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Lower Back Pain Treatment in Pittsburgh, PA

LOWER BACK PAIN

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons why people come into our office, and it is one of the first symptoms people associate with chiropractic care. Even outside of our practice, low back pain is the 2nd most common neurological ailment reported in the US (the 1st most common is headaches). Americans spend at least $50 billion annually on treating low back pain. With a symptom that affects 80% of people during their lives, it is important to find low-cost solutions to stop the pain.

There are 2 types of low back pain.

● Chronic – pain lasting longer than 3 months – usually the result of an underlying injury or weakness in the back.

● Acute – pain that lasts a few days to a few weeks – can seem to go away on its own, but if the underlying symptoms aren't treated, acute pain can become chronic pain.

What is the cause of low back pain?

Low back pain can have many causes, including:

● Pregnancy.

● Obesity: Carrying extra weight, especially in the form of belly fat, puts strain on the lower back. This strain can lead to pain and inflammation.

● Stress.

● Poor physical activity.

● Poor posture: Slouching or sitting in a hunched position can also cause lower back pain. This is because it puts unnecessary strain on the spine.

● Improper lifting: Lifting heavy objects without proper form can cause the muscles and ligaments in the lower back to become strained and result in pain.

● Age: As you age, the discs in your spine begin to degenerate. This can lead to pain and stiffness in the lower back.

● Herniated discs: A herniated disc occurs when the inner material of spinal discs leaks out and puts pressure on the nerves surrounding it. When the nerves become compressed, it can cause pain.

● Degenerative disc disease: This is a condition that occurs when the discs in the spine begin to break down. It can lead to pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

● Poor sleep.

● Ruptured or herniated discs.

● Arthritis.

● Scar tissue from a previous back injury.

● Smoking.

● Dietary deficiencies.

● Nonspecific low back pain.

Lower Back Pain Treatment in Pittsburgh, PA

These are not the only causes of low back pain. There are others, such as scoliosis, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis. A diagnosis from a chiropractor will help determine the cause of your pain.

The difficulty most doctors face when diagnosing low back pain is that the most common cause is nonspecific low back pain. Usually, these injuries are related to some kind of sudden physical loading of the back – stressing the muscles and spine. This will cause a muscle sprain or strain, which can impact the alignment of the spine and impact nerve function around the spine. If you've ever picked up a heavy object and found yourself in pain afterward, you've given yourself nonspecific low back pain. Because these cases don't have a clear cause, which means most doctors will then just treat the symptoms rather than the underlying cause of those symptoms.

Symptoms of Low Back Pain

The symptoms of low back pain can vary depending on the cause. However, some common symptoms include:● Pain that radiates from the lower back to the legs.● Numbness or tingling in the legs.● Weakness in the legs.● Stiffness in the lower back.● Difficulty standing or walking.● Muscle spasms.

How can we help?

Chiropractic care is one of the only non-surgical methods of treating the cause of your low back pain rather than just masking the symptoms. If you have been taking over the counter painkillers to treat your back pain, take a moment to read our fact sheet on the dangers of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs. The short version? NSAIDs (like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Advil) are dangerous for your stomach, intestines, and liver. And they don’t even treat the actual cause of your pain, meaning that you will have to continue using them indefinitely. The same basic premise holds for cortisone injections – they’ll treat the pain but not the cause of the pain, meaning you will continue to have the pain as the injections wear off.

Chiropractic care has been shown to be a low-cost solution to treating low back pain. Using spinal manipulation, we will help gently correct your spinal alignment. We can use EMS or Massage Therapy to treat the muscular strains and sprains. Finally, we can use Ultrasound therapy to help reduce inflammation and help your back heal naturally. When the underlying causes have been addressed, we'll teach you some exercises and stretches you can do to help prevent future injury.

Created by DearDoc.

All Rights Reserved Cutitta Chiropractic.

Created by DearDoc.

All Rights Reserved Cutitta Chiropractic.