Back Clinic Chronic Back Pain Team. Chronic back pain has a far-reaching effect on many physiological processes. Dr. Jimenez reveals topics and issues affecting his patients. Understanding the pain is critical to its treatment. So here we begin the process for our patients in the journey of recovery.
Just about everyone feels pain from time to time. When you cut your finger or pull a muscle, pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Once the injury heals, you stop hurting.
Chronic pain is different. Your body keeps hurting weeks, months, or even years after the injury. Doctors often define chronic pain as any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months or more.
Chronic back pain can have real effects on your day-to-day life and your mental health. But you and your doctor can work together to treat it.
Do call upon us to help you. We do understand the problem that should never be taken lightly.
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that’s been in existence for many years. Keeping their work environments safe and efficient and traditionally concerned with factory workers, ergonomic professionals have expanded their work to include all types of workers from laborers to seniors to office workers & students.
In addition, it looks for means to adjust our environment to lower the risks of illness and harm, enhance productivity, and improve the caliber of our work life.
The Goals of Ergonomics
The profession of ergonomics has two main concentrations (which frequently overlap):
1. Industrial ergonomics – occasionally called work-related biomechanics – is concerned with the physical aspects of work including force, position, and repetitive movements.
2. Human factors ergonomics looks as the psychological features of work like mental anxiety and decision-making.
The aims of ergonomics contain the following:
Reduce work-related injury and illness
Help include workers’ compensation costs for companies
Enhance the standard of work
Reduce absenteeism
Help companies comply with government regulations regarding work surroundings
Ergonomics professionals include:
Engineers
Security professionals
Industrial hygienists
Physical therapists
Occupational therapists
Nurse practitioners
Chiropractors
Occupational doctors
How Ergonomics Enhances Work & Safety
The association between work injury and illness is old. It is even believed that Ancient Man concerned himself with developing the right tools that allowed for the efficiency and least amount�of distress.
Now, we continue to look for ways to boost the relationship between our “tools” and�our jobs. One means to do that is to look at the risk factors in the workplace. These are able to be divided into 3 areas: physical characteristics, environmental features, and workplace hazards.
1. Physical Characteristics Of Work:
Bearing
Drive
Repetition
Duration
Recovery time
Velocity/acceleration
Heavy exertion that is dynamic
2. Segmental Vibration Environmental Characteristics Of Work:
Living with chronic back or neck pain can lead to depression, feelings of worry, nervousness, hopelessness, as well as other mental health-associated symptoms. Your pain medicine physician or your back specialist may refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Referring you doesn�t mean your physician believes your pain is all in your mind! Rather, he/she is taking an optimistic step in treating you as a whole individual � by treating both the physical and psychological pain.
Chronic Neck &�Back�Pain Is Complicated
As someone living with chronic pain caused spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, spinal cord injury or some other back problem, you understand pain is a complicated issue, and treatment requires the expertise of a spine�specialist. Perhaps your pain management plan features a blend of treatments � medication for neuropathic pain, a periodic epidural spinal shot, a muscle relaxant, or physical therapy. Treatment of stress, nervousness, and depression (there are various types) needs the same level of expertise but from somebody who focuses on managing mental health problems.
Depression & Chronic Pain
Are you aware that depression and chronic pain often go together? Depression is a critical condition, and nothing to be embarrassed of. It has been reported that as many as 50% of individuals with chronic pain are depressed.1 So, if you are depressed, you’re far from being alone.
The signs and symptoms of depression can manifest themselves differently in each individual, but tiredness, sleep disruption, changes in eating habits, listlessness, and feelings of hopelessness are all quite common. Aches and pains are a very common symptom of depression notably, depression can lead directly to neck and long-term back pain.
Treating Depression & Pain
Two classes of antidepressants often used to treat depression in those that experience chronic pain are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Generally prescribed SSRIs include and fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft), whereas usually prescribed SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor). These drugs have now been demonstrated to be effective and safe for handling depression in the context of continual pain, but like all medicines, they come with some risk of unwanted effects. As always, be sure to go over these drugs in detail together with your physician before beginning any treatment regimen that includes them, and inform your physician of all of the medicines (including over the counter medicines), herbal remedies, and nutritional supplements you’re currently taking so as to avoid any negative drug interactions.
