If you feel a sudden, sharp, shooting, or other type of pain coming from your back, you might know the exact trigger or cause. Perhaps you lifted something improperly or jerked your body in an awkward position, and you felt the pain immediately. But in some cases, you might not know what triggered the pain in your upper or lower back. Most adults experience back pain at some point in their lives, with the severity ranging from mild to excruciating and the duration chronic, acute, or something in between. As one of the most common conditions suffered by adults in the United States, back pain management starts with associating the causes and triggers of the pain. Here, our chiropractor in Altamonte Springs lists common back pain triggers and discusses drug-free treatment options for alleviating back pain.
Here, Roach Family Wellness lists the most common back pain triggers and offers recommendations for how to avoid them. Contact our Altamonte Springs chiropractor today to schedule spinal decompression therapy to alleviate your back pain!
Muscle Strains
The most common causes of back pain, particularly lower back pain, are muscle strains and sprains. Whether you give it much thought or it often slips your mind, your lumbar spine handles significant stress from your everyday movements. Through all of your movements, you can strain or sprain your back through an acute injury, such as an injury you might experience during physical exercise or while lifting a heavy object or falling. While muscle strains and sprains can be serious, they typically heal within months of the incident. But for some people, a strain or sprain can result in longer-lasting consequences with prolonged tightness and muscle spasms. Your chiropractor may recommend laser therapy or another treatment to heal the strain or sprain and reduce pain symptoms.
Arthritis
If you have arthritis, you’re among the millions of Americans who suffer from the condition’s characteristic stiffness and joint pain. If you suffer from chronic lower back pain, your pain may be due to issues involving your lumbar disks, nerves, joints, or vertebrae. In many cases, the most common type of arthritis, known as osteoarthritis, is among the most prevalent sources of lower back pain. Additionally, osteoarthritis can cause facet joint damage, leading to inflammation, pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms. Arthritis is a form of chronic inflammation affecting the joints throughout your body, including your back, and is often associated with stiffness and swelling. Spinal decompression, soft tissue mobilization, or a combination of therapies may be recommended for treating arthritic back pain.
Herniated Disc
In adults, the thoracic and lumbar spine comprises roughly 17 vertebrae that stack atop one another. A cushion-like disk layered between each vertebra absorbs pressure placed on the vertebrae through regular movements. The vertebrae’s discs comprise an outer rind and an inner gel-like material. When the inner substance in the lumbar spine slips or falls out of proper alignment, the inner gel presses on surrounding nerves, resulting in significant pain and discomfort. Often felt as nerve pain, sciatica pain often occurs as a result of a disc injury. Its symptoms can include numbness, weakness, pain, tingling, and discomfort in the lower back, buttocks, and legs. Through spinal decompression therapy, pressure from the discs is removed, and over the course of consistent treatment, the pain dissipates.
Lack Of Movement
A lack of movement for an extended period can result in muscle atrophy or deconditioning. Muscle atrophy is among the most common causes of chronic back pain. It occurs when the back muscles lack adequate strength and stability to properly support the body’s weight, resulting in injuries developing over time. A certain degree of muscle deconditioning occurs naturally as we grow older, yet a lack of consistent physical activity is the most common cause of the condition. If your back is in pain or you’ve recently experienced an injury, you’ve likely reduced your level and frequency of physical activity. Yet, too much inactivity can cause the muscles to weaken and shrink, rendering them incapable of supporting your ligaments and vertebrae and resulting in pain. Cold and heat therapy can help heal chronic pain, restore your natural range of motion, stimulate blood circulation, and accelerate recovery.
Poor Posture
Poor posture, also commonly called improper posture or improper body mechanics, comprises a bad habit that can put increased stress on the spine and strain the soft tissues surrounding it. Over time, this repeated stress can deteriorate the spine’s structural integrity. Body mechanics and posture are part of every movement made by the body, the manner in which you move or remain stationary for extended periods of time can have a significant impact on the presence of pain. If you work in a profession that requires repetitive motion or features regular exertion, the way in which you perform these tasks with your body can be your first line of defense against chronic back pain. Sitting at a desk for extended periods may cause tightening of your hip flexors and the hips and hamstrings to weaken, resulting in lower back pain. If you constantly hunch over your workstation or keyboard and you seek non-invasive, non-opioid pain treatment, our back pain doctor in Altamonte Springs, FL, can help!
When To See An Altamonte Springs Chiropractor For Back Pain
If you’re suffering from back pain, it’s likely that you’re experiencing more than an ache or sense of discomfort. Don’t wait to get relief! Message our chiropractic office today to get started on your customized journey to recovery free from the grips of pain.