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Back Pain

COMMON CONDITIONS

back pain chiropractorBack pain is a pretty common complaint among patients, and at least 85% of people in America complain of back pain at some point in their lifetime. If you have ever experienced, or are currently experiencing lower back pain, now you know that the dull throbbing and even sharp pain happens a lot. Back symptoms could be present while either sitting, standing, performing physical activities, and you may ask yourself, “Should I see a specialist about this pain in my back?” Especially if it’s not going away by itself, this type of consistent pain can be scary and limits your daily life with what you can do.

Symptoms of Back Pain

There are many different types of back pain and/or lower back pain that can prevent you from living a well-balanced lifestyle. To determine which type of pain you have, take a look at several of these diagnoses to see which one closely fits what your body is struggling with today.

#1 – Muscle Spasms

Muscle spasms are erratic tension in a specific muscle group which isn’t limited to just lower back pain. Muscle spasms can happen anywhere in the body, but listen to your body, perhaps the pain you are feeling is coming from a tightening in the muscles around the back. Spasms can also be the result of an older injury your body has experienced or even a new injury you don’t know about.

#2 – Back Strains/Back Sprains

When your body experiences back strains and sprains, it usually means you have overexerted yourself in a way that has possibly torn the ligaments and/or tendons around a specific joint. Strains can happen very easily when you don’t pay attention to something as simple as picking up something small off the floor. These injuries are usually done with enough force to cause discomfort and even abnormal function in the joints of the spine.

#3 – Injuries to the Discs

Many people are plagued with back pain due to the fact that they have damaged discs in the spine. Having a damaged disc in your back means you have probably had a lifting injury, sustained a fall or were involved in a motor vehicle accident. These disc injuries occur when forceful movements cause the spine to do an unusual motion. It is quite possible to treat disc injuries with a chiropractic professional and more often than not, surgery is not needed.

#4 – Sciatica Pain

The most common cause of lower back pain and sciatica leg pain is the direct result of lumbar spine misalignment, or muscular dysfunction in pelvic region. The vertebrae in the lower back have been forced into an awkward position for long periods of time, which causes nerve compression, limitation of muscle function, aberrant movement in lumbo-pelvic region, lower back pain, and eventually leg pain as a result of prolonged compression of the sciatic nerve.

In everything we do, we search for the underlying root problem. In sciatica or lower back pain situations, we create opportunities that will allow us to find hidden causes of the pain you are enduring now. Through the use of our consultation, we will search for the problem using differential diagnosis along with functional medicine practices, which include a complete history to rule out any other problems as well. Our orthopedic, physical, and neurological examination will go a long way to help us find out how to treat you successfully.

How To Treat Yourself At Home While Under Our Care

During our treatment for a back injury, we want to ensure that you are taking all of the positive steps to keep you on the road to health. Our chiropractic and functional medicine doctor want to suggest these precautions for you to follow while you are under our care to help heal your pain:

  • Do no lifting unless otherwise directed. Our practice is keeping your health as our concern and lifting is restricted until further direction from your specialist.
  • Assume the position that will provide relief. When you are lying on your back, make sure you find the position that is most comfortable for you that provides the least amount of pain. Once you begin our health regimen, our doctor will direct you in the correct positions that are best for you as your health progresses.
  • Walk/Stand as directed. If you are getting guidance from our chiropractor, it is important to stand up and walk around for short periods of time.
  • Avoid prolonged sitting position. Prolonged sitting puts the most strain on your back, even though it may not seem like it at the time. If you must sit, make sure you ask our specialist about this request.
  • Avoid the soft chair. If you must sit during the moments you have pain, make sure you are in a straight-backed chair with proper back support while maintaining the proper posture.
  • Avoid going upstairs. At least for a little while, we would like to request that you stay on the ground floor until your health gets better. Also, we suggest that you don’t walk on rough uneven ground.
  • Getting out of bed. In order to get out of bed successfully without pain and hurting yourself, turn over onto your good side, draw your knees to your chest, and push your way to the sitting position. Place your feet on the floor, hands on your thighs, and stand up while putting your back in the most comfortable position possible.
  • Ask the doctor about using heat compresses. Don’t use hot packs for pain until the specialist has approved it.
  • Avoid bending. Whether you dropped a sock and need to pick it up, or you need to pull on your pants, avoid it. Never bend from the waist, always bend your knees and pick up whatever it is off the floor. Keep your elbows to the sides of the body and do not reach forward. Then use your legs to help you stand in an erect position.

Back pain is a very serious matter and, when left untreated, it could mean a very negative, limited lifestyle. Do not let your back pain turn into consistent pain on a regular basis. Schedule a consultation with our chiropractic specialist today and we will help you find a pain free lifestyle.

Atlant Health – NYC Chiropractor & NYC Functional Medicine is located in Midtown East New York City, 10022 just a couple blocks away from Tramway Plaza. Call today (212) 888-0520.

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