Back Pain Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options

Back pain is one of the most common medical conditions that people all over the world face. Each year thousands of people seek chiropractic treatment for this nagging ailment. Back pain can be very severe and can keep you from working, exercising, or doing the things you love.

Luckily there are ways to treat this condition, without having to go under the knife. Seeing a chiropractor can help you to get the back pain treatment you need, get out of pain, and get your life back on track. Fox Integrated Healthcare, a chiropractor located in Broomfield Colorado provides treatment plans for back pain to get you back on track fast!

Upper and Lower Back Pain

Back pain also referred to, as upper back pain is a serious condition of which without treatment will often get worse. Pain in the back can be caused by many different conditions and needs to be explored in order to find the root of the pain. Pain in the upper back is usually the result of poor posture, muscle overuse, or injury. Finding the root of the pain is crucial to creating a treatment plan that is effective.

Back Pain Symptoms Lower back pain occurs in the bottom part of your back. Just like upper back pain the pain can be caused by several different conditions. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), low back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability. At least 80 percent of Americans will experience low back pain in their lifetimes.

Low back pain is usually the result of an injury, such as muscle sprains or strains due to sudden movements or poor body mechanics while lifting heavy objects. Unfortunately, lower back pain can also be the result of certain diseases, such as cancer of the spinal cord, a ruptured or herniated disc, sciatica, arthritis, kidney infections, or infections of the spine. This is why it is important to see a diagnosis ASAP. Acute back pain can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, while chronic back pain is pain that lasts longer than three months.

Common Causes of Back Pain

As we stated above there are many common causes of back pain. These causes can be very simple or very complicated, depending on your own personal health situation.

Potential causes of back pain and back pain symptoms:

Muscle or Ligament Strain

This is probably one of the most common causes of back pain. Heavy lifting that is repetitive can bring on sudden back pain. Also, if you are in poor physical condition a sudden movement may bring on back pain due to muscle strain or ligament strain.

Arthritis

Another common ailment that has been linked to back pain is arthritis. Osteoarthritis is many times the cause of lower back pain. Spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal cord, can also bring on lower back pain.

Bulging or Ruptured Disks

As we grow older many people have ruptured or bulging disks in their back. Disks are designed to cushion the bones in the back and keep them from rubbing together. As time goes by sometimes these disks ruptured or bulge causing them to press down on the nerve, which results in back pain.

Back Pain Symptoms

Now that we know about the common causes of back pain, let’s take a moment and learn more about back pain symptoms.

Pain that goes away when reclining
A shooting or stabbing pain that comes on suddenly and without warning
Aching muscles
Pain that gets worse when you walk, stand, bend, or try to lift something up
Pain that runs down your leg

The Risk Factors

Just like any medical condition back pain symptoms comes with its own set of risk factors. Please check out these risk factors to see if any of them apply to you.

Lack of Exercise: This is a very common risk factor that can actually bring on back pain.
Age: As you grow older your risk of having back pain is higher than those of younger age.
Smoking: Smoking can contribute to back pain by reducing blood flow to the lower spine.
Excess Weight: Having excess weight can put a lot of stress on the spine and other areas of your body.
Improper Lifting: If you lift with your back and not with your legs you are putting yourself at risk of back pain.
Diseases: Cancer and many types of arthritis can contribute to back pain.
Depression: While it is not clearly known how depression causes back pain, those that suffer from this condition seem to have worse pain than those that do not.

Back Pain Treatment

There are several steps involved in back pain treatment. Below we will examine each of these steps so that you can know what to expect when visiting your chiropractor. Each of these steps is part of a larger effort to help rid your life of back pain.

A Personal Evaluation

It is important to remember that all back pain cases are unique. This is why it is so important that you allow a certified chiropractor to evaluate your condition. This is the first step in the treatment of back pain. Your chiropractor will run a series of non-invasive tests to determine your overall condition. These tests will help them determine what is causing your back pain and a treatment method will be developed for you.

Developing A Treatment Plan

Once your chiropractor has determined the root cause of your back pain he or she will then develop a personal plan of treatment for you. Some of the most common types of treatment for back pain include spinal manipulation, chiropractic mobilization, and other adjustments.

Follow Up Care

Once your initial chiropractic treatment has been completed, you may have to follow up for additional spinal maintenance. This will not only help relieve back pain but also help to prevent future bouts of back pain. Follow up care is very important and should always be taken seriously.

Exercise

In addition to your follow up care your chiropractor may put you on an exercise plan. This will help keep back pain away by building up muscles and making you stronger. Exercise is always important especially for those that tend to live sedimentary lifestyles. Remember the stronger you the less chance of straining a muscle or pulling a ligament.

Fox Integrated Healthcare is a chiropractor located in Broomfield Colorado. If you are suffering from back pain or lower back pain call us and make an appointment today, (303) 469-7066 or click here to fill out our appointment request form.