What can Chiropractic do for Low Back Pain?

Chiropractic care can do many things for the treatment low back pain.

First of all, chiropractic manipulation, a.k.a. “adjustments,” can help to normalize the position and movement of joints that are improperly aligned or restricted in movement. By having normal joint movement and position, the body can function with proper biomechanics to reduce stress/strain on the muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves and joints. Often times people need a chiropractic adjustment when they say their “back is stiff,” “back has limited motion,” “bone seems to be out of place,” “nerve is pinched,” or “back seems to need to be cracked”. You can see they tend to have poor posture, leaning to one side, slouching, limping when walking, having particularly one-sided pain, and limited motion on one-side versus the other when turning or bending to the side. On the other hand, many people need a chiropractic adjustment when they don’t even know it. Their misalignment or restricted joint motion is an underlying problem to their condition.

Chiropractors also perform soft tissue therapies to loosen muscles, get rid of muscle spasms, remove scar tissue, and stimulate proper ligament healing. Patients who need this treatment often complain of achy or sharp pain, “lack of flexibility,” “tight muscles,” “knots,” “twitches,” “tension,” and frequent sprains.

Physiotherapy and rehabilitative exercise is also a common form of chiropractic care. Physiotherapy such as ultrasound therapy and electrical stimulation help to control pain and promote healing. Rehabilitative exercise is used to improve function and prevent injury to the muscles, ligaments, nerves, and joints. Patients who particularly need specific rehabilitative exercises (exclusive or inclusive of other forms of treatment) often complain of weakness or frequent, repeated injury.

And a good chiropractor will teach you about proper ergonomics, habits and technique in your activities, whether it be during your work on your computer or while you play sports. This is particularly important because no matter what treatment you get, if you don’t correct your ergonomics/habits/technique, your problem will most likely persist.

In my office, chiropractic care helps patients with low back strain or sprain, mild and moderate disc herniations, sciatica, numbness, tingling, muscle tension, muscle spasm, poor posture, and simply complaints of ache and pain.