Approximately 80% of the American population will experience back pain in their lifetime. Back pain can be caused by poor posture, lifting items with improper technique, sitting or standing incorrectly for long periods of time, and even sleeping on a poor mattress.
At Clearly Aligned in Cedar Park, Dr. Cori Seyhoon helps you diagnose the main cause for pain and discomfort, offer chiropractic adjustments focused on your back, and teach you tools and techniques to minimize your lower back pain.
Disk bulge or herniation
In essence, the disks are like little sponges that function as shock absorbers and cushions. If the disks are injured, it can squeeze out, pressing on a nerve and cause a lot of pain, or irritation in the body. A spinal disk herniation occurs when the inner “jelly-like” material (nucleus pulposus) protrudes, bulges, or herniates out through an outer fibrous layer (annulus fibrosus) of the disk. Once this happens, an inflammatory and chemical reaction is initiated, thereby causing pain. Chiropractic serves to modulate the pain by blocking the nociceptors (pain signals) to the disc and reducing pressure on the disc material.
Facet syndrome
The facet joints are a pair of joints in the posterior aspect of the spine. Although these joints are most commonly called the facet joints, they are more properly termed the zygapophyseal joints (abbreviated as Z-joints). The Z-joint is one of the most common sources of back pain and can mimic discogenic pain, muscle tears, or severe abdominal pain. The pain can cause radiating symptoms down the back of the legs and often times it is worse when the patient extends backwards. Chiropractic treatment releases pressure in the Z-joints to allow for proper motion, reduction of scar tissue, adhesions, and degenerative change. Since Facet Syndrome follows a cyclical pattern, it is important for patients to undergo a rehab exercise routine that addresses their unique muscle weaknesses and movement patterns to help break the cycle.
Rib pain
Middle or anterior back pain that is sharp, with pain on inspiration, or with coughing may be caused by a rib subluxation that can be treated effectively with a chiropractic adjustment. Occasionally, the joints where the ribs meet the spine become irritated or restricted causing a range of symptoms. Patients may have trouble lifting and moving their upper arms, and have radiating pain into the thoracic spine. The pain may be a sudden onset, or can slowly progress throughout the day (or few days), from a moderate pain to highly intolerable. Typically, in these cases, NSAIDS will not relieve the pain. Seek chiropractic care if you are having these symptoms, your doctor will also rule out Costochondritis.
Sciatica
The term sciatica is not a specific diagnosis but rather a set of symptoms stemming from irritation to the sciatic nerve; the longest and thickest nerve in the body. The sciatic nerve combines over half a dozen nerves originating from your low back and pelvis. It runs from the pelvis, through the buttock, and down the backside of the leg, where it splits into various branches down to the foot. Generally, it sends pain from the buttock down into the back of the leg (hamstrings). With sciatica, normally, the pain never travels further than the back of your knee. When you have sciatica the sensation can range from a mild to moderate ache to numbness and tingling in the hamstring area, to even a deep throbbing and burning type pain. Symptoms usually are typically limited to one side and begin gradually and intensify during or after activity as well as with direct compression from prolonged sitting.
Sciatica may be the result of tight pelvic and sacral ligaments due to overuse, repetitive activity, weak core strength, pregnancy, incorrect biomechanics and failure to stretch. Other causes of sciatic-like-symptoms can be a result of a herniated lumbar disk, sacroiliac dysfunction, trigger points in the hip and pelvis muscles, lumbar or hip fractures, tumors, or direct trauma to the sciatic nerve.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SJD)
The sacroiliac joints are the largest joints in the spine. If you look at your lower back in a mirror, see them as two small dimples on each side of your lower back at the belt line. Interestingly, during pregnancy, these ligaments relax to allow the passage of the baby through the birth canal. They have a rich nerve supply and are supported by broad ligaments, the SI joint helps provide stability to the pelvis and absorb shock, allowing just enough motion to help relieve stress on the spine and hips.
Symptoms of SJD include low-back pain, typically at the belt line, which may radiate into the buttock or thigh. Most often, SJD is caused by trauma, especially rotation of the joint while the lower back is loaded, as might happen when lifting or participating in some vigorous activity. The risk of SJD dysfunction is also thought to increase with true and apparent leg-length inequality, abnormalities in gait, and prolonged exercise. While more serious conditions such as fracture or dislocation, infection, and inflammatory arthritis can cause pain in the sacroiliac joint, minor trauma is a much more common cause.
Treatment for low back pain
Chiropractic manipulation and mobilization of the lumbosacral spine has proven to be helpful for acute and chronic conditions. In addition, therapeutic exercise can be helpful. These exercise programs should focus on strengthening the core stabilizing muscles of the spine, pelvis and trunk and also on maintaining the necessary mobility of the lower back. For patients with a leg-length inequality, some type of shoe insert may help manage the problem. Your doctor may also prescribe a pelvic belt to help stabilize the joints as you perform your daily activities. These belts are thought to reduce the excess rotation that sometimes occurs with SJD. In some rare cases, more invasive forms of therapy are necessary. These include anesthetic/corticosteroid injections into the sacroiliac or facet joints and/or radio frequency denervation—a technique in which high-frequency radio waves are used to destroy the nerves in the area. Cryotherapy, arnica cream, and nutritional supplementation are used to further help speed this process along.