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Back Pain

Back Clinic Back Pain Chiropractic Treatment Team. At the El Paso Back Clinic, we take back pain very seriously.

After diagnosing the root cause of your discomfort/pain, we’ll do everything within our power to cure the area and relieve your symptoms.

Common causes of back pain:
There is an infinite number of forms of back pain, and a variety of injuries and diseases may cause discomfort in this area of the body. One of the most Frequent ones we see one of our patients in East Side El Paso and surrounding areas comprise:

Disc Herniation
Inside the backbone are flexible discs that cushion your bones and absorb shock. Whenever these discs are broken, they may compress a nerve leading to lower extremity numbness. StressWhen a muscle at the trunk is overexerted or hurt, causing stiffness and pain, this type of injury is generally classified as a back strain. This can be the consequence of attempting to lift an item that can result in excruciating pain and impairment and is too heavy. Diagnosing the underlying cause of your pain.

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is characterized by the slow wearing down of protective cartilage. When the back is affected by this condition, it causes damage to the bones that results in chronic pain, stiffness, and limited mobility. SprainIf ligaments in your spine and back are stretched or torn, it’s called a spine sprain. Typically, this injury causes pain in the region. Spasms cause back muscles to overwork they may start to contract, and can even stay contracted– also called a muscle spasm. Muscle spasms can present with pain and stiffness until the strain resolves.

We want to accomplish the diagnosis straight away, integrating a background and exam along with state-of-the-art imaging, so we can provide you with the most efficient therapy choices. To begin, we will speak with you regarding your symptoms, which will provide us with critical information regarding your underlying condition. We’ll then perform a physical exam, during which we’ll check for posture issues, evaluate your spine and assess your backbone. If we guess injuries, like a disk or neurological injury, we’ll probably order imaging tests to obtain an analysis.

Regenerative remedies to your back pain. At the El Paso Back Clinic, you may be certain that you’re in the best possible hands with our Doctor of Chiropractic and Massage Therapist. Our purpose during your pain treatment isn’t only to relieve your symptoms — but also to avoid a recurrence and to treat your pain.


Effective Treatment Options for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Spinal Decompression

Effective Treatment Options for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Spinal Decompression

Can individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis utilize spinal decompression to reduce low back pain and restore mobility?

Introduction

Many individuals worldwide have dealt with low back pain at some point in their lives that has affected their mobility and impacted their routine. Numerous environmental factors can lead to low back pain development, like improper heavy lifting, poor posture, traumatic injuries, and accidents that can affect the surrounding muscles, spinal cord, and nerve roots. When this happens, it can lead to lumbar spinal stenosis and cause overlapping risk profiles that are correlated with low back pain. When people are dealing with lumbar spinal stenosis, they could be thinking that their pain is in the lower extremities. To that point, many individuals seek treatment to not only reduce low back pain but also reduce the effects of lumbar spinal stenosis. Some treatments, like spinal decompression, which is a non-surgical treatment, can help restore mobility to the body. Today’s article looks at how lumbar spinal stenosis affects the lower back and its diagnosis while looking at how spinal decompression can provide relief to the individual and have positive benefits in restoring mobility. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to assess how lumbar spinal stenosis correlates with lower back pain, causing mobility issues. We also inform and guide patients on how spinal decompression is an excellent form of treatment that can be combined with other therapies. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricate and important questions about incorporating decompression therapy to relieve the pain effects caused by lumbar stenosis while reducing the overlapping pain effects like lower back pain to regain a person’s mobility. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

 

How Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Affects the Lower Back

Do you feel tingling sensations in the back of your legs affecting your ability to move around? Or does your lower back feel less mobile than it is used to? When many individuals are experiencing low back pain during their lifetime, it can often correlate with lumbar spinal stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis usually occurs when the spinal canal in the lower back becomes constricted, leading to degenerative changes. When the spinal canal starts to narrow in the spine, it can cause significant discomfort, interfere with daily activities, and may result in progressive disability for many individuals. (Munakomi et al., 2024) The symptoms caused by lumbar spinal stenosis range from mild to severe, and on which environmental factors correspond to the issue. At the same time, lumbar spinal stenosis is characterized by symptoms like low back pain that can cause spondylotic changes that induce low back pain that can negatively impact a person’s quality of life. (Ogon et al., 2022) This causes many people to go to their primary doctors to get a diagnosis and learn how to manage the pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis.

