Backaches and Chiropractic...
Back pain often attacks without warning. It can be a sharp stabbing thrust or it may sneak up on you as a dull throbbing that does not seem to ease up.
Findings have shown, in one survey…
1) A large percent of the population will experience disabling low back pain at least once during their lives! The problem is so bad that at any one time, according to one researcher, almost 7 percent of the U.S. adult population is suffering from an episode of back pain lasting more than two weeks.
2) The estimated cost of lower back problems in the U.S. is more than $50 billion a year.
Back pain can result from: muscle and tendon strain and sprain; muscle tension, brought on by emotional stress; poor posture, brought on by weak or un-exercised muscles; muscle spasms caused by over-exertion or over-use. Back pain can result from disease of the spine such as the various types of arthritis and tuberculosis. Back pain also can be brought on by disease elsewhere in the body, called referred pain. And that there are so many other things that can precipitate back pain that a person suffering from this condition can become very confused about what to do.
Most conditions that can precipitate back pain, and there are more than those mentioned above, have at least one thing in common - nerve irritation. Dorland's Medical Dictionary defines pain as “a feeling of distress, suffering or agony caused by stimulation of specialized nerve endings.” There can be no pain unless these specialized sensory nerves are stimulated (irritated), resulting in the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain.
When spinal vertebrae misalign even slightly, or their normal mobility altered, sensory and motor nerves can be irritated or even damaged. This is known as a vertebral subluxation complex, or biomechanical lesion - commonly shortened to just ... subluxation.
Chiropractors have found subluxations to be one of the most common causes of nerve irritation, thus one of the most common contributing factors in back pain.
Chiropractic is not a glorified aspirin that only provides temporary relief, if at all, by blocking the feeling of pain. Chiropractic is not a treatment specifically for back pain. And yet, chiropractic treatment has been a blessing to millions with back problems, often saving them from pain, dangerous surgery, drugs and probably undue financial strain. Chiropractors are licensed health care professionals highly trained to analyze and determine if a vertebral subluxation exists, and then to reduce and correct it if possible.
Today the vertebral subluxation has reached epidemic proportions. This condition is called a “silent killer” because it can slowly eat away at a person's health and vitality for years without that person having the slightest awareness of it. Why? Because:
Pain is only a symptom, not a disease process. If there is no pain, the unlucky person may not be aware that they have a subluxation producing an insidious decline of his or her health. People with painful subluxations might be considered the lucky ones - they know they have a problem and can do something about it. However, don't delay proper care by treating only the pain with pain killing drugs - this does nothing to correct the subluxation, if present, which must be done before long-lasting relief and good health can be restored.
Therefore, it is important to understand: the absence of pain does not necessarily mean the presence of health.
Doctors of chiropractic analyze the spinal column for the vertebral subluxations that can affect nerves, bones, muscles, even blood and lymph vessels. A spinal checkup should be done periodically even if you feel fine because spinal subluxation (nerve irritation) may be causing serious harm to your body - sometimes for years - without your knowledge.
If subluxations are found, the chiropractor uses special techniques (without drugs or surgery) to restore the subluxated vertebrae to a more normal position and motion. This allows normal flow of nerve impulses thereby contributing to the restoration of normal function. This procedure is called a chiropractic adjustment. The direct purpose of the chiropractic spinal adjustment is to reduce spinal nerve irritation, thus permitting the body to restore itself to a greater level of health and, of course, relieve pain.
When you have pain, no matter what it's called - be it back pain or any of the hundreds of other problems that the flesh is the heir to - delaying proper treatment is dangerous and can result in a major health problem. Seek a chiropractic examination immediately to see if yours is a condition which comes within the scope of chiropractic. The pain you suffer may be because the true cause of the pain has been ignored and proper treatment has been delayed.
Everyone needs a healthy spinal column. Even if you are seeing other health care providers, it is still possible and desirable to see a chiropractor to make sure your spine is subluxation free.
Numerous independent studies have been done, including those by the British Medical Research Council, the Florida Workers' Compensation Study, the Utah Workers' Compensation Study, and the California Workers' Compensation Study. These studies compared chiropractic care against traditional medical care in thousands of low back cases. The results were similar. All the studies showed the frequency and duration of absence from work due to low back pain were less in those treated by chiropractic. Because of the shortened disability time, the average cost of chiropractors' services was more than 50 percent lower than that of medical doctors for the same conditions.
Why are the results so overwhelmingly in favor of chiropractic over medical care? Because painkillers, muscle relaxants, braces, physical therapy, and surgery are not designed to correct spinal nerve irritation or vertebral subluxations - Chiropractic is!