Posts Tagged ‘chiropractic adjustments’
Low Back Pain
Low back pain is a common health challenge that often affects more than 80% of human beings, making it second in commonality only to the common cold. However, unlike the common cold, back pain is often perplexing to most of its sufferers. Your Orlando Chiropractor is an expert at solving that mystery.
Anatomy
Knowledge of the anatomy of the spine is essential in understanding back pain. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back consist of posterior joints called facets that join vertebrae to one another and serve to direct the action of the spine. The inter-vertebral discs connect the bodies of the vertebrae and are composed of a form of tough cartilage that encases a soft material in the center, called the nucleus. The principal function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also connect the vertebrae. The wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine is the sacrum and is joined to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. The spinal cord is situated between the facets of the vertebrae. The spinal nerves leave the spine between the vertebrae.
Causes of Back Pain
In most cases, back pain occurs without a trauma, an accident, or a major injury prior to the onset. The cumulative effects of unhealthy sitting posture, harmful work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of healthy exercise, and other poor lifestyle-related factors create most back pain. All of these factors produce stresses and imbalances on the spine and eventually generate pain. This is why people can often injure their back simply by bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The spine was already at risk and just the simple act of bending was enough to set off the condition. When this happens, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Orlando Chiropractor can help you to get out of pain quickly.
Disc Problems & Sciatica
Increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles around the spine can come about during and after prolonged sitting, particularly in a unsuitable position. Over time the lower spine loses its ability to function normally during everyday stresses. Finally, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, allowing the soft nucleus to bulge the disc outward. If the disc pushes on sensitive tissues, it creates the pain that is often referred to as a slipped disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, an individual can develop sciatica, which is defined as pain, tingling, numbness, and occasionally weakness in the lower extremities. Sadly, if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition isn’t managed appropriately, surgery may berequired to dispose of the herniated disc material. With chiropractic adjustments and care, which often includes postural exercises, most disc complications, including sciatica, can be resolved. If you are experiencing any of the problems defined above, it is essential for you to seek chiropractic assistance.
Spondylosis
Increased erosion and weight-bearing stress on the spine occurs when there is repetitive injury to the discs, facet joints, and surrounding ligaments. This stress can negatively affect the cartilage around the joints and engender calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae, forming bone spurs. These spurs can restrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This constriction causes a form of arthritis, called Spondylosis, that can also occur as part of the aging process of the spine. Nevertheless, factors such as previous trauma, unhealthy lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influence the time of onset in life. Regular chiropractic care and overall chiropractic management is very effective in slowing the aging process of the spine, as well as assisting Spondylosis sufferers in managing their condition. Your Orlando Chiropractor has helped many Spondylosis sufferers.
Sacroiliac Problems
Another common area of dysfunction or injury in the low back is in the sacroiliac joints. These weight-bearing joints connect the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are usually very strong and stable. However with damage such as falls, sports injuries, or lifting heavy objects, the joints can become unstable and change to an abnormal position. This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. Pregnancy can also cause this condition. The imbalances in the lower extremities caused by sacroiliac subluxation can create a functional long and short leg. Pain is felt particularly with prolonged standing and walking, or during and after physical activity, and the individual may experience a lack of energy and fatigue. Many times this imbalance can affect structures further up the spine and people can develop neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches. Chiropractic adjustments and treatment are extremely effective in fixing this problem by establishing proper alignment of the joints.. Ask your Fort Worth chiropractor how you can experience effective pain relief.
Spinal Subluxation
Subluxated or misaligned facets joints are a commonplace disorder of the lower back, as well as the entire spine. Subluxations can happen on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and Spondylosis. They not only produce pain, but they can also imparel the spinal nerves as they exit the foramen or spaces between the vertebrae, and create nerve compression, known as paraethesia. Paraesthesia is an alteration of sensation described as a tingling, burning or “funny feeling.” Paraesthesia in the upper extremities more often than notoriginates from nerve problems in the neck, while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is commonly associated with nerve dysfunctionin the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also becorrelated with, or complicated by, spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best eliminated by chiropractic adjustments.
Trauma
Injury such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury can create over-stretching or tearing of the tissues of the spine and lower back and cause considerable pain and immobility. In order to avoid long term disability or the development of any of the conditions listed above, chiropractic adjustments and treatment at the onset of symptoms is very important. If you experience a trauma, call your chiropractor as soon as possible.
Scoliosis is often associated with low back pain. Chiropractic care offers exceptional pain relief.
When it comes to the spine, chiropractors have more education and training than medical doctors. I can provides state of the art diagnosis and expert treatment for any of the above-mentioned problems of the spine and lower back.