Chiropractic Care Options for Low-back Chronic Pain

Staff Writer

Are you part of the 80%?

According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 80% of adults will experience low back pain in their lifetime. In the United States, that’s almost 170 million people! As a potential chiropractic patient, you might have questions about back pain, including what causes it, how it can be treated, and possibly how it can be prevented. Chiropractic care may be the answer.

What to Know Low-back Chronic Pain

First, there can be many underlying factors that cause low-back pain. Here are 4 major categories to be explored by your Doctor of Chiropractic.

Age
National statistics indicate that the first incidence of low-back pain typically occurs in people aged 30-50. As we age, specific physical structures in our spine begin to deteriorate; specifically, our intervertebral discs lose fluid and elasticity, and this ability to stretch and move as we go about our daily and recreational activities is important for the health of our spine and overall well-being.

Physical Activity
Low-back pain tends to be less common in people who are more physically active. Activity can help to maintain proper spinal  health.

In fact, there is a correlation between increased back pain in patients who sit for long periods during the week and have limited physical activity over the weekend or a few days per month. There is also a higher incidence of back pain in patients who are overweight as excess weight can put extra stress on the back and surrounding structures.

Occupation
When it comes to our jobs, it’s essential to find that “sweet spot” for how much activity contributes to your best possible health.

Occupations that require heavy lifting, bending, twisting, or driving can lead to repetitive stress or injuries if not performed correctly. Desk-oriented jobs or jobs that require extended periods of sitting or standing can also cause the spine to wear out prematurely. Both occupation types can cause degenerative changes to the spine and result in low-back pain.

Post-surgical
According to a Penn Medicine article, as many as 40% of post-spinal surgery patients continue to experience pain after the surgery. This has led to a special classification called “Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.” The post-surgery pain may be as severe or less severe as before the surgery, and in some cases, the symptoms might expand to include symptoms in the arms or legs, depending on the location of the surgery.

Chiropractic Care Offers Hope and Help

Of course, this list is not exhaustive. However, because of the extensive education received, your Doctor of Chiropractic knows that these factors tend to be the most common precursors for low-back pain. The great thing to know is this: chiropractic has been shown to be effective for low back pain in many different scenarios.

A study published in 2018 included 750 people who were treated over six weeks. At the end of six weeks, those who received chiropractic care reported four primary outcomes:

• They reported less pain intensity
• They experienced less disability and more improvement in function
• They found high satisfaction with their care plan
• They needed less pain medicine.

Good Reasons to See a Doctor of Chiropractic

Although you have multiple options for the treatment of your low-back pain, including traditional prescription medication, doctors of chiropractic may recommend first using non-pharmaceutical therapies. They can include massage, home exercise, physical therapy, and chiropractic adjustments to restore motion in various parts of the musculoskeletal system.

Whether you go to a private chiropractic practice or take advantage of resources such as the Cleveland University-Kansas City Chiropractic Health Center, you can expect chiropractors to take an in-depth approach to addressing this very common and potentially debilitating condition.

Each patient receives a comprehensive new patient exam that includes:

1. A complete history of the complaint and past health history information.
2. A comprehensive physical, orthopedic, and neurological exam related to their area of complaint.
3. If necessary, advanced digital X-rays or other imaging might be recommended.
4. Once a diagnosis is decided, a multi-phase treatment plan is created. This personalized plan usually includes chiropractic adjustments, therapies such as manual or instrument assisted soft tissue release or massage, active care, exercises, and physiotherapy.

Our Goal: Get You Back to Better Health

Chronic back pain doesn’t have to slow you down or limit the life you want to live. Whether you’re looking for care that leads to a healthier lifestyle, ways to keep you working the job you love, or to feel more like yourself during your senior years, the goal of personalized chiropractic care is to get you back to your “normal” as quickly as possible.

The results reported by patients in national surveys continue to show that the chiropractic approach to low-back pain is effective in cost and outcome.

An excellent overview of chiropractic care is found in this publication: Chiropractic: A Safe and Cost Effective Approach to Health.

CUKC Chiropractic Health Center

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas. Founded in 1922, CUKC has an ongoing mission to educate and develop leaders in chiropractic and other health science professions.

The CUKC on-campus Chiropractic Health Center is open to the public and treats patients from Kansas City’s 15-county metro area. The chiropractic senior interns and the licensed doctors of chiropractic who supervise your care are leaders in the field. Our goal is to provide chiropractic care and solutions for a better, more productive life for our patients.