 

The Diagnosis Of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

When it comes to diagnosing lumbar spinal stenosis, many healthcare providers will incorporate a comprehensive evaluation, which includes a physical examination to see how mobile a person’s back is and imaging testing like MRIs and CT scans to visualize the spinal canal and assess the extent of the narrowing that is causing pain in the lower extremities. This is because when individuals deal with lumbar spinal stenosis, it can manifest with neurogenic claudication in the lower extremities, especially when a person is standing or sitting. The pain is decreased when their position is changed. (Sobanski et al., 2023) Additionally, lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the most commonly diagnosed spinal disorders that many healthcare professionals assess and evaluate. When there is a narrowing in the spinal canal, leading to the development of lumbar spinal, simple motions like walking can exacerbate the symptoms to the lower extremities and increase the oxygen in the spinal nerves, which may exceed the available blood flow to the extremities. (Deer et al., 2019) To that point, treatments like spinal decompression can help reduce lower back pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis.

 


The Non-Surgical Approach To Wellness- Video


A Path To Relief Using Spinal Decompression

When it comes to individuals experiencing the pain caused by lumbar spinal stenosis, many individuals can seek out non-surgical treatments like spinal decompression to relieve lower back pain. Spinal decompression has emerged as a non-invasive, effective treatment option for lumbar spinal stenosis. It utilizes gentle mechanical traction on the spine to be stretched, relieving the spinal nerves by creating more space within the spinal canal. Spinal decompression decreases the degenerative process while the surrounding muscles are gently stretched, and the spinal disc height increases due to negative pressure. (Kang et al., 2016

 

The Benefits Of Spinal Decompression & Restoring Mobility

Additionally, the gentle traction from spinal decompression helps enhance the production flow of nutrients and oxygen back to the affected spinal discs and spine to foster a better healing environment for the body. Since spinal decompression can be combined with other non-surgical treatments, like physical therapy and spinal manipulation, it can provide long-lasting positive effects for individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis. (Ammendolia et al., 2022) Some of the beneficial results of spinal decompression include:

  • Pain relief by alleviating pressure off the spinal nerves to reduce pain and discomfort in the lower extremities significantly. 
  • Improved mobility allows the individual to return to their daily activities with ease.

Many people can benefit from spinal decompression to reduce the effects of lumbar spinal stenosis and have their lower extremity mobility restored after consecutive sessions to reduce the chances of the pain from coming back. By thinking more about their health and wellness, many people can make small routine changes in their activities to mitigate the pain and remain mobile throughout their lives. This allows them to have a sense of hope to relieve them from the pain they have been under. 

 


References

Ammendolia, C., Hofkirchner, C., Plener, J., Bussieres, A., Schneider, M. J., Young, J. J., Furlan, A. D., Stuber, K., Ahmed, A., Cancelliere, C., Adeboyejo, A., & Ornelas, J. (2022). Non-operative treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication: an updated systematic review. BMJ Open, 12(1), e057724. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057724

Deer, T., Sayed, D., Michels, J., Josephson, Y., Li, S., & Calodney, A. K. (2019). A Review of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Intermittent Neurogenic Claudication: Disease and Diagnosis. Pain Med, 20(Suppl 2), S32-S44. doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnz161

Kang, J. I., Jeong, D. K., & Choi, H. (2016). Effect of spinal decompression on the lumbar muscle activity and disk height in patients with herniated intervertebral disk. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(11), 3125-3130. doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.3125

Munakomi, S., Foris, L. A., & Varacallo, M. (2024). Spinal Stenosis and Neurogenic Claudication. In StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28613622

Ogon, I., Teramoto, A., Takashima, H., Terashima, Y., Yoshimoto, M., Emori, M., Iba, K., Takebayashi, T., & Yamashita, T. (2022). Factors associated with low back pain in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 23(1), 552. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05483-7

Sobanski, D., Staszkiewicz, R., Stachura, M., Gadzielinski, M., & Grabarek, B. O. (2023). Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management of Lower Back Pain Associated with Spinal Stenosis: A Narrative Review. Med Sci Monit, 29, e939237. doi.org/10.12659/MSM.939237

 

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Unpacking the Connection Between Electroacupuncture & Sciatica Pain

Unpacking the Connection Between Electroacupuncture & Sciatica Pain

Can the effects of electroacupuncture reduce sciatica in individuals dealing with low back pain to restore their mobility?

