The Number One Cause of Back Pain Explained By A Vineland Chiropractor

As a chiropractor, I have seen countless cases of back pain problems at my Vineland clinic. While there are many different reasons and causes of back pain, there is one cause of back pain that is prevalent in pretty much all people. That reason for having back pain is simply, compression of the joint.

Over time joints will dysfunction, they won’t move properly, they won’t bend and they won’t rotate as efficiently as before. Over time, this means movement becomes impaired and pain increases because the joints aren’t moving as they should. Their function is not correct.

This occurs in the lower back, upper back, and neck too, and also affects things such as the sciatic nerve which can get pinched in the compression of the joints.

Causes of Back Pain in Vineland

Gravity
We’re always under the influence of gravity so there is a continual force upon our backs pushing those joints together.

Lifestyle
Do we sit or stand a lot? What work do we do? Much lifting? Posture? Further things that we do to ourselves that further compress our spines. When we sit, we bend, which compresses our backs even more.

Accidents
Old accidents, whether a car accident or simply falling down and hitting your butt. All accidents will cause some kind of compression on your spine.

Genetics
Does your body degenerate faster than other people’s and the size of the joint get smaller? Whether you have herniated discs, pinched nerves, spinal stenosis, sciatica, or pain down your arm, it all leads back to compression. If you look at it that way, you can make decisions on how you want to treat your back pain.

There are three main ways of treating back pain problems: physical therapy, orthopedic, and chiropractic. Let’s take a look at each and hopefully it’ll help you understand more and be in a better position to make a decision as to what will help you the most.

Physical Therapy
Physical therapy helps with stretches, strengthening exercises, myofascial work, and even some dry needling. They also have decompression units that stretch you and decompress the joint. With the decompression units, you are strapped in two places and the machine gently pulls you thus decompressing your spine. Helps many people tremendously, other people it doesn’t.

Orthopedic
Orthopedics will give medicine to treat inflammation around the joints. What does this do? If inflammation is reduced, then the pressure on the joint is reduced which will again decompress the joint. They also deal with surgery which also deals with decompressing the joint. They’ll go in and either remove the herniated disc, shave some off it, and effectively decompress the joint.

Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care has been proven to be the number one way to help manage low back pain. Once again, it all deals with decompressing the joint and relieving pressure. As chiropractors, we manipulate the spine by cracking or adjusting it. That loosens it up and enables it to function normally again. We also work myofascial, do stretches, and muscle work too all of which help decompress the joint. We also may suggest home exercises or provide TENs units, ice backs, pain support belts, and so on.

Summary

If you look at the three main treatments for back pain, all three have the same target in mind and that is to reduce compression on the joints. We just do it differently and I think each would say their way is best.

However, what I will say to you is do what works for you. Some people have success in one form of treatment while others don’t, so it basically means you will have to find out for yourself what works best. Perhaps a combination of treatments works too. Chiropractic and physical therapy are perhaps the least invasive so maybe those two would be the place to start and move on from there. Each has its place, each can and does help.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me on Facebook, or give me a call at (856) 690-8883. Don’t forget we are a walk-in clinic, no appointment is necessary.