The most common type of back pain occurs in structures that make up the lumbar region, which provides support, strength, and flexibility. In fact, when it comes to troublesome health issues, lower back pain ranks third behind heart and lung disease. Drs. Leo and Courtney Meltvedt, the husband and wife team at Chiropractic Life Center in Encinitas, California, offer natural relief for your lower back pain in a warm, positive, healing environment.
Call (760) 783-0105 to make an appointment today.
Lower Back Pain Q&A
Lower back pain affects a complex zone of vertebrae, discs, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves that is very susceptible to injury and pain. Depending on the cause, symptoms include:
• Pain in your lower back that worsens with prolonged sitting or standing
• Stinging, burning pain, including numbness or tingling, that moves into your lower legs or feet
• Muscle spasms in your back, pelvis, and hips
• Difficulty standing, walking, or changing position
The two most common types of lower back pain are mechanical and radicular.
Mechanical back pain is the most frequently occurring type of lower back pain. You usually feel pain in your lower back and buttocks, and it changes with motion.
Radicular pain results from your spinal nerve root becoming impinged or inflamed and is typically felt on only one side of your body as a sharp, electric, burning pain associated with numbness or weakness.
The doctors at Chiropractic Life Center also classify lower back pain into three categories based on onset and duration: acute, subacute, and chronic back pain.
Acute
Acute lower back pain comes on suddenly and lasts up to six weeks. It is considered a typical response to injury or tissue damage and gradually subsides as your body heals.
Subacute
Subacute lower back pain is prolonged, lasting up to three months, and is usually due to muscle strain or joint pain. Subacute back pain is often severe and limits everyday activities.
Chronic
Chronic back pain is severe and lasts over three months, requiring a thorough medical workup to determine the exact source of the pain.
The doctors at Chiropractic Life Center review your medical history and do a complete physical exam. Additionally, they utilize motion X-rays to diagnose the cause of your lower back pain. A digital motion X-ray enables them to find the problem areas of restricted movement.
Some of the methods offered at Chiropractic Life Center to relieve your lower back pain include the use of:
• Specific Chiropractic Adjustments that release pressure from the nerves and the discs, allowing proper function and neurological integrity.
• Invertrac® (inversion table): upside-down suspension that shifts gravity and eases pressure off your back
• Ball exercises: introduce instability into floor exercises to help prevent or minimize lower back pain
• Wobble seats: the process of retraining your neuromuscular system
• Strengthening exercises: makes your back stronger and less susceptible to injury
• Spinal molding fulcrums: part of a posture correction or curve rehabilitation program to restore your spine’s proper curvature
If you need relief from your lower back pain, call (760) 783-0105 to make an appointment today.