Low back pain treatment is no longer an option in today’s fast paced society.

Low back pain treatment is no longer an option in today’s fast paced society. Recent research shows that adults have an 80% probability of suffering at least one acute low back pain attack in their lives – and that over 31 million people are suffering with low back pain at any given time. That’s not all – take a look at the list below.

Low Back Pain Facts & Figures:

• Low Back Pain Is The #1 Cause Of Disability In The United States
• 140 Million Work Days Are Missed Each Year Due To Low Back Pain
• 24% of children report having low back pain
• 31 million Americans experience low back pain at any given time
• 50% of all working Americans report having low back pain each year


Over 140 Million Work Days Are Lost Each Year Due To Low Back Pain - Learn More About Effective Low Back Pain Treatment

• 80% of the population will experience low back pain at some time in their lives
• Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain

So the question is , “Why is low back pain so common?”

Great question. Low back pain and the increased need for low back pain treatment is due to the fact that the spine was created to provide a balance between stability and functionality. Many of our day to day activities test that balance in the spine, especially in the lower back region. For example, long hours of sitting at the computer, improper lifting, or reaching— coupled with the normal wear and tear of working and playing—and you have the perfect recipe for low back pain – and the challenge to find effective and non-evasive low back pain treatment.

What Causes Back Pain?

There are many causes for low back pain including, the vertebrae, muscles, discs, and nerves.

The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a pencil from the floor — can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.

Does Back Pain Go Away on Its Own?
Until recently, researchers believed that back pain will “heal” on its own. We have learned, however, that this is not true. A recent study showed that when back pain is not treated, it may go away temporarily but will most likely return. The study demonstrated that in more than 33% of the people who experience low-back pain, the pain lasts for more than 30 days. Only 9% of the people who had low-back pain for more than 30 days were pain free 5 years later.

Smoking slows the healing process and decreases the effectiveness of low back pain treatment

Tips to Prevent Back Pain
• Maintain a healthy diet and weight.
• Remain active—under the supervision of your doctor of chiropractic.
• Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest.
• Warm up or stretch before exercising or other physical activities, such as gardening.
• Maintain proper posture.
• Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
• Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in your spine.
• Lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.
• Quit smoking. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.
• Work with your doctor of chiropractic to ensure that your computer workstation is ergonomically correct.

Low Back Pain Exercise Tips: http://www.acatoday.org/pdf/BackPainExercise.pdf

What Should I Tell My Doctor of Chiropractic??

Before any treatment session, tell your doctor of chiropractic if you experience any of the following:
• Pain goes down your leg below your knee.
• Your leg, foot, groin, or rectal area feels numb.
• You have fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, weakness, or sweating.
• You lose bowel control.
• Your pain is caused by an injury.
• Your pain is so intense you can’t move around.
• Your pain doesn’t seem to be getting better quickly.

Chiropractic Care Found An Effective Form Of Low Back Pain Treatment

Among people seeking low back pain treatment alternatives, most choose chiropractic care. 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.

The direct and indirect cost to society of lower back pain has been estimated to be approximately $50 billion dollars annually. In fact, lower back pain is the most common cause of disability in people under age 45, and of the $27 billion spent on all musculoskeletal trauma, $16 billion is spent in the management of low back pain, with more than half of that $16 billion being spent on surgical treatment.

Healthcare practitioners have long debated over which type of low back pain treatment is the most effective for chronic lower back pain (CLBP). A recent landmark study, published in the prestigious medical journal Spine, has put another nail in the coffin of this debate. For years the medical profession has demanded more evidence in the form of randomized controlled clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of chiropractic care chronic low back pain treatment. Well, the evidence is in and what chiropractic patients and chiropractic physicians alike have known for decades has been demonstrated!

Research Show Chiropractic Care Far Superior To Drugs For Low Back Pain Treatment

Research Shows Chiropractic Care Is Effective Form Of Low Back Pain Treatment

Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

In the study published by Spine, 115 patients experiencing lower back pain for at least 13 weeks duration were randomly assigned to receive one of three interventions: medication, needle acupuncture or chiropractic manipulation.

Patients randomized to the acupuncture or spinal manipulation group were given an initial physical examination by the treating clinician to determine which form of acupuncture needle placement and needling would take place, or what type of spinal manipulation would be performed, respectively. Patients randomized to the medication group were given Celebrex, unless the patient had used it previously. The next drug of choice was Vioxx, followed by paracetamol (up to 4g/day). Doses were left to the physician’s discretion. Chiropractors administered “high-velocity, low-amplitude” manipulations. Chiropractic patients were given two treatments per week.

The patients were assessed four times: at the initial visit, and two, five and nine weeks after the initial treatment. At the end of the study, the group receiving manipulation experienced a 300% increase in the number of patients fully recovered versus the acupuncture group and a 450% increase over the medication group.

Patient assessments regarding chronic lower back pain for the three groups also indicated superiority for chiropractic manipulation. This superiority is demonstrated in the percentage of improvement that patients in each of the three groups experienced as measured by the administered assessment tools.

One of the study’s most remarkable findings was that patients in the chiropractic manipulation group reported a 47 percent improvement, compared to only 15 percent for the acupuncture group and 18 percent for the medication group.

“Considering that the patients in this study had experienced chronic spinal pain syndrome for an average of 4.5 years in the medication group, 6.4 years in the acupuncture group, and 8.3 years in the spinal manipulation group, it is notable that manipulation… achieved asymptomatic status for every fourth patient (27%). This result is superior to the percentages for acupuncture (9.4%) and medication (5%) for short-term outcomes… Medication apparently did not achieve a marked improvement in chronic spinal pain and caused adverse reactions in 6.1% of the patients.”

The results of this study can be generalized because the study sample had a broad socioeconomic background and a wide age range.

“In summary, the significance of the study is that for chronic spinal pain syndromes, it appears that spinal manipulation provided the best overall short-term results, despite the fact that the spinal manipulation group had experienced the longest pretreatment duration of pain.”

References
1.Giles LGF, Muller R. Chronic spinal pain – a randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation. Spine 2003; 28:1490-1503.
2.Ernst E, Assendelft WJJ. Chiropractic for low back pain. BMJ 1998; 317: 160.
3.Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Townsend J, Frank AO. Low back pain of mechanical origin: randomized comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient treatment. BMJ 1990; 300: 1431-1437.
4.Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Frank AO. Randomized comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient management for low back pain: results from extended follow-up. BMJ 1995; 311: 349-351.
5.Waddell G, Feder G, McIntosh A, Lewis M, Hutchinson A. Clinical guidelines for the management of acute low back pain: clinical guidelines and evidence review. London: Royal College of General Practitioners, 1996.
6.Shekelle PG, Adams AH, Chassin MR, Hurwitz EL, Brook RH. Spinal manipulation for low-back pain. Ann Intern Med 1992; 117: 590-598.

It’s easy to see why low back pain treatment is no longer optional, therefore if you or a family member is suffering from low back pain, consider chiropractic as a logic low back pain treatment choice.