Introduction

When many people start to overuse their muscles in the lower quadrants, it can lead to numerous issues that cause pain and discomfort. One of the most common pain issues in the lower quadrants of the musculoskeletal system is sciatica, which is associated with low back pain. This pain duo can affect a person’s daily routine and lead them to pain and discomfort. This musculoskeletal condition is common, and when it affects one of the legs and lower back, many people state that it’s a radiating shooting pain that doesn’t go away for a while. Luckily, there are treatments like electroacupuncture to reduce sciatica associated with low back pain. Today’s article looks at the sciatica-low-back connection, how electroacupuncture reduces this pain connection, and how electroacupuncture can restore mobility to the individual. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to assess how to reduce the sciatica-low-back connection with electroacupuncture. We also inform and guide patients on how electroacupuncture therapy can be combined with other therapies to restore mobility to the body. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricate and important questions about incorporating electroacupuncture therapy as part of their routine to reduce sciatica associated with low back pain. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

 

The Sciatica & Low Back Connection

Do you feel muscle aches or pain in your lower back or your legs? Do you experience radiating, throbbing pain in your legs that affects your walking ability? Or have you noticed that your legs and lower back ache more when carrying a heavy object? Many of these scenarios are associated with sciatica, which correlates with lower back pain. Now, sciatica is often characterized by aggravating pain traveling along the sciatic nerve from the lower back region, impairing a person’s quality of life. In the musculoskeletal system, the sciatic nerve plays an important role by providing motor function to the legs. (Davis et al., 2024) Now, when the sciatic nerve, the lumbar region also has a pivotal role. The lumbar region in the musculoskeletal region also has a crucial role in providing support, strength, and flexibility to the body. However, both the sciatic nerve and lumbar spinal region are more prone to stress and injuries from traumatic injuries and environmental factors that can impact the lumbar spinal discs and the sciatic nerve.

 

 

Repetitive motions, obesity, improper lifting, degenerative spinal issues, and musculoskeletal conditions are a few causes and risk factors contributing to the development of sciatica associated with the lower back. What eventually happens is that the water content and the progressive loss of the proteoglycans of the spinal discs break down between the vertebrae and protrude out to press on the sciatic nerve, which then can become irritated and cause referred radiating pain in the legs and lower back. (Zhou et al., 2021) The combination of sciatica and lower back pain can become a socio-economic issue depending on the severity of the pain that the sciatic nerve is causing and can make individuals miss out on any activities they are participating in. (Siddiq et al., 2020) While sciatica pain-like symptoms often correlate with the lumbar region, many individuals can find the relief they are looking for through various treatments.

 


Sciatica Causes- Video


Electroacupuncture Reducing The Sciatica-Low Back Connection

When it comes to reducing the sciatic-low-back connection, many individuals seek out treatment that is affordable and effective in decreasing pain-like issues. Non-surgical treatments like electroacupuncture can be beneficial to many individuals who are experiencing sciatica pain correlated with the lower back. Electroacupuncture is another form of traditional acupuncture therapy that originates in China. Highly trained acupuncturists follow the same acupuncture principles by placing solid thin needles at different acupoints in the body to restore qui or chi (energy flow). Electroacupuncture combines needles and electrostimulation to reduce the central pain-regulatory mechanisms causing low back pain and sciatica by blocking the pain signals and providing pain relief. (Kong, 2020) At the same time, electroacupuncture offers analgesic properties to stimulate endorphins and reduce pain medication for low back pain safely. (Sung et al., 2021)

 

 

Electroacupuncture Restoring Mobility

When the lower extremities are experiencing limited mobility due to sciatica associated with low back pain, electroacupuncture can help relax the muscles that are aggravating the sciatic nerve and even help improve blood flow to the lumbar muscles. That is because electroacupuncture can stimulate specific body regions to reduce the somato-vagal-adrenal reflexes to relieve and restore mobility to the lower extremities. (Liu et al., 2021) Additionally, electroacupuncture can be combined with other non-surgical therapies to help strengthen the core and lower back muscles, allowing people to be more mindful of what factors are causing sciatica and lower back pain. By doing this, many people struggling with sciatica associated with low back pain can incorporate electroacupuncture as part of their treatment program combined with holistic approaches to improving their quality of life and providing a pathway to improving their mobility. 

