Lights and Bells are sounds we are conditioned to respond to quickly when there is a crisis. Our body’s warning system, pain, is unfortunately the most often ignored alarm. Pain of any kind is a warning signal from your body that something is wrong. People often prefer to silence their warning system with pain killers and ignore the message their body is desperately trying to communicate to them until the point of major crisis or total loss. Back pain is one such pain that is very commonly ignored or masked until it depletes the quality of life to an unbearable state.
Understanding Your Back’s Warning System
The facet joints at the back edge of each spinal bone are rich with pain receptors and are a common cause of back pain. The pain can be a sign these interlocking joints have lost their normal mobility. The discs between spinal bones can also be involved. Simple traumas like a slip or fall or over stretching while lifting can cause the soft, gel like material in the middle to shift and cause pressure on nearby nerves.
The Fast Food Fix
In today’s society unfortunately people suffering with back pain both chronic and acute would like their pain taken away immediately. They most often choose fast and temporary over long lasting quality solutions. Very common choices include:
- Ignore it: Spinal problems when ignored tend to worsen over time.
- Bed rest: May offer short term relief but as with “ignoring it” this option delays addressing the problem.
- Therapy: Again this may offer short term relief but if malfunctioning joints are present it is again just “ignoring it”.
- Medicine: Numbs the pain offering relief but there are no medications that will correct the joint dysfunction.
- Surgery: Certain types of back pain may require surgery but these are rare and even in these cases surgery is recommended as the last resort and only when conservative treatment options are unable to help.
The Healthier Corrective Choice
Chiropractic treatment has been proven to help improve spinal position and mobility. By restoring the way your spine works the joints, discs and soft tissues begin to repair, nerve pressure can be reduced, pain diminishes and stability returns. Chiropractors or spine specialists also have incorporated many useful tools, inclusive of spinal decompression, to help not only restore mobility and alignment but help expedite the regenerative process of the spinal discs.
Often Asked FAQs on Back Pain:
I have a “little” back pain every day – is that normal? Pain of any kind is a warning sign that something is wrong. Pain is your bodies way of telling you that a physical limitation has been reached or a problem has developed. Because our body has a tremendous capacity for adapting, minor aches and pains are often ignored. While the pain may stop, if the underlying problem (the reason for the pain) is not addressed, the problem may worsen until it becomes more difficult and expensive to resolve.
What about taking muscle relaxers? Of course chiropractors don’t dispense drugs, instead we use natural drug-free methods to help our patients. There are many stress relieving activities that can provide muscle relaxation: improved hydration, deep breathing exercises, and positive mental visualization can significantly help patients that are struggling to recover because of muscle tension. Additionally, for acute pain or pain related to treatment (muscular soreness similar to that experienced from starting a new exercise) properly applied ice has an analgesic effect and when used regularly can help to improve the circulation to areas suffering from degeneration. Most importantly you get the benefit of these methods without the unwanted effects associated with many medications.
How does Chiropractic work? Chiropractic “works” because your body is self-healing, self-regulating and controlled by your nervous system. Millions of instructions are communicated between your brain and your body, up and down the spinal cord, and over the peripheral nerves to every organ and tissue. The messages sent back to the brain confirm if the body is working correctly or tell the brain there is an emergency (pain). Improper movement and/or position of the bones of the spine can negatively impact this vital exchange of information between the brain and body by irritating or compressing nerves and thereby diminishing the function and coordination of affected organs and tissues. Chiropractic treatments are designed to improve this brain body communication cycle. By improving nervous system communication the body repair process improves and the warning system (pain) can return to it’s normal resting state.
Does insurance cover Chiropractic care? Today many policies cover at least some of the care that you may need. It’s always a relief when an insurance company or some other third party helps pay the bill. But be careful! Most huge corporations prefer to focus on their own bottom line rather than what is in your best interest regarding your health. If you sincerely want your health back, in most cases we can help and we will do our best to make Chiropractic care affordable for just about anyone.
The Chiropractic Solution
Our office would like to be part of your future healthcare solution. We will address not only the areas that are affected by pain but find the root cause to help restore function and help your body obtain better long lasting health and strength naturally.
For Your Health,
Dr. Che Connelly