Many patients I see in my chiropractic practice have back pain. Some people have sudden, short-term discomfort. This is called sharp pain. However, some people have constant back pain for years or suffer frequent bouts of pain over the long term. This is called chronic pain. Although the pain can exist for many years, it can be treated and relieved. This article will discuss chronic spinal pain and approaches to lessen this very common condition.
When I see a patient with chronic spinal pain, three areas of consideration can be addressed.
First, we look at the body weight of a person. The joints of the spine are called facet joints. Spinal discs are like cushions or shock absorbers between the bones of the spine called vertebrae. The more weight we place on the discs and joints of the spine, the greater the chance that these deeper anatomical structures will begin to fail and cause pain. In fact, when we look at X-rays of the spine we see real signs of wear and tear or degeneration. The discs wear down and it appears as “bone on bone”. The disk space will show a reduction in height as the disk wears. We will also see a buildup of calcium in areas of the vertebrae of the spine known as “bone spurs.”
The obvious solution is to help obese or overweight patients lose a reasonable amount of weight. Although I do not offer weight loss programs in my office, it is very easy for the patient to follow a safe and reliable program. Personally, I like patients to participate in a ketogenic-type plan to address bodyweight challenges.
A second area of ​​consideration that must be addressed to reduce chronic spinal pain is to introduce appropriate body movement. Anyone who has to sit for long hours intuitively knows that if they get up and walk around for a while, they feel better. When muscles, ligaments, and joints move safely and reasonably, they send signals to the brain that naturally slow and reduce pain signals. If a person can walk comfortably, this is by far the best exercise to reduce chronic back pain. However, if walking is not possible, swimming, stationary bicycling, or water aerobics are acceptable activities.
The third aspect to address for back pain relief is proper spinal alignment and movement. Chiropractic care is the gold standard for helping with chronic back pain. Chiropractors use spinal adjustments, sometimes called spinal manipulation, to restore proper alignment and movement to the facet joints of the spine. Adjustments help reduce chronic irritation of the facet joints and spinal nerves. For 125 years, physicians of chiropractic have been able to help chronic back pain sufferers achieve pain reduction and relief.
Anyone looking for long-term chronic back pain relief can use one or all of the aforementioned approaches to seeking wellness.