 


References

Davis, D., Maini, K., Taqi, M., & Vasudevan, A. (2024). Sciatica. In StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29939685

Kong, J. T. (2020). Electroacupuncture for Treating Chronic Low-Back Pain: Preliminary Research Results. Med Acupunct, 32(6), 396-397. doi.org/10.1089/acu.2020.1495

Liu, S., Wang, Z., Su, Y., Qi, L., Yang, W., Fu, M., Jing, X., Wang, Y., & Ma, Q. (2021). A neuroanatomical basis for electroacupuncture to drive the vagal-adrenal axis. Nature, 598(7882), 641-645. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04001-4

Siddiq, M. A. B., Clegg, D., Hasan, S. A., & Rasker, J. J. (2020). Extra-spinal sciatica and sciatica mimics: a scoping review. Korean J Pain, 33(4), 305-317. doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2020.33.4.305

Sung, W. S., Park, J. R., Park, K., Youn, I., Yeum, H. W., Kim, S., Choi, J., Cho, Y., Hong, Y., Park, Y., Kim, E. J., & Nam, D. (2021). The effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture for nonspecific chronic low back pain: A protocol for systematic review and/or meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), 100(4), e24281. doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000024281

Zhou, J., Mi, J., Peng, Y., Han, H., & Liu, Z. (2021). Causal Associations of Obesity With the Intervertebral Degeneration, Low Back Pain, and Sciatica: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 12, 740200. doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.740200

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Understanding Electroacupuncture and How It Relieves Gut Inflammation

Understanding Electroacupuncture and How It Relieves Gut Inflammation

Can individuals dealing with gut inflammation be relieved with electroacupuncture to reduce low back pain symptoms & improve gut function?

Introduction

When it comes to the body, the gut system has a very interesting relationship to the various body groups. The gut system works with the central nervous, immune, and musculoskeletal systems as it helps protect the body from harmful bacteria while regulating inflammation. However, when environmental factors start to affect the body and cause the gut system to go haywire, it can cause numerous issues of pain and discomfort to the body. One of the issues that the gut can affect is the musculoskeletal system, causing back pain issues associated with gut inflammation. However, numerous treatments can help reduce the effects of gut inflammation that is causing back pain. Today’s article looks at the gut-back pain connection, how electroacupuncture can be integrated as a treatment, and how it can reduce inflammation. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to assess how gut inflammation impacts their bodies, causing back pain. We also inform and guide patients on how electroacupuncture therapy can help reduce the inflammatory effects causing gut and back issues and restore gut function. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricate and important questions about incorporating various non-surgical treatments to reduce gut inflammation correlated with back pain. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

 

The Gut-Back Pain Connection

Do you feel muscle aches or pains in your gut or lower back? What about radiating heat in various areas of your body? Or have you experienced any low-energy moments throughout your day? While the gut is known as the second brain since it works with the immune system, one of its crucial roles is regulating the body’s immune system. This is because the gut microbiome houses trillions of bacteria to digest food and protect the body from bad bacteria. When environmental factors start to affect the gut’s delicate ecosystem, it can lead the immune system to be hyperactive, causing the inflammatory cytokines to mass produce, and this effect can ripple throughout the body, thus manifesting into various pain-like symptoms and conditions, including back pain. Since inflammation is the body’s defense response to injuries or infections, it removes the harmful issue in the affected area and helps heal. So when the inflammatory cytokines start to mass produce due to gut inflammation, it can compromise the gut system, allowing toxins and bacteria to enter the bloodstream and travel to different body areas, causing pain. Now, this is due to various environmental factors that lead to back pain development. When the harmful bacteria from inflammation start to cause back pain, they can attach themselves and affect the intervertebral disc homeostasis, causing the immune system to attack the intervertebral disc and cause back pain. (Yao et al., 2023) This is due to the connection of the gut and back through complex nerve pathways that send information from the gut to the back and up to the brain.

 

 

So, when inflammation starts to cause issues in the body, it can lead to musculoskeletal problems like back pain. Gut inflammation can cause an imbalance between the composition of the symbiont and pathobiont to decrease the integrity and function of the intestinal gut barriers, induce pain, and increase the inflammatory molecules. (Ratna et al., 2023) The inflammatory molecules can exacerbate pain receptors and muscle tension, leading to discomfort and pain in the lower back. Coincidentally, environmental factors like poor posture, physical inactivity, and poor dietary habits can cause the gut system to induce inflammation of the back muscles. When there is dysbiosis in the gut microbiota, the inflammatory effects can be indirectly associated with visceral pain and central nervous systemic functioning to alter the body and cause it to be in a persistent state of chronic systemic inflammation to induce back pain. (Dekker Nitert et al., 2020). However, there are numerous non-surgical treatments and holistic approaches to reduce gut inflammation and relieve back pain.

