The lower back has five vertebrae and supports most of the upper body weight. Lower back pain is a common condition affecting adults between 30-50 years of age. Lower back pain can either be chronic or acute. If you are suffering from lower back pain, you need to seek medical attention before the condition gets out of hand. Here are some fast facts about lower back pain.
What Are The Causes Of Lower Back Pain
In many cases, lower back pain is attributed to spondylosis. This refers to the natural degeneration of your spine due to wear and tear in the discs, joints and bones as you get older. Examples of mechanical causes of lower pain include strains, sprains, ruptured discs, sciatica, traumatic injury and spinal stenosis.
In other cases, lower back pain can be caused by underlying conditions. In such cases, immediate medical treatment is required. Some of the underlying conditions that could result in lower back pain include kidney stones, tumours, infections and abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Symptoms Of Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain will usually be accompanied by a combination of the following symptoms:
Dull aching pain: Pain that lingers within your lower back is categorised as dull and aching. This pain may be followed by mild or serious muscle spasms, aches in the pelvis and hips and limited mobility. Dull and aching pain is different from stinging, burning or sharp pain.
Pain that extends to the buttocks, feet, and legs: Lower back pain may include a sharp, stinging sensation that extends to the thighs and down to the legs and feet. This form of pain is known as sciatica. Sciatica pain is a result of an irritation of the sciatic nerve and usually affects one side of your body.
Pain that gets better when you change positions: Some lying, sitting or standing positions may be more comfortable than others depending on the cause of your low back pain. For example, people suffering from spinal stenosis find it difficult to walk normally, but leaning onto something tends to reduce their pain. Chiropractors can tell the source of the problem by identifying the positions that provide pain relief.
What Are The Chiropractic Treatments For Back Pain
Some of the Chiropractic Solutions for lower back pain include:
Spinal and manual manipulation: This form of manual manipulation involves a high-velocity arm thrust applied to your abnormal vertebra to improve functionality and reduce nerve irritability. These arm thrust movements restore range of motion. This form of treatment is also called a chiropractic adjustment.
Mobilisation: This is a low-velocity arm manipulation, stretching and movement of the joints and muscles. The goal of this treatment is to increase the range of motion. Mobilisation is often used for mild forms of lower back pain.
Contact a chiropractor to learn more.