Lower Back Pain

Causes of Low Back Pain

The majority of low back pain is mechanical in nature. Acute low back pain are initiated by an acute injury or trauma which cause immediate damage to tissues in the low back area. Accidents such as a fall, sports injury, or performing certain movements in the wrong way may precipitate an acute low back pain. Chronic low back pain is usually associated with a gradual increase in or recurrent symptoms over a period of months or years. Sometimes it may be related to an acute onset with a prolonged recovery. Repeated minor injuries resulting from poor postures or faulty techniques in sports may also cause chronic low back pain.

Clinically, the exact cause of many incidents of low back pain is often difficult to determine due to the vast number of structures in the lower back that could be the source of pain. It is important to obtain a correct diagnosis before proceeding with treatment. Sometimes radiographic or other studies are required to confirm the diagnosis. The most common conditions seen by a chiropractor are:

Lumbar (low back) sprain and strain
Discogenic pain
Facet syndrome
Sacroiliac sprain
Spondylolisthesis

Signs of low back pain require immediate attention

If you develop the following signs and symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately. It could indicate a serious condition that may need immediate medical attention:

Back pain persisting beyond a few days
Back pain that awakens you at night
Difficulty controlling bowel or bladder function
Back pain that is accompanied by fever, chills, sweats or other unusual symptoms

Chiropractic Treatment Approach for Low Back Pain

Reduce Pain - For both acute and chronic pain, the goal of treatment initially would be to reduce the pain, or to “break the pain cycle”. As the pain level is reduced, the muscles will relax, reversing the pain cycle. Certain modalities may be employed to provide pain relief and reduce inflammation at this stage, such as interferential current therapy, ultrasound therapy, dry-needling, ice/heat cycle, etc.
Restore normal joint mechanics - Depending on the examination findings, your chiropractor will adjust (manipulate) the vertebral joints that are misaligned (subluxated). A chiropractic spinal adjustment is a high-velocity, low-amplitude force directed to specific joint segment(s). Sometimes other techniques are also employed to effect the correction, including flexion-distraction, drop table, etc.
Improve flexibility and strength – To prevent future injuries, it is important to improve the flexibility of the joints and the strength of the core muscles. Your chiropractor will advise you on appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises according to your physical needs and fitness level.
Lifestyle adjustments – Exercises, diet, working posture, sleep etc. play a vital role in the development and otherwise prevention of low back pain. Your specialist in chiropractic will work with you to identify lifestyle adjustments that will help you maximize the quality of your health.

Chiropractic Treatment of Low Back Pain Effectiveness

Chiropractic adjustment or spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is an effective treatment for both acute and chronic low back pain. A 2018 study(1) shows that after 6 weeks, those who received usual care (including medications, self care and physical therapy) plus up to 12 sessions of chiropractic treatments reported the following:
less pain intensity
experienced less disability and more improvement in function
higher satisfaction with their treatment
needed less pain medicine
Other studies(2) also show that in conjunction with standard medical care, chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy offers a significant advantage for decreasing pain and improving physical functioning when compared with only standard care, for men and women between 18 and 35 years of age with acute low back pain.
1. Effect of Usual Medical Care Plus Chiropractic Care vs Usual Medical Care Alone on Pain and Disability Among US Service Members With Low Back Pain - A Comparative Effectiveness Clinical Trial ~ JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(1):e180105. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0105
2. Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study ~ Spine 2013 Apr 15:38(8):627-34

Recommended Treatments for Low Back Pain*

Spinal manipulation - for restoration of joint movements
Non-surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy - for reducing pressure, stress and compression effect on the discs and nerves
Ultrasound Therapy - for reducing inflammation
Electro-Therapy - for relaxing muscles and enhance circulation
Exercise Therapy - to restore normal function and flexibility

* A proper diagnosis has to be obtained for all of the above conditions before an appropriate combination of treatments will be provided. This is just a list of possible treatments for the individual condition but not all of them may be necessary, nor is it limited to those listed only.