What is Lower Back Pain?
Lower back pain is characterized by pain in the lower portion of the back and can be aggravated by bending, stretching, or moving, making any physical activity unpleasant. Unfortunately, it can also be aggravated by standing, sitting, or lying down for too long— this makes even resting or sleeping an unpleasant struggle. For someone suffering from lower back pain, it can truly feel like you just can't get away from it.
More than 30 million people suffer to some degree from lower back pain in the U.S. alone. For some people, it's a nagging problem that makes just about any activity unpleasant. Still, lower back pain can be quite serious— it is the leading cause of disability in adults.
Signs and Symptoms of Lower Back Pain
As the phrase implies, lower back pain involves pain in the lower portion of the back. The type of pain and severity of the pain can vary from person to person. It may feel sore or like a dull ache. There may be sharp pains or throbbing. The pain may radiate down the buttocks and legs. In severe cases, it may cause numbness in the lower extremities or may impair mobility.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Lower Back Pain
It may surprise you to learn that problems in your neck can cause pain in your lower back, but it's true. The upper cervical spine is made up of the seven vertebrae that run from the base of the skull down the neck. This area is vulnerable to misalignments, which can happen due to poor posture, a bad mattress, or a jarring injury to the head and neck.
If the upper cervical spine is misaligned, you may not even realize it, but your body will automatically shift and change posture to compensate. This unconscious shift unfortunately causes pressure points and undue stress on joints, ligaments, and muscles going down the back. As time goes on, the strain on the musculoskeletal system worsens, contributing to inflammation, swelling, compressed nerves, muscle spasms, stiffness, and flexibility problems.
Sometimes the best thing you can do to fix your lower back pain is to have your upper cervical spine readjusted.
How Our Lower Back Pain Treatment Works
Dr. Gordon Elder, our upper cervical chiropractor, is a specialist in the Blair Chiropractic Technique. This technique offers back pain sufferers a drug-free, non-invasive, gentle treatment to help correct the body's misalignments, thus prompting the musculoskeletal system to heal and resume its normal functioning.
Screening is the first step of Dr. Elder's treatments, which involves a conversation about your problems and health history, along with diagnostic testing. At the Blair Chiropractic Clinic, we use the most advanced technological imaging tools to perform a 3D scan of your upper cervical spine.
Once problem areas are pinpointed, Dr. Elder can use gentle manipulations to bring your vertebrae back into proper alignment. Brief follow-up appointments for the next few months will allow the doctor to ensure the realignment stays in place and your body is adjusting and improving.
After initial treatments, Dr. Elder recommends monthly checkups to nip any problems in the bud and prevent recurring misalignments.
Don't suffer from lower back pain a minute longer when there is a safe alternative. Contact Dr. Elder's office for a consultation. Our areas of coverage include Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, and El Paso in Texas, as well as Hobbs in New Mexico.
Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.