Is My Low Back Pain Serious?

     There are many causes of back pain.  It is sometimes tough to make the call of when to see a professional, however, you should always err on the side of caution.  Here are a few red flags that should prompt you to seek the help of a chiropractor.

     If the pain came on within a short period of time from doing a highly strenuous activity.  This may have been lifting an object while bending over or may be from sitting, bending over, rotation of the trunk, or some combination of these activities.  These activities often result in significant increases in the pressure within the vertebral disc.  This often leads to tearing of the ligaments which contain the disc.  Proper care and treatment of such injuries will reduce the healing time and help prevent future injuries.

     If the pain which begins in your low back starts to travel down one or both legs.  This indicates that the nerve supplying to that region of the leg is being irritated due to trauma and inflammation around the nerve.  This most commonly occurs at the nerves point of departure from the spinal canal, between the vertebrae of the spine.  While a herniated disc is often the culprit, there are many other tissues in this region that can cause similar symptoms.  It is important that a professional determines which tissue is involved and sets forth a treatment sequence that will effectively facilitate healing.

     If ones low back pain is combined with significant changes in urination or defecation frequency, then there may be a more serious involvement.   On occasion the spinal canal can narrow due to injuries to either the disc or the ligaments surrounding and lining the spinal canal.  This narrowing can cause pressure on the spinal cord itself.  This situation is one that needs immediate attention and should not be ignored.

     If ones low back pain is present while they sleep there is additional reason to be concerned.  Of course tossing and turning at night may cause one to use muscles and joints that are injured, thereby causing them to experience pain.  On the contrary pain that wakes one even in the absence of motion should be of concern.  When one has a bone tumor it can irritate the periosteum of the bone and cause this type of pain.  Chiropractors are trained to identify when this may be a possibility and determine if further studies or evaluation from an oncologist are in order.

     Most first episodes of low back pain are self limiting, i.e. they will return to a pain free state with no treatment at all.  However, incomplete healing of the damaged tissues leaves the individual with a weakness that is much easier to reinjure in the future.  Professionals, such as chiropractors, will not only assist one in their recovery from injuries, but will also instruct their patients in proper management of the human frame.  

     "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame." -Thomas Edison

from our website: www.DanburyActionChiropractic.com

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