 

Integrating Electroacupuncture As Treatment

When people are experiencing back pain associated with gut inflammation, they will go to their primary healthcare doctor and explain the situation. Given the connection between gut inflammation and back pain, by addressing the environmental factors that cause these overlapping risk profiles, many doctors can work with pain specialists to reduce both gut inflammation and back pain. Pain specialists like chiropractors, acupuncturists, and massage therapists can help strengthen the affected muscles that are causing back pain and provide holistic approaches like anti-inflammatory vitamins and supplements to reduce gut inflammation. One of the oldest non-surgical treatments that can do both is electroacupuncture. Electroacupuncture combines traditional Chinese therapy and modern technology that uses electric stimulation and thin solid needles to be inserted into the body’s acupoint to obtain qi or energy. What this does is that it provides electric stimulation and anti-inflammatory effects to induce cholinergic reflexes in the gut and HPA axis. (Yang et al., 2024) Electroacupuncture can also be combined with other therapies to reduce the inflammatory effects associated with back pain.

 

How Does Electroacupuncture Reduce Gut Inflammation

Since electroacupuncture can reduce gut inflammation causing back pain, it can help regulate the intestinal flora by promoting intestinal motility and blocking the pain signals from affecting the back muscles. (An et al., 2022) This is because electroacupuncture can help relax the tense muscles causing back pain. Additionally, when people approach this treatment, it is under the guidance of highly trained acupuncturists who can insert the needles correctly while tailoring electroacupuncture therapy to the person’s specific needs and pain. Since electroacupuncture can be combined with other therapies, it can effectively reduce body weight and restore digestion and absorption to shape the gut microbiota. (Xia et al., 2022) This allows individuals to make small changes to their routine and prevent gut inflammation from affecting the body and causing back pain. They can improve their quality of life by incorporating electroacupuncture as part of their health and wellness treatment. 

 


Unlocking The Secrets Of Inflammation-Video


References

An, J., Wang, L., Song, S., Tian, L., Liu, Q., Mei, M., Li, W., & Liu, S. (2022). Electroacupuncture reduces blood glucose by regulating intestinal flora in type 2 diabetic mice. J Diabetes, 14(10), 695-710. doi.org/10.1111/1753-0407.13323

Dekker Nitert, M., Mousa, A., Barrett, H. L., Naderpoor, N., & de Courten, B. (2020). Altered Gut Microbiota Composition Is Associated With Back Pain in Overweight and Obese Individuals. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 11, 605. doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00605

Ratna, H. V. K., Jeyaraman, M., Yadav, S., Jeyaraman, N., & Nallakumarasamy, A. (2023). Is Dysbiotic Gut the Cause of Low Back Pain? Cureus, 15(7), e42496. doi.org/10.7759/cureus.42496

Xia, X., Xie, Y., Gong, Y., Zhan, M., He, Y., Liang, X., Jin, Y., Yang, Y., & Ding, W. (2022). Electroacupuncture promoted intestinal defensins and rescued the dysbiotic cecal microbiota of high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Life Sci, 309, 120961. doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120961

Yang, Y., Pang, F., Zhou, M., Guo, X., Yang, Y., Qiu, W., Liao, C., Chen, Y., & Tang, C. (2024). Electroacupuncture Reduces Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Obese Mice by Activating the Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathways and Repairing the Intestinal Barrier. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes, 17, 435-452. doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S449112

Yao, B., Cai, Y., Wang, W., Deng, J., Zhao, L., Han, Z., & Wan, L. (2023). The Effect of Gut Microbiota on the Progression of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Orthopaedic Surgery, 15(3), 858-867. doi.org/10.1111/os.13626

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Effective Treatments for Low Back Pain: Electroacupuncture Solutions

Effective Treatments for Low Back Pain: Electroacupuncture Solutions

Can individuals with low back pain use electroacupuncture therapy to reduce pain and restore mobility back to their bodies?

Introduction

Many people worldwide have dealt with low back pain from numerous factors and traumatic injuries that can cause pain-like symptoms around the spinal discs, muscles, ligaments, and nerve roots. This is because the body goes through repetitive motions that cause the surrounding muscles and ligaments to be overstretched and tight, aggravating the nerve roots and causing referred pain. Or it can be traumatic injuries that affect the spinal discs in the lumbar region that can become herniated or degenerate to aggravate the nerve roots and lead to low extremity pain. Regardless of the outcome, low back pain is a common musculoskeletal problem, and many people will often seek treatment to reduce its pain-like effects and help many people have their mobility restored. Today’s article examines why low back pain is a global issue, how electroacupuncture can help reduce it, and how it can regain mobility. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to understand better why low back pain is an issue in their bodies. We also inform and guide patients on how electroacupuncture therapy can help reduce low back pain and even help with restoring body mobility. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricate and important questions about reducing the impact of low back pain and find various therapies to incorporate. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

Why Low Back Pain Is A Global Issue?