Moreover, or in addition to medications, other types of treatment may include:
Talk therapy, more officially called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The focus of CBT is to help the individual manage their situation and may include learning how to problem solve, thus engaging the individual to alter specific thought patterns to your more positive outlook, and conquering�fears.
Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation or breathing exercises.
Routine exercise might help curb feelings of worry, stress as well as depression. Exercise causes the entire body to release endorphins, which can cause you to feel much better and may reduce pain perception too.
Pain in the upper and/or mid back is not as common than lower back or neck pain. The upper back is called the thoracic spinal column, and it is the most secure part of the spine. The reach of movement in the upper back is limited because of the backbone�s attachments to the ribs (rib cage).
Upper back pain is generally caused by soft tissue injuries, like sprains or strains, muscle tension caused by bad posture, or looking downward for long time spans (eg, texting, mobile phone use).
Pain
Tightness
Stiffness
Muscle spasm
Tenderness to touch
Headache
What causes or leads to upper back pain?
An episode of upper back pain can be actuated by distinct moves and actions, including:
Twisting
Excessive bending
Whiplash or alternative neck injury
Lifting improperly
Poor muscle tone
Persistent movements, overuse
Contact sports
Carrying a load that is heavy
Smoking
Being overweight
Poor posture�working at the computer for�a long time without taking a break to walk around and extend, or in general can promote upper back pain. Both muscle fatigue and muscle pull, which often result from poor posture, can trigger the pain.
So what can I do about it?
Usually, upper back pain is not a cause for worry; however, it can be uncomfortable, painful, and inconvenient. Also, if pain develops suddenly and is serious�such as from an injury (eg, fall)�and, certainly if pain and symptoms (eg, weakness) progressively worsen you should seek medical attention.
Generally, the next home treatments can help relieve back pain that is upper.
Short term rest
Mild�Stretches
Over the counter medicine, for example ibuprofen, (Motrin�), naproxen sodium (Aleve�), or acetaminophen (Tylenol�). Take with food, and don’t take more than the recommended dose.
Use a cold pack that is commercially available or fill a plastic bag with ice and seal it wrap it. Apply to the painful area for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours for the first 2 to 3 days.
Heat (after the very first 72 hours). After using moist heat, gently stretch the muscles to enhance mobility and alleviate stiffness.
Your physician may prescribe drugs, like a muscle relaxant or perform trigger point injections to greatly help break up muscle spasms. He or she may also recommend physical therapy to increase flexibility, mobility and alleviate pain. Other treatments your doctor may suggest include acupuncture and chiropractic care.
Most cases of upper back pain resolve in 1 to 2 weeks without additional treatment. When you’re able to perform them without pain restart your regular activities slowly. Don�t rush matters, however: you could interfere with your healing and risk reinjury.
As always, abrupt or severe pain ought to be dealt with promptly.
Back pain may be common, but it is not normal. It is so common that half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. That means there are potentially 150,000 people who suffer from back pain in the city of St. Louis alone. Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide per the Global Burden of Disease 2010 and it is also one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor�s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
Imaging will show all my back problems
Imaging may not reveal everything. Back pain is often a complex and multi-factorial issue, meaning that a spinal diagnosis isn�t always straightforward. To uncover what�s causing your back pain and what�s necessary for recovery requires a full clinical diagnostic process. This typically requires three steps. First you need a review of your medical history. To get to the root of your back pain, your physician should spend time asking you a series of questions about your symptoms, history, activities, positions, treatments, and more. After that is explored you will need a physical examination. A competent physician should check your spine to determine function, strength, discomfort in certain positions, and more. Lastly, you will go through diagnostic testing. Only after a physician has reviewed your medical history and given you a physical examination is imaging appropriate. Everything from an X-ray to CT scans and MRI scans can be appropriate to assess certain conditions.
Back pain that comes and goes isn�t a problem
Our bodies are incredible at adapting. However, what we know is that in nature nothing stays the same.� When someone tells me that their problem comes and goes it concerns me because it due to something that they are doing or not doing that�s causing them to either notice the problem or not notice the problem. Either way the underlying problem is still there and needs to be corrected. When the pain comes and goes, it�s usually the lead up to your back �going out� without warning. The reality for many individuals is that back pain is a result of a cumulative effect from simple movements.�� There�s always a cause for back pain and seeing a physician is your best chance for appropriate diagnosis and recovery
In fact if you find yourself saying, �back pain runs in my family� or �I just learned to live with it,� those are concerning statements because it means that the current approach you�re taking to correct the problem isn�t working, and you should make a change in order to actually correct the problem.
