How Chiropractic Adjustments Can Help Relieve Lower Back Pain
Chiropractors are health care professionals dedicated to treating disorders of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. They focus on spinal manipulation and treating its surrounding structures . This is why many people visit a chiropractor to treat back pain. But have you ever wondered how chiropractic adjustments help relieve lower back pain?
We tackle the benefits of chiropractors for lower back pain and how Mobile Wellness Care can help.
Chiropractic Care Benefits For Lower Back Pain
Chiropractors conduct hands-on spinal manipulation, along with various alternative treatments. By properly aligning the body’s musculoskeletal structure, especially the spine, the body can heal itself without requiring medication or surgery.
Chiropractic adjustments restore joint mobility that has become restricted from injuries. These injuries can be caused by traumatic events, strenuous activity, repetitive stress, falls, tight muscles or poor posture and sitting positions.
Chiropractic adjustments are used as pain relief alternatives for bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue. This also includes cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. Sometimes it is combined with conventional medical treatments and physical therapy.
How Chiropractic Adjustments Can Help Relieve Lower Back Pain
Spinal or manual manipulation, also known as chiropractic adjustments, involve high-velocity, short lever arm thrusts applied to the abnormal vertebra. The goal is to improve functionality, reduce nerve irritability, and to restore spinal range of motion.
Chiropractic adjustments focus on spinal alignment and manipulation to help manage pain and stimulate our bodies’ self-healing capabilities. By realigning the spine, it reduces pressure on our central nervous system. This improves nervous system function and helps treat neck and back pain and headaches.
Lower Back Pain Studies
There are studies that show how chiropractic treatments can help lower back pain. For instance, a 2018 study published in the JAMA Network Open weighed the pros and cons of chiropractic care to treat lower back pain. 750 active-duty military personnel with back pain participated in the research, with half of them receiving typical care (medication, physical therapy, and self-care), while the other half received 12 chiropractic treatments on top of typical care.
After 6 weeks, those who received chiropractic care reported less pain intensity and disability, improved function, required less pain medications, and were more satisfied with the treatment.
While there are limitations in the trial, chiropractic care has become very popular in treating lower back pain and other conditions. There are many studies that show chiropractors are effective for treating lower back pain, neck pain, and lumbar herniated discs for radiculopathy.
Furthermore, for those patients who don’t have non-specific chronic lower back pain, the long-term results are enhanced with maintenance readjustment sessions after the first few adjustment therapies.
How Do Chiropractors Help?
Many chiropractors work on spine-related conditions, including the lower back, also called the lumbar spine. They also work on the upper back, known as the thoracic spine, and the neck, or cervical spine.
There are common reasons why patients visit the chiropractor, particularly after experiencing an accident or injury, which leads to pain.
Common causes of spine pain are disc problems and muscle spasm. Problems from the back and neck can lead to pain around the arms and legs as well. That is why chiropractors who help with back pain can also lessen pain around other parts of the body as well.
When chiropractors improve movement in the spine, they may also improve the joint mobility in other areas as well, which reduces muscle tightness. This can also help reduce nerve irritation that travels down the arms and legs, which can cause pain, tingling, numbness or muscle weakness.
While chiropractors can also work with other parts of the body, like shoulders and knees, their main focus is usually the spine.
What to Expect from Chiropractic Adjustment for Lower Back Pain
Before the adjustment, your chiropractor will first take your medical history and perform a physical examination. They might use diagnostic imaging or other lab tests to ensure that their treatment is appropriate for your lower back pain.
As part of your exam, your chiropractor will assess the medical and mechanical aspects of your pain. They will check your alignment, nerve function, muscle tone, and the way your body moves. This will allow them to recommend appropriate treatments and explain how they can help you.
A typical treatment plan will involve a few chiropractic adjustments where the chiropractor will manipulate your spine and any affected joints. They will use a controlled, sudden force, which will help reduce pain and inflammation, improve nerve function and range of motion.
Between the chiropractic sessions, many chiropractors will utilize nutritional counseling and/or exercise or rehabilitation to enhance the patient’s results. The ultimate goals are to restore the function of the body, prevent further injury, and of course, to provide back pain relief.
Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe for Relieving Lower Back Pain?
Absolutely! Chiropractic adjustments are generally considered safe and effective treatments for lower back pain. Research shows that chiropractic care is also helpful to treat headaches and neck pain. Furthermore, those with conditions like fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis have been shown in many instances to respond well to chiropractic treatment.
That said, in rare instances, some individuals will require clearance from their doctor before receiving chiropractic care.
For instance, if you have osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis, spinal cord compression, or take blood-thinning medications, let your chiropractor know so that they can order the appropriate tests or make the proper referrals to ensure chiropractic treatments are safe. The same goes for those who have a history of cancer.
In short, make sure your chiropractor is well-aware with your medical history for a safe and effective adjustment session.
Wrapping It Up
If you’re experiencing lower back pain, you may be able to get relief from a reputable chiropractor. Because of their expertise and experience, they can perform spinal manipulation and help realign and readjust your spine back in place for it to function well and lessen pain.
For those who plan to visit a chiropractor now, contact us and we can let you know what we can do for you and your lower back pain. Begin your journey towards health and wellness now!
Connect with us on Social