Do you feel stiffness in your lower back after carrying or lifting a heavy object? Do you feel radiating pain traveling down to your legs? Or do you feel muscle aches in your lower back from being hunched for an extended period? Many of these pain-like issues are correlated with environmental factors that can cause the body to develop low back pain. When it comes to low back pain, it is a socio-economic issue that globally impacts many individuals, especially working individuals. When many people do various motions or perform tasks, these motions can gradually loosen the ligaments in the lower back. This causes the body to sense that something is wrong with the lower back and the vital structures of the spine, thus adopting other methods to maintain the spine’s stability. (Hauser et al., 2022

 

 

Additionally, most low back pain symptoms are nonspecific, and motions of heavy lifting, bending, twisting, and whole-body vibrations are occupational risk factors that lead to the development of low back pain. (Becker & Childress, 2019) This causes many people with low back pain to deal with the burden of missing work or putting a hold on their daily routine. When this happens, many individuals begin to seek treatment to reduce the symptoms caused by low back pain.


Unlocking Pain Relief- Video


Electroacupuncture For Low Back Pain

When it comes to reducing low back pain, many individuals will go to various treatments to relieve the pain in their lower back and their associated symptoms. Hence, this is why non-surgical treatments like electroacupuncture can help alleviate lower back pain and help the lower extremities regain mobility. Electroacupuncture is another form of acupuncture that uses electric stimulation on the body’s acupoints to block pain signals. Electroacupuncture has been widely used for musculoskeletal disorders, including low back pain, as they have been used as a therapeutic option to reduce medication usage while being an effective option when combined with other therapies. (Sung et al., 2021)

 

 

Additionally, electroacupuncture is performed by highly trained professionals and, when being used to treat low back pain, allows stimulation on large areas of the body that are around the acupoint to allow parameters that include the intensity, duration, and frequency to enable the pain to the location to be identified by health care professionals. (Francescato Torres et al., 2019) Electroacupuncture can help reduce the pain in the lower back and support many individuals through various techniques to restore mobility. (Kong, 2020)

 

Electroacupuncture Restoring Mobility

When restoring body mobility from low back pain, electroacupuncture can provide therapeutic effects by blocking the pain signals, causing the body to be immobile, and allowing the muscles to relax. (Sheng et al., 2021) Electroacupuncture combined with other therapies like physical therapy can help stretch and strengthen the surrounding back muscles and ligaments to reduce the aggravating pain affecting mobility and make many people more mindful of what motions are causing low back pain. When people start making small or big changes to their health and wellness, they will begin to notice how they carry themselves while preventing the same repetitive motions that are causing their lower back issues and living healthier lives. 

 


References

Becker, B. A., & Childress, M. A. (2019). Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Return To Work. American Family Physician, 100(11), 697-703. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31790184

www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/1201/p697.pdf

Francescato Torres, S., Brandt de Macedo, A. C., Dias Antunes, M., Merllin Batista de Souza, I., Dimitre Rodrigo Pereira Santos, F., de Sousa do Espirito Santo, A., Ribeiro Jacob, F., Torres Cruz, A., de Oliveira Januario, P., & Pasqual Marques, A. (2019). Effects of electroacupuncture frequencies on chronic low back pain in older adults: triple-blind, 12-months protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 20(1), 762. doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3813-6

Hauser, R. A., Matias, D., Woznica, D., Rawlings, B., & Woldin, B. A. (2022). Lumbar instability as an etiology of low back pain and its treatment by prolotherapy: A review. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil, 35(4), 701-712. doi.org/10.3233/BMR-210097

Kong, J. T. (2020). Electroacupuncture for Treating Chronic Low-Back Pain: Preliminary Research Results. Med Acupunct, 32(6), 396-397. doi.org/10.1089/acu.2020.1495

Sheng, X., Yue, H., Zhang, Q., Chen, D., Qiu, W., Tang, J., Fan, T., Gu, J., Jiang, B., Qiu, M., & Chen, L. (2021). Efficacy of electroacupuncture in patients with failed back surgery syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 22(1), 702. doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05652-4

Sung, W. S., Park, J. R., Park, K., Youn, I., Yeum, H. W., Kim, S., Choi, J., Cho, Y., Hong, Y., Park, Y., Kim, E. J., & Nam, D. (2021). The effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture for nonspecific chronic low back pain: A protocol for systematic review and/or meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), 100(4), e24281. doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000024281

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Gain Control Over Chronic Low Back Pain with Nonsurgical Therapeutics

Gain Control Over Chronic Low Back Pain with Nonsurgical Therapeutics

Can nonsurgical therapeutic options help individuals with chronic low back pain find the relief they are looking for to restore body function?