Drugs and Surgery are the only way to correct your back pain
In 2013 The Journal of the American Medical Association suggested chiropractic care as an option for people suffering from low back pain and noted that surgery is usually not needed and should only be tried if other therapies fail. In fact, after an extensive study of all available care for low back problems, the federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research recommended that low back pain sufferers choose the most conservative care first. They also recommended spinal manipulation as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial professional treatment for acute low back problems in adults
�Back pain is a normal part of aging
While we see back pain in older populations we also see it in younger populations as well.� We are seeing more and more people starting to have more back pain and arthritis at younger ages.� There are even times where I hear patients ask if arthritis in their spine is normal at their age. Again this may be common, but it is not normal.� If it were normal it would likely be seen in the entire spine not just in specific segments of the spine.
Tips to Prevent Back Pain
�Maintain a healthy diet and weight.
�Remain active�under the supervision of your doctor of chiropractic.
�Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest.
�Warm up or stretch before exercising or physical activities, such as gardening.
�Maintain proper posture.
�Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
�Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in your spine.
� Lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.
�Quit smoking. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen & nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.
�Work with your doctor of chiropractic to ensure that your
Dr. Vidan�is�a private practice Chiropractor in St. Louis. He�is very passionate about helping athletes from peewee�s to pro�s get back on the field after an injury and stay on the field. This allows athletes to enjoy the most out of their sporting experience. Dr. Vidan provided chiropractic care for the St. Louis Cardinals players and staff during the 2011 World Championship season, and continues to enjoy the opportunity to help athletes and organizations at the highest levels.
Many of us experience back and neck pain. But when is it the right time to see a chiropractor for a diagnosis or treatment? And can they really help? The answer is yes.
Chiropractors have been around for a hundred years, and are licensed doctors who are required to pass a series of four national board exams and are regulated by state licensing boards. They are medical professionals who diagnose and treat musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders.
A chiropractor can use many different techniques to relieve pain, including applied pressure, massage, and hands-on manipulation (adjustment) of the vertebrae and joints. They may also order X-rays, MRI studies, and lab work. Chiropractors don�t prescribe medications, but they do recommend such things as therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises and nutritional and lifestyle counseling to help the body heal itself.
Chiropractors believe one of the main causes of back or neck pain is subluxation. Subluxation occurs when your vertebrae become misaligned. Treating subluxations can help to alleviate pain associated with a myriad of conditions, including:
headaches
sciatica
trauma, such as whiplash
scoliosis
leg pain
sports injuries
bursitis and tendonitis
fibromyalgia
spinal arthritis (spondylosis)
Sometimes chiropractic care (eg, an adjustment) can cause mild soreness or aching but that usually resolves itself within 12 to 48 hours.
Chiropractic Tests
When you visit your chiropractor for the first time, he/she will probably ask you to perform a series of simple tests to evaluate your posture and range of motion. You may be asked to bend forward,� backward or side-to-side. The chiropractor will also check the way you walk and how your posture looks sitting down and standing up.� Other tests may include:
Piriformis Test: The patient flexes and bends the knee while lying down.
Straight Leg Raise: One leg at a time is raised in a locked-knee position to check the sciatic nerve and flexibility of the hamstring muscle.
Measuring the length of each leg helps determine if there is a discrepancy in leg length or if the pelvis is out of balance.
Hand strength (grip)
Evaluation of reflexes and muscle testing
Sometimes you might hear a pop while the chiropractor is testing or adjusting you, which is perfectly normal. This is caused by small pockets of air or bubbles in the fluid that surrounds your joints. When joint tissues are stretched, those pockets of air �pop,� which creates the cracking sound you hear.
Diagnosis
Once the chiropractor identifies the problem, he/she can recommend treatment options, and explain how many chiropractic visits are necessary to reach an expected outcome (eg, resolution of pain). He/she may also suggest improvements to your diet and lifestyle, such as quitting smoking or increasing/modifying certain activities. A chiropractor may also recommend certain types of exercises in conjunction with chiropractic treatment to stretch and/or strengthen the back and neck.
Adjustment Techniques
A chiropractor is educated in dozens of ways to treat pain. Here is a sampling of the different techniques that may be used.
Toggle Drop � The chiropractor presses down firmly on a particular area of the spine followed by a quick and precise thrust.
