80 percent of the people in North America experience low back pain to a disabling extent at least once during their lifetime. At any given moment about 6 ½ million Americans have lower back pain which restricts them to lying in bed. Lost work, compensation costs and medical bills cost up to 55 million dollars a year.

    Chiropractic patients have a safe, effective and low cost alternative to all surgical, drug and physical therapy medical approaches for back, leg and disc pain. This has been shown in major research study. Even one of the world’s foremost, medical back pain researchers has admitted to the failure of conventional medical treatment for low back pain. If you have already had back surgery, chiropractic can help you avoid future operations. Painkillers, surgery, physical therapy, braces, muscle relaxers and valium are simply not designed to correct spinal nerve stress. Chiropractic is !

    These are some common causes for back pain:

Sacroiliac Syndrome:
The sacroiliac joints are found at the base of your spine on either side of your tailbone. They cushion the shock from each step we take. When they become locked it can result in a dull ache in the low back. This ache may be felt sharply in the buttocks or in the back of the thigh. As a form of protection from further harm, muscle spasms may accompany the syndrome. Since no muscles cross the sacroiliac joints, this problem typically does not respond to stretching or exercise and requires chiropractic adjustment.

Facet Joint Syndrome:
A a degeneration of facet joints found the rear or posterior of the each vertebra. They act to prevent excessive spinal motion. Its causes may be hyperextension injury, degenerative erosion and sceratic changes. Usually results in reduced motion of the involved spine. It may be further complicated by muscle spasms.

Ruptured Discs:
A “slipped disc” really can’t happen. A disc can’t slip out of place. What people mean by a slipped disc is a herniated disc. A disc - intervertebral disc - has a jelly like center that provides some spinal cushioning. It’s called the nucleus pulposus.

     Around the center core is a tough, fibrous outer casing - the annulus fibrosis. It is made of ligament and helps to join the vertebrae together. If the outer casing, the annulus gets torn, the inner jelly can leak out - herniate. This can put pressure on a nerve or the spinal cord and cause pain in part of the body. If a ruptured disc is a concern look for these symptoms:

Leg pain when coughing, straining or sneezing.
Leg pain with weakness, tingling or numbness.

     Your body tilts to one side to relieve pain A deep, dull ache in the lower back or buttocks Your movement is slow and restricted.

WHAT CAN I DO ?
Even though most back pain will discontinue in about two months, Chiropractic treatment can reduce the time your are in pain considerably.

    First: if treated early enough after your injury, you may recover much faster than if you left it to correct by itself.

     Second: back pain left to recover on its own reoccurs at the rate of 80 percent. Insuring proper motion in your spine and identifying weak areas to be strengthened through chiropractic treatment will help prevent recurrences in back pain, saving you much pain, lost work and lost income.