Introduction

Between the upper, middle, and lower back portions of the musculoskeletal system, many individuals have succumbed to traumatic injuries, repetitive motions, and overlapping environmental risk profiles that cause pain and disability, thus affecting their everyday routine. As one of the most common work conditions, back pain can cause individuals to deal with socio-economic burdens and can range from acute to chronic, depending on the injuries and factors that correlate with this issue. As part of the musculoskeletal system, the back has various muscles in the three quadrants that support the upper and lower extremities and have an outstanding relationship with the spine as each muscle group surrounds the spine and protects the spinal cord. When environmental factors and traumatic injuries start to cause pain-like symptoms in the back, it can put a person in excruciating pain, hence why many seek non-surgical treatments to reduce the pain-like effects of back pain and find the relief they are seeking. Today’s article looks at the impact of chronic low back pain and how non-surgical treatments can positively affect individuals dealing with chronic low back pain. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to provide numerous non-surgical treatment options to minimize chronic lower back pain affecting their extremities. We also inform and guide patients on how various non-surgical treatments can benefit their health and wellness as they can help reduce musculoskeletal conditions like chronic back pain. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricated and important questions about their chronic low back pain and what small changes they can incorporate to reduce its pain-like symptoms. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., includes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

 

The Impact Of Chronic Low Back Pain

Do you constantly feel severe muscle aches or pains in your back after an excruciating long workday? Do you experience muscle tiredness from your back to your legs after carrying a heavy object? Or have you noticed that twisting or turning motions temporarily relieve your lower back, only to worsen after a while? Often, many of these pain-like scenarios are correlated with chronic low back pain, and it can be due to the various factors that correlate with this common musculoskeletal condition. When it comes to musculoskeletal conditions associated with chronic low back pain, they are prevalent while their impact is pervasive. To that point, they affect many individuals as they are the number one most common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability. (Woolf & Pfleger, 2003) Since back pain can be either acute or chronic, it can become multifactorial as many other pain symptoms tend to cause overlapping risk profiles in the body. The impact of chronic low back pain has underlying pathological causes that are not well-defined but can be related to psychosocial dysfunction. (Andersson, 1999)

 

 

Additionally, degenerative changes within the spine can also cause an impact on the development of chronic lower back pain. The risk factors that cause overlapping risk profiles can range from smoking and obesity to various occupations that require excessive motions. (Atkinson, 2004) When that happens, it causes people to have unnecessary stress that impacts their lives and causes them to be miserable. This is where many individuals start seeking treatment to reduce the effects of chronic lower back pain and reduce the chances of seeking surgical intervention. 

 


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Non-Surgical Treatments For Chronic Back Pain

When people deal with chronic lower back pain, many often don’t realize that various motions, ages, and pathologies can modify the spine, causing the spinal discs to go through degenerative changes that correspond to the development of chronic lower back pain. (Benoist, 2003) When degenerative changes start to cause pain-like symptoms in the back, many will begin looking for affordable and effective treatments. Hence, this is why non-surgical treatments can help reduce the pain-like symptoms of chronic lower back pain and help restore body mobility. Non-surgical treatments are personalized to the person’s pain and range from acupuncture to massage therapy and spinal decompression. Non-surgical treatments are also affordable and help reduce the overlapping risk profiles of chronic low back pain while reducing its associated conditions.

 

Spinal Decompression Effects On Chronic Low Back Pain

 

Spinal decompression, as stated before, is a form of non-surgical treatment that incorporates mechanical gentle traction on the spine to alleviate chronic low back pain and can reduce the pain-like symptoms associated with it. Spinal decompression helps reduce the friction of the lumbar muscles, affecting the lumbar spine but also provides pain relief and body function. (Choi et al., 2022) Spinal decompression is safe while being gentle on the spine, combined with stabilization exercises to enhance intra-abdominal pressure and spinal ability to the lumbar. (Hlaing et al., 2021) When a person incorporates spinal decompression as part of their health and wellness journey, their pain and disability will lower over time while strengthening weakened muscles that were affected by chronic lower back pain. Incorporating these non-surgical treatments can help a person be more mindful of the environmental impact they are inflicting on their backs and live a better and healthier life.