Lumbar Roll � With the patient on his/her side, a quick thrust is applied to the misaligned vertebrae.
Release Work � The chiropractor uses gentle pressure with the fingertips to separate the vertebrae.
TENS (Transcutaneous electrical stimulation) � This device sends stimulating pulses across the surface of the skin and nerve strands to block pain signals along the nerves and release endorphins which are natural painkillers.
Cold/Heat Treatment � Chiropractors may alternate between ice and heat therapy to treat back or neck pain. Ice packs are used to reduce inflammation (swelling) for 15 minutes at a time. A heating pad (or other heat source) helps increase circulation and may promote faster healing.
Table Adjustments � The patient lies on a special table with a �drop piece� then a quick thrust is applied when the table drops.
Instrument Adjustments � Instead of hands-on manipulation, the patient lies on the table face down while the chiropractor uses a spring-loaded activator instrument to perform the adjustment.
Manipulation Under Anesthesia � This is performed by chiropractors certified in this technique. The treatment is performed in a hospital outpatient setting.
Keep in mind that chiropractic care is not a cure-all for your back and neck pain! However, it is considered by many to be a safe and effective way to help relieve pain and improve spinal function. Many physicians and surgeons recommend chiropractic care to their patients.
If you want to reduce the number of opioid prescriptions and pills being used, and potentially misused, you need alternative pain management. And chiropractors say that�s what they�ve been providing for decades.
�It gives people options, and that�s probably the most important thing right now is to give people options for treatment,� Dr. Mark Stagnone, president of the New Hampshire Chiropractic Association said.
At its annual meeting, the association is pointing to a trio of recent studies showing that chiropractic care cuts down on the use of opiate pain medicines.
In one of the studies, a former Dartmouth doctor analyzed 33,000 cases of lower back pain in a New Hampshire database.
�His preliminary research is indicating that there�s about a 56-57 percent reduction in opioid use when chiropractic care has been utilized in a patients treatment,� Stagnone said.
James Vara, the governor�s adviser on addiction and behavorial health, said the state needs more alternative pain management.
�It becomes a question of what insurance covers it and how long they cover it for, and that�s certainly something I�ve looked at and will continue to,� said Vara.
The Current Insurance Model Puts Patients On A Path To Prescription Drugs
�The problem that it produces is that the average individual who�s trying to treat a condition is faced with paying a high co-pay to visit a chiropractor or paying a considerably lower one to see a primary care physician,� Stagnone said.
Changing that dynamic will require legislation that has failed in the past. But chiropractors said in this ongoing addiction crisis, it�s time for adjustment.
Chiropractic care is covered under the New Hampshire Health Protection program, or expanded Medicaid. And if the program lapses, so does that coverage.
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Painkillers Sometimes Increase Chronic Pain
We’re facing an opioid addiction crisis in America. Opioid (narcotic) pain medications killed an estimated 14,000 people in the U.S. in 2014 through overdose. A further 14,000 people overdosed on heroin, another opioid that many people turn to when they can’t access prescription painkillers.
This epidemic is why physicians and pharmacists are increasingly raising the bar on who can receive opioid medications, how much, and for how long. It’s not just the addiction risk that calls for caution when using opioids to treat chronic pain though�long-term use of opioids can actually make pain worse.
Becoming addicted to pain medication is a disease. This is because these painkillers (oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, fentanyl) cause a change in your brain chemistry that is not under your control.
Most people who take opioids for more than 2 to 4 weeks will develop a tolerance to the medication. Tolerance means your body may need an increased dosage to feel the same effect. Opioid tolerance can cause withdrawal symptoms when the medication is stopped. This is a natural process, and it is not to be confused with addiction.
In his recent blog on the subject, Dr. Ullrich explains: “Pain medication addiction is a more complicated process. It involves manipulative behavior to obtain narcotic medications and a refusal to discontinue a medication even though it is no longer being used for a medical purpose. Some, including those at significant risk of overdosing, will go to multiple doctors to get medications.”
For those who are addicted to opioid medications, a detoxification program is often needed. Painkiller addiction is a chemical, physical disease, one that requires expert medical treatment in a safe, humane environment.
Most people know that painkillers can be addictive, but they don’t know that taking opioids over a long period of time may in fact increase a patient’s sensitivity to pain (hyperalgesia). This happens because long-term use of opiate painkillers causes a decrease in your ability to tolerate pain and an increase in sensitivity to pain. In fact, people taking opioids long term may keep having pain, or may see their pain increase, long after the original cause of pain has healed.
