back Pain
There are several types of backache, but the most common types are acute low-back ache and chronic low-back pain.
- Acute back-pain patients with severe low-back pain often improve on their own, through self-care, and stay active. Meanwhile, if acute low backache persists after four weeks, you can consider non-drug therapies.
- Chronic back pain – Long-term use of ache medication usually does not improve functioning for patients with chronic low-back pain. However, natural therapies including spinal manipulation prove to be more beneficial. Psychological and social factors also contribute to chronic low-back pain. Most patients with chronic low-back pain will not become ache-free, therefore treatment should be more focused on improving function and reducing ache.
Symptoms of Back Pain
With backache, the connection to a source within the body is not always evident. People are showing no spinal abnormalities on their X-rays yet suffer from excruciating backache.
- Pain affects the back area and does not radiate to the leg.
- Difficulty standing, walking or sitting.
- Muscle spasms or cramps
- Sudden pain
- Back is sore to the touch
Causes of Back Pain
The human spine is a complex structure of discs, joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. There are several possible causes of backache or discomfort. Most backache sufferers don’t seek help to find out the reason for their backache, thinking that the pain will go away on its own. They only get medical assistance if the pain intensifies and becomes unbearable.
- Strained Muscles or Ligaments
- Muscles, ligaments, and tendons get strain when they are pulled or torn, which can damage fibers resulting in pain. It is usual among athletes and weekend warriors who engage in physically-demanding activities. However, you can still suffer from muscle strain or ligaments while doing things, such as lifting, at home, or work.
- Stress
- Stress makes you tense, as a result, your blood pressure and heart rate rise, and your muscles tighten. Constant stress causes your muscles to become sore and weak.
- Vertebral Subluxation
- The vertebral subluxation is a result of compromising the spine alignment, movement integrity, and physiological functions. The reasons are functional, structural, and pathological articular changes. In the lumbar spine, these usually occur at the transition between the lower spine and the sacrum. Because of the relationship between the spinal column, the spinal cord, and the spinal nerves, vertebral subluxations have the potential to impair proper nerve function.
- Herniated Disc
- When the rubbery cushions lying between vertebrae or individual bones in the spine ruptures, it results in a herniated disc. If one of these discs develops a crack in its hard outer wall, the inner disc material is pushed into the spinal canal. As soon as this happens, the herniated disc irritates the nerves and causes ache, weakness, or numbness.
Chiropractic Treatments for Back Pain
Among people seeking backache relief alternatives, most choose chiropractic treatment. About 22 million Americans visit chiropractors annually. Of these, 7.7 million, or 35%, are seeking relief from back pain from various causes, including accidents, sports injuries, and muscle strains. Other complaints include pain in the neck, arms, and legs, and headaches.
Back pain is a debilitating condition that affects adults of all ages. People suffering from a backache may find difficulty performing everyday tasks like sitting, sleeping, and engaging in physical activities. Managing your backache with chiropractic care can help alleviate backache and restore the quality of life, avoiding invasive surgical procedures.
What Is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractors use hands-on spinal manipulation and other alternative treatments. The theory is that proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure, particularly the spine, will enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. Manipulation is used to restore mobility to joints restricted by tissue injury caused by a traumatic event, such as falling, or repetitive stress, such as sitting without proper back support.
Chiropractic treatment is primarily used as an ache relief alternative for muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. It is sometimes used in conjunction with conventional medical treatment.
What Does Chiropractic Treatment for Back Pain Involve?
A chiropractor first takes a medical history, performs a physical examination, and may use lab tests or diagnostic imaging to determine if treatment is appropriate for your back pain.
The treatment plan may involve one or more manual adjustments in which the doctor manipulates the joints, using a controlled, sudden force to improve range and quality of motion. Many chiropractors also incorporate nutritional counseling and exercise/rehabilitation into the treatment plan. The goals of chiropractic care include the restoration of function and prevention of injury in addition to back pain relief.
Natural agents such as heat, cold, water, massage, light, and exercise are some of the physiological therapeutic measures that are often utilized by chiropractors. When controlled, these and other elements exert a beneficial influence on body functions and can help several common lower back pain problems.
