If you’ve ever suffered from back pain, you know how it can become extremely painful and even debilitating. While a simple strain from overdoing things can easily pass, sometimes back pain comes from a deeper injury to the spine that needs adjustment.
Your back has many parts that all work together to support your body, protect organs and allow for movement. When you consider that it is made of 24 vertebrae, 24 ribs, the sacrum, the coccyx, joints, muscles and ligaments, all of which can be irritated, strained or sprained, it’s easy to see why most of us experience back pain at some point.
On top of that, poor posture, obesity, arthritis and even psychological stress, diseases such as kidney infections, kidney stones or gallstones, blood clots and more can all contribute to back pain.
Some back pain is mild and can be treated easily at home with ice and OTC anti-inflammatories, but other back pain is more severe and needs attention from a professional. That’s where chiropractic care comes to the rescue and we can help you prevent back pain.
To prevent back pain it involves the manipulation of the vertebrae in the spine to achieve alignment, elimination of pain and restoration of movement.
Back pain in the cervical and upper thoracic (from the neck to mid-back) is referred to as upper back pain. Any improper or strained movement can lead to upper back pain by irritating the nerves and interfering with muscle movement, which causes pain. This irritation is known as a subluxation, which can cause problems with movement and function.
In the spine, between the vertebrae, are discs. The discs act like shock absorbers, keeping the vertebrae separated. Early intervention and chiropractic care keep the discs in place, enabling the vertebrae to function properly.
When a disc herniates or “slips,” the result can lead to big problems. While many people have some herniation in some of the discs without ever realizing it, trouble begins when the material impinges on the nerves.
Think of the disc like a jelly donut. If you press down on one side of the donut, that side squishes together, and the jelly squirts out the other side. This “jelly” and the accompanying swelling aggravates the nerves and causes pain, tingling and even numbness. The damage can become permanent if not properly treated.
Discs receive less blood than other body parts and rely on movement to bring nutrition and hydration. Since disc herniation impairs movement, chiropractic adjustments are used to restore the movement and allow the herniated “jelly” to return to the disc.
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