by Bruce
I see many patients who describe their back pain as being “coming and going” or only bothersome when they overdo exercise. But when we go through our check list of questions, most people admit the pain is there more often than not, and they’re confused about what’s actually causing it. I need to do an examination and get some x-rays before I can give you a clear opinion about the cause, depending on your own individual circumstances. But I can tell you without question that quite often serious or chronic back pain (or other joint pain) will not go away by itself. That’s the same as saying your broken car will not likely repair itself without a trip to the mechanic. Back pain in particular can be a “mechanical” problem. Something is misaligned; there is damage to a joint, connective tissue, or the spinal column vertebrae and discs. With chiropractic adjustments, I have seen countless patients who thought they would have to just live with a problem or even get surgery, relieved of their pain. Once we figure out what’s causing the pain, we can go to work on solving that issue. There isn’t a 100% guarantee, because there are pain sources that won’t respond to adjustments, such as infection, fractures, or cancer. But the great majority of patients with symptoms of moderate or even severe back pain will show rapid improvement after adjustments.
Some studies have found that about a third of people with lower back pain have had the issue for over thirty days. And only about 9% of those who went untreated were pain free five years later. What might be a simple problem to fix, if addressed early on, can become much more troublesome and even chronic if left untreated.
The takeaway here is that you need to pay attention to your body’s pain signals. If you’ve got back pain, and it’s recurring or requires pain relief medication like Tylenol or stronger, make an appointment and come see me. Let’s get some answers for your questions, and some long lasting natural relief for your back pain. Because very often, it’s not going to go away on it’s own.
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