Understanding Back Pain
JustGet Chiropractic • August 10, 2020
Understanding Back Pain
‘Back pain’ is a very general term that can be used to describe a diverse range of symptoms that fall into the sub-categories of lower back pain, mid back pain, neck and/or shoulder pain, sciatica, chronic, acute….
There can be soft tissue damage, disc movement or herniation, misaligned vertebrae, other illness or disease… all of this needs to be investigated and addressed accordingly. There are many possible reasons why you have this pain and in this blog we address pain of musculoskeletal origin and how we may help.
Often trying to pinpoint the actual pain site can prove difficult and frustrating for the sufferer, especially when there are referrals to the limbs, the opposite side of the body or the pain only hits when carrying out a very specific movement that is hard to identify and recreate. The pain can hit in an instant and trying to work out what the trigger was may be difficult.
For a patient seeking care for ‘back pain’ it can be very confusing if they are unable to locate where they are feeling the pain. You know it hurts but can’t at that moment put your finger on it. You just want some relief from the pain.
There is also a fear about the level of pain you might be feeling. It can therefore be a surprise to discover that higher level pain does not necessarily equate to a more serious problem. For example, a simple muscle strain (tear) can be extremely painful as the soft tissues surrounding the injury site become highly inflamed and start to affect neighbouring structures. The adjoining muscles become fatigued from the protective spasm they adopt to protect the injury site and the resulting tight muscles can start to compress other soft tissues and nerves.
What might be a relatively small muscle tear then becomes a bigger problem resulting in high levels of pain, immobility, inability to find comfortable positions to sit and sleep and all the associated problems that brings.
Compare this to a herniated (‘slipped’) disc that has the potential to be more serious but may cause no pain at all and go unnoticed for a long period of time.
Acute Pain
This is generally considered a short-term pain that can last from a few seconds to hours over a period of weeks. These are typically injuries such as muscle strains, misaligned vertebrae in the spine and postural muscle tightness. The pain comes on suddenly and is typically of a ‘hot, sharp, stabbing’ nature. If left untreated, acute pain can become chronic.
Chronic Pain
This is pain that persists for more than three months and may result from acute injury or have a gradual onset that gets progressively worse over time. Chronic pain may come and go and the level of pain may vary each time, from a low level ache to periods of intense acute pain.
This type of pain is common in low back issues where it is typically dull, more diffuse and often described as an ache rather than a pain.
Referred Pain
Pain can sometimes be ‘referred’ pain – that is where the pain is felt away from the injury site.
For example, the muscles in the left side of your lower back have tensed up, not because of injury to that area but because of poor posture or repeating an activity that is one-sided. You might not feel any pain in your left side, but because things are now overtight you will start to get a body imbalance, typically a lean to the tight side or that hip becomes elevated. This means the muscles on the right side will have to work harder to correct the imbalance, resulting in fatigue and possible overcompensation injury. You will then feel the pain in the right side although the root of the problem is actually on the left. By releasing the tight muscles on the left, rebalancing the pelvis as necessary and calming the newly tensed muscle on the right, we can regain a state of alignment and body balance that reduces the pain and allows the healing process to take place.
It is extremely important therefore that we assess and work on both sides of the body, not just in the area where you are feeling the pain. Often it can be confusing when you come in with pain in one area but we adjust or address somewhere else, but our assessment will indicate to us where the origin of the problem is, and we will seek to correct that alongside symptomatic relief of the pain area.
How can we help?
We use a multi-layered approach to release tight muscles and realign the spinal vertebrae using gentle adjusting techniques. We are not forcing anything, nor ‘fixing’ the problem, rather we help the body reach a more comfortable state to reduce physical stress and help it find its natural state of balance. When the body is in better balance it can start to let go of the holding patterns that might be causing the pain and allow the healing process to begin.
We usually recommend weekly sessions (or twice a week if necessary) during the initial care stage, this helps to settle the symptoms and start to correct the cause. We then tailor the frequency according to your progress. Your care plan includes selected exercises and postural advice to help you make the fastest recovery.
There can be other reasons for back pain that aren’t of structural nature and we conduct a thorough assessment and medical history to determine what is likely to be causing your pain and if a referral for further investigation is necessary.
Why not call for a no-obligation chat with one of our Practitioners to see how we might be able to help you.
As with all things health related there is no substitute for medical attention and if symptoms start to worsen suddenly or do not improve over time then we will advise you to visit your GP. In more serious cases back pain may indicate an underlying issue such as disc degeneration, tumour or other illness, so if you notice any of the following in addition to lower back pain then consult your GP: bowel or bladder dysfunction; severe abdominal pain; vomiting; fever; severe pain, tingling, numbness or progressive weakness in the legs, especially around the inner thigh ‘saddle’ area; sudden weight loss or history of trauma to the pain site.
© JustGet Chiropractic 2020
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