We all know that lower back pain is one of the chief complaints of pain sufferers. The back takes the brunt of many of our moves – bending, stretching, walking, running. Sometimes it’s how we do things that causes the trouble; others, the pain can result from a sports injury or injury from a car accident.
Whatever the cause, persistent lower back pain impacts quality of life. While the pain can sometimes heal on its own by applying heat and taking pain medications, other times, the pain persists. A trained and licensed chiropractor can often help through chiropractic spinal manipulation, a technique that relieves the pain and improves the patient’s ability to walk and move. Among several options, along with exercise, massage and physical therapy, chiropractic spinal manipulation is a safe treatment that can provide mild to moderate relief.
Chiropractors perform spinal manipulation and alignment by using their hands or a device to apply a controlled force to a joint of the spine. The amount of force depends on the type of manipulation.
After an initial evaluation, a treatment plan that could include spinal manipulation will be developed. Sufficient pain management may require multiple visits and treatments, so that the source of the pain is treated for greater ease of movement. Forceful pressure on vital parts of the back or different parts of the body can help to realign the spine and handle pain. This pressure may be sudden with the use of hands and may be low in force, and delivered with or without the help of a specially constructed instrument. Massage can also be incorporated into your treatment.
The effects of spinal manipulation have been shown to include:
- Temporary relief of musculoskeletal pain
- Shortened time to recover from acute back pain
- Increase in passive range of motion (ROM)]
- Physiological effects on the central nervous system
Most studies suggest spinal manipulation achieves improvement in pain and function when compared with other commonly used remedies.
With the total annual costs of low-back pain in the United States approaching $100 billion, factoring in lost wages and reduced productivity, it is tantamount that back pain treatment proves effective in getting the individual back to normal functioning. A chiropractor in Fort Lauderdale can help to get you moving again, restore your range of movement and make your pain a thing of the past.