Stopping opioid use can solve this problem�but it may not seem as if the pain is gone at first, because the discomfort of withdrawal can mimic the original pain. Dependency is not easy to deal with, but it shouldn’t be an excuse to stay on the opioid medication and raise the risk for addiction. This is why physicians are encouraged to only prescribe opioids for short durations and be cautious when using them to treat chronic pain.
Since long-term use of opioid painkillers is a risky option for controlling chronic pain, patients are often advised to focus on other safe, proven methods for managing chronic pain, such as:
Exercise to maintain motion and release endorphins
Cognitive therapy to develop coping techniques
Relaxation and meditation techniques to distract the brain from pain
Six Things Every Chiropractor Should Know About Opioids
Men health concept. Portrait of 50s mature Asian man reading the label on bottle medicine, sitting on sofa at home.
An increase in addictions and deaths due to opioids has raised significant concern and media attention. We offer this brief overview on this important public health problem for the practicing chiropractor.
1. What Are Opioids?
Opioid medications are prescribed to reduce pain; however, they are addictive and can be dangerous. Although some suggest there is �no safe dose� for opioids, these drugs may be helpful for people with severe pain, such as those experiencing pain from cancer. However, over the past several decades, more patients have been prescribed opioids for musculoskeletal pain, such as back or neck pain, instead of being provided with nondrug therapies.
As with any drug, opioids have side effects and may �adversely affect respiratory, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems.�1 �As the dose increases, the risks for overdose and health concerns also increase, including �fractures, addiction, intestinal blockages, and sedation.�1 If too high a dose is consumed or if opioids are taken with certain other drugs or alcohol, death may result.
2. Why Is Opioid Use / Overuse Problematic?
Since 1999, prescription opioid sales have increased fourfold, along with a surge in the use of opioids as a first line for pain management, rather than only for severe cancer-related pain. This trend has led to burgeoning opioid prescribing in the U.S.:2
? One in five people with non-cancer pain have been prescribed opioids.
? More than 165,000 prescription opioid-related deaths occurred between 1999 and 2014.
? An estimated 2 million people were addicted to opioids as of 2014.
3. Who Is Addressing This Health Crisis?
Currently, many professions are seeking ways to address this national epidemic. The medical profession has launched various initiatives to help medical doctors (MDs) reduce prescriptions. These include an initiative to remove pain as the 5th�vital sign, and promoting guidelines for when to prescribe and how to better manage patients in pain without the use of opioids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has�released guidelines�to curb opioid prescriptions, with the following categories of recommendations to those who prescribe opioids: 1) determine when to initiate or continue opioids for chronic pain; 2) opioid selection, dosage, duration, follow-up, discontinuation, and assessing risk; and 3) addressing harms of opioid use.
In addition to these efforts, even more focus is needed to assist people who seek help for pain and to provide them with nonpharmacological alternatives.
4. What Can Doctors of Chiropractic Do?
Chiropractic care can be part of the solution. DCs can work with other health care providers and support policy to offer alternatives to opioids for addressing patients in pain, especially chronic non-cancer pain.
Although there are no large trials comparing outcomes of chiropractic care to opioids, we do know opioid use is associated with worse functioning in back pain patients at six-month follow-up3 �and greater disability;4 �and that injured workers whose first health care visit is to a DC have better outcomes.5 �We also know that the per-capita supply of DCs and higher use of manipulative therapy is associated with lower rates of opioid prescriptions among Medicare recipients.6
All this suggests chiropractic care may help reduce the use of and need for opioid prescriptions for back pain sufferers; and may play an important role in reducing the opioid epidemic by helping to prevent patients from ever getting an opioid prescription in the first place.
Important resources DCs should be aware of include:
? Chiropractic: A Safer Strategy Than Opioids:�www.f4cp. com/f4cp_opioid_white_paper.pdf
? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Opioid Overdose:�www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/ Six Things Every Chiropractor Should Know About Opioids By Claire Johnson, DC, MSEd, PhD, Bart N. Green, DC, MSEd, PhD and Michael Haneline, DC, MPH Reprinted with permission from Dynamic Chiropractic, Sept. 1, 2016, Vol. 34, Issue 15 (www.dynamicchiropractic.com/digital/index.php?i=1220&r=t#19)
5. What Can We Do If a Patient Is Already Taking Opioids?
Most chiropractors take a history and ask patients what medications they are taking. The first step is to recognize that the following are opioid-class drugs: hydrocodone (Vicodin), ultram (Tramadol), oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), morphine (Kadian, Avinza) and codeine.7
Once we know a patient is taking opioids, we must first seek to understand the situation before we provide education.
