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Stiffness / Muscle Spasm
May be primary cause of pain from over use or injury, but often secondary to poor posture habits, lack of optimal curvature (cervical lordosis), improper muscle balance and coordination, tension from stress, osteoarthritis, degeneration of the intervertebral discs, disc bulge or herniation, nerve root compression, instability or scar tissue from an old whiplash injury, etc. or a combination of several of the above.
Pain or numbness and tingling may refer into the head, shoulder, or down the arm and into the hand.
Facet Joint Syndrome
Spinal bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of one another come in contact at three weight-bearing points: at the disc in the front, and at the Facet joints in the rear. Poor posture or a bend and twist type injury may cause these joints to jam or lock causing pain.
Often this pain is difficult to locate and can travel into the groin, buttock, or across the back. Facet joint pain may be aggravated by bending to the side or twisting backwards. Over time, this may degenerative arthritis or a disc injury.
Disc Problems
Normal healthy discs, or intervertebral discs, are strong fibrous sacks with a jelly-like fluid center. Located between the spinal bones (vertebrae), they help absorb the forces on your spinal column -- gravity, shocks, vibrations, etc. of everyday life. They also serve to separate each vertebra creating the necessary space for the spinal nerves to branch off and exit the spinal cord. Between each vertebra, spinal nerves branch off to supply all of the organs and tissues in your body. Therefore, any decrease in the height of a disc will decrease the space between two stacked vertebrae. The result may be compression of the related spinal nerve, leading to the term pinched nerve.
Disc Bulge or Herniation (aka, Slipped or Ruptured Disc)
A disc herniation is a rupture of the intervertebral disc where the inner core of the disc bulges out through the outer layer. If the bulging disc presses on a spinal nerve, the pressure can cause pain. A common presentation of a herniated disc is sciatica, the term used to describe the pain that travels downward along the sciatic nerve from the buttock to the thigh and leg. A herniated or bulging disc in the neck may cause pain that travels down the shoulder and into the arm. A herniated or bulging disc in the middle back may cause pain that travels around the side of the body and into the flank.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Most common to the neck and lower back, degenerative disc disease may occur over a long period of time or fairly rapidly after injury. Discs lose their fluid content and become thin, leading to decreased motion. Chemical irritation or mechanical pressure may lead to the formation of arthritic bony spurs. Over time, this degenerative process may cause the normal weight-bearing curvatures to change and cause the spinal bones to actually become malformed from the pressure.
Degeneration of the disc may cause the nerve roots to become choked, causing pain or tingling to radiate up into the head or down into the leg or arm.
Subluxation
Spinal subluxation is a term used to describe the abnormal alignment of the spinal bones. This may be caused by a number of factors including injury, stress, poor posture or improper lifting techniques. The spinal bones dont move as they should, which can place abnormal strain on the related ligaments, muscles, discs, and nerves.
In the early stages, pain associated with subluxation is due to lack of mobility, inflammation, joint swelling, and muscle spasm. Typically, this is a more localized pain. If uncorrected, it may encourage disc degeneration.
Sacroiliac Syndrome / Sprain-Strain
Roughly located at the medial borders of your two back pockets, the sacroiliac joint connects the iliac bone of your pelvis to the sacrum. People with this painful condition routinely complain of a pain across their low back, just below the beltline. This pain may travel across the top of the buttock from the right to left back pocket, or cause more pain on one side. Pain may increase with bending forward or backward, and sufferers will typically bend away from the side that hurts more.
A fixation of the sacroiliac joint may cause the muscles of the buttock and pelvis to become strained with even mild activities. Many people will report a dull to sharp ache in this region, which occurs routinely, several times a year after mild to moderate activity. Lifting, pulling or pushing heavy loads may injure this joint in some. Others will say that it bothers them most after something very simple, such as sitting too long.
Sciatica
The largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve is made up of several nerve roots that leave the spinal chord between the spinal bones (vertebrae) in the low back. The term sciatica refers to the pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. This may cause back pain or pain in the hip or buttock that may travel down the leg and into the foot. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, pain or pins and needles may travel into the groin, thigh, calf, foot or any combination of these areas. Sciatica is a presentation of symptoms and not a proper diagnosis. A proper examination is performed to determine the actual cause, which may be due to an injury to the low back, instability, disc bulge or herniation, degeneration, or even muscle spasm.
Arthritis - Osteoarthritis (aka, Degenerative Joint Disease or DJD)
The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis is a degenerative process involving the smooth surface cartilage of joints. As we age, this surface becomes rough and pitted, eventually degenerating. This decreases the joint space which ultimately leads to further degeneration as pressure on and inside the joint increases. Osteoarthritis may occur much earlier in life due to an injury to the joint that affects the cartilage. Other offenders include poor posture, overweight, overuse, poor dietary habits, and family history.
Pain and stiffness is typically worse in the morning upon waking or after periods of being still. People with osteoarthritis usually say that their body creaks as they start moving. Pain and stiffness usually decreases with movement.
Back Pain of Pregnancy
Pregnancy may stress the back and surrounding tissues due to postural changes, weight gain, and the hormonal effects on the supporting structures of the low back and pelvis. Gentle chiropractic treatment and corrective exercise has helped many as an effective, drug-free way to battle the pains associated with pregnancy.
Chronic Back Pain - even after Surgery
Just because youve had surgery for back pain doesnt mean that chiropractic cannot help you. We've treated a number of patients who continue to suffer from chronic back pain after back surgery. We don't feel that anyone should just have to live with back pain.
Scoliosis
When viewed from front to back, the normal healthy spine is vertically straight. However, viewed from the side, the normal healthy spine is a series of alternating forward and backward curves (called a lordosis in the neck and low back, and a kyphosis in the middle back and tailbone). In concert with the discs between each vertebrae, this gives your spine optimal spring-like qualities, to help absorb shocks, vibrations, and other effects of gravity.
Scoliosis is a condition in which an abnormal curvature develops in the spine. Its causes are unknown. It is not caused by poor posture. It is not contagious. Early detection and treatment is very important as it may have severe complications. It usually begins to develop in children between the ages of 9 and 14.
Rib Subluxation
A sharp or stabbing pain in the mid or upper back that increases with deep inspiration may be due to a rib head slipping out of place at the point where it inserts into the spine. This may be caused by a simple bend and twist or even a forceful cough or sneeze.
The above text is only a brief description of several commonly treated complaints. It is not meant to provide you with a diagnosis. Your chiropractor can provide you with a proper diagnosis and treatment regimine only after performing a thorough examinaion.
Maintenance Care
One does not have to be injured or be in pain to benefit from Chiropractic Care. Chiropractic Care can help prevent injury, enhance physical performance, improve posture, decrease stiffness and improve mobility, increase energy and strength, improve circulation, improve sleep, and improve immune system function.
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