One of the worst issues that most Australians deal with is back pain. In a recent study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, it was found that up to 80% of adult Australians will suffer some form of back pain at least once in their lives, while 10% of them will become significantly disabled because of it. Not only is it a problem in this country—it’s an epidemic.
Treating Back Pain
Knowing how to treat back pain is essential towards living a normal life while suffering it. First, it is important to make sure that the pain isn’t an indirect cause of another condition that the person may have. If this is the case, then treating yourself for these conditions (such as a long-term fracture or infection) may solve the back pain as well.
For back pain that is unrelated to any other ailment, the best solution is a professionally trained and registered chiropractor. The chiropractor assesses your spine and finds the damage; he will then talk with you about possible treatments, to ensure that your spine returns to a healthy position. Treatments can be as simple as regular exercise and lifestyle changes to regular meetings with the chiropractor for adjustments.
Understanding Why Back Pain Occurs
To best understand your chiropractor, you must understand the reasons as to why a person may have back pain. The spine is one of the largest systems in the body, meaning there could be several different causes, making it difficult to point one. However, most pain comes from the joints, muscles, and ligaments.
Normal cases of back pain are generally caused by:
- Sciatica
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Structural problems
- Muscle and ligament strains
- Stress
When experiencing long-term or recurring back, this may be due to arthritis in the facet joints. It can also be caused by the discs of the spine slowly degenerating, which will lessen the weight the spine can handle. Surprisingly, there are some cases where people who are suffering these problems have no back pain at all until it is too late. Even if you have no back pain, if you suspect that something may be wrong with your spine, it’s crucial to be regularly examined by a chiropractor.
However, it is important to note that back pain isn’t always caused by illnesses or diseases in the body. In most cases, back pain is either caused or worsened by certain lifestyle choices that we make. Some of the things we regularly do which add to our back pain include:
- Not exercising enough
- Sitting for several hours at a time
- Having a slouched back
- Weighing too much
- Not dealing with stress properly
Unfortunately, in many of these cases, back pain makes it harder to step away from these bad habits, making it more and more difficult for people to stop. If you are currently free of back pain but regularly do the bad habits listed above, then you may someday find yourself clutching your back in pain.
How To Avoid Back Pain
Firstly, regularly visit a qualified chiropractor; this is the sure-fire way to avoid back pain for as long as your body can. However, there are other lifestyle changes you can make your body do to stay away from back pain. For example:
Fixing your posture – Whether you are standing in a crowd or sitting in a soft chair, it’s important that you keep your back straight and upright. This avoids the unnecessary bending of the spin, which distributes your weight throughout the discs.
Lift with your legs, not your back – Some people make the mistake of using their back instead of their legs to lift a heavy object. Placing the heavy weight on our spine can slowly cause permanent damage; feeling the pain usually means it is too late.
Your items – Ask your back professional if your mattress or pillow could possibly be adding to your back pain treatment.
Regular Ways To Detect Back Pain
When experiencing back pain, you are faced with the dilemma of trying to find the root cause to stop the damage and help you recover. Booking regular check-ups can help detect spinal problems before they begin causing pain or damage. If you find you are experiencing back pain, make note of where and when you are experiencing this pain and make sure to discuss this with your chiropractor at your next appointment.
The best way to get to the bottom of the problem is to give us a call today. Let us have a moment to check out what’s wrong with your back, and find the solution that works for you.
If you’re experiencing back pain or would like a checkup, book an appointment with one of our Brisbane chiropractors today. Contact us at First Choice Chiropractic on (07) 3256 4500.
New to chiropractic? Take advantage of our New Patient Offer!