Questions we can ask include:
? For what condition is the patient taking the medication?
? How long has the patient been taking opioids and at what daily dose?
? Who is the provider watching over their prescription? Is more than one provider prescribing opioids?
? When was the last time the patient saw the prescribing physician and when is the next appointment?
? Does the patient have any safety issues? For example, does the patient operate machinery? Is the patient experiencing side effects such as �sedation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, physical dependence, tolerance, or respiratory depression�?8
? What is the patient�s level of function? Are there any psychological flags or addictive behaviors?
? Is the patient taking any other substances or drugs that may have deadly interactions, such as alcohol, benzodiazepines and/or other opioids?
As chiropractors, we can discuss treatment goals, such as reasonable functional activity; and pain goals with and without medication. We also can discuss potential adverse events, including the risks for side effects, addiction and death.
We can inform patients of other dangers they may not be aware of, such as the deadly combination of opioids when combined with other drugs that depress CNS activity (e.g., alcohol or drugs for anxiety such as benzodiazepines). We can encourage patients to contact the prescribing provider to discuss reducing and stopping opioid use, and to ask for safer alternatives for pain control, such as chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture and mind-body methods. If a patient is already addicted, we can encourage the patient to seek a specialist provider and addiction care program. (Note that some patients may need to remain on opioids, such as for cancer pain or end-of-life care.)
Most importantly, we can work with the patient and their prescribing provider to offer them nonpharmacological care to help reduce their pain and help them reach their functional goals.
6. How Can We Collaborate More on Solutions?
As DCs, we can work more closely with local MDs and discuss better ways to collaborate concerning patients with pain. Remember that MDs are not the enemy, but are an essential component of the solution to this epidemic. Most MDs are also extremely concerned about the opioid epidemic, and are looking for efficient and cost-effective ways of helping their patients. We should remain professional when speaking about MDs with our patients, as our patients likely have good relations with them.
We can be part of the safety net to help reduce the number of people who become addicted or die from overdose. As we work with other health care professionals and our patients, we can remind them that the first recommendation per the CDC�s�Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain�is �Nonpharmacologic therapy and nonopioid pharmacologic therapy are preferred for chronic pain.�9 �Thus, through collaboration, the chiropractic profession can be a part of the solution.
The bipedal posture of humans carries many benefits for us, but alternatively, this standing posture also adds pressure on the spine as well as other bones and surrounding muscles of the body. Together with an individual�s improper sitting position and the natural wear and tear degeneration of tissues through age, it�s not uncommon for individual�s to develop symptoms of back pain. In fact, back pain is considered to be the second most common cause people seek medical attention, only next to upper-respiratory infections. According to some experts, as many as 80% of individuals may experience back complications at some point in their lives.
Although back pain and its associated symptoms is common among the population, treating your injury or condition is crucial for individuals to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Chiropractic care focuses on the structure and function of the human body, primarily that of the spine. A chiropractor can diagnose a possible injury or condition causing back complications and determine the most appropriate treatment for each individual using spinal adjustments, manual manipulation and occasionally, recommending exercise and dietary lifestyle changes to improve a person�s wellbeing. Chiropractic adjustments can be an effective treatment for back pain as well as other types of pain.
Additionally, before relying on chiropractic care for diagnosing and treating a back complication, the common injuries or conditions relating to back pain can be prevented in a variety of ways such as,�maintaining a healthy diet and weight are important towards preventing back pain,�avoiding prolonged inactivity or bed rest, staying active, warming up or stretching before exercising or participating in other physical activities to avoid further injuries, maintaining a proper posture, wearing comfortable, low-heeled shoes, and sleeping on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in the spine.
Many people frequently experience back complications resulting from their everyday life routines. Back injuries can range from a sharp pain to a dull ache, typically associated with symptoms of tingling, numbness, and/or burning sensations.�While a majority of back complications can be considered minor injuries that usually heal rapidly, some complications can often develop into chronic back pain and chiropractic treatment can help. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.
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