 


References

Andersson, G. B. (1999). Epidemiological features of chronic low-back pain. Lancet, 354(9178), 581-585. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(99)01312-4

Atkinson, J. H. (2004). Chronic back pain: searching for causes and cures. J Rheumatol, 31(12), 2323-2325. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15570628

www.jrheum.org/content/jrheum/31/12/2323.full.pdf

Benoist, M. (2003). Natural history of the aging spine. Eur Spine J, 12 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), S86-89. doi.org/10.1007/s00586-003-0593-0

Choi, E., Gil, H. Y., Ju, J., Han, W. K., Nahm, F. S., & Lee, P. B. (2022). Effect of Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression on Intensity of Pain and Herniated Disc Volume in Subacute Lumbar Herniated Disc. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 2022, 6343837. doi.org/10.1155/2022/6343837

Hlaing, S. S., Puntumetakul, R., Khine, E. E., & Boucaut, R. (2021). Effects of core stabilization exercise and strengthening exercise on proprioception, balance, muscle thickness and pain related outcomes in patients with subacute nonspecific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 22(1), 998. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04858-6

Woolf, A. D., & Pfleger, B. (2003). Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions. Bull World Health Organ, 81(9), 646-656. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14710506

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2572542/pdf/14710506.pdf

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Leg Back Pain Relieved: An In-Depth Guide to Decompression

Leg Back Pain Relieved: An In-Depth Guide to Decompression

Can individuals with leg and back pain find the relief by incorporating decompression to reduce pain-like associated symptoms?

Introduction

The lower extremities help stabilize the upper body’s weight and provide movement to the individual. The lower body portions include the lower back, pelvis, hips, thighs, legs, and feet, as they all have specific jobs to do and have an outstanding relationship with each other. However, their lower back and legs are susceptible to injuries. When environmental factors or injuries start to cause issues in the musculoskeletal system, it can lead to referred pain and overlapping risk profiles that can cause a person to have mobility and stability issues. The affected muscles, tissues, ligaments, and nerve roots can become irritated, weak, and tight when environmental factors start to compress the spine and lead to pain over time. Today’s article looks at how the back and legs work together in the body, how they are impacted by pain from environmental factors, and how spinal decompression can reduce leg and back pain. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to provide numerous treatments to minimize back and leg pain affecting their mobility. We also inform and guide patients on how treatments like decompression can help reduce pain-like symptoms within the legs and back. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricated and important questions about the referred pain-like symptoms they are experiencing from their legs and since that is disrupting their daily routine. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., incorporates this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

 

How The Back & Legs Work Together?

Do you feel radiating pain in your back that is affecting your ability to walk? Do you experience muscle aches or tiredness in your legs after a long workday? Or do you feel stiffness in your back and legs after waking up? Many of these scenarios are correlated with leg and back pain that can impact a person’s gait and lead to associated pain-like symptoms. The back and leg muscles work together through the sciatic nerve, a long nerve from the lumbar spinal region, past the gluteal muscles, traveling down the back of the legs and stopping at the knees. The back consists of the core muscles and the lumbar spinal region, allowing the person to bend, twist, and extend.

Meanwhile, the leg muscles help a person become mobile while stabilizing the person’s weight. These two muscle groups have an outstanding relationship in the lower extremities, as people need to be mobile when doing activities. However, they can also become vulnerable to injuries and pain that can cause disability issues.

 

How Pain Is Associated With The Back & Legs?

When it comes to the lower back and the legs, environmental factors and traumatic injuries can affect the surrounding muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerve roots. For example, when working individuals routinely lift heavy objects, it can increase the risk of developing lower back pain while causing whole-body vibrations in the legs. (Becker & Childress, 2019) This is because what the heavy loading object does to the lower back is that it causes the spine to be compressed and contract the surrounding muscle. When it is repeated constantly, it can cause the spinal disc to herniate and aggravate the nerve roots. When these nerve roots become aggravated, it can lead to nerve entrapment and inflammation, thus causing individuals to experience chronic leg pain, foot drop, or ankle stability that affects their mobility. (Fortier et al., 2021

 

Additionally, back and leg pain can even happen when the spine starts to experience degeneration, a natural process when the spinal disc shrinks over time. When the spinal disc in the lumbar spinal region degenerates over time, the nutrient supplies and changes in the extracellular composition cause the discs to be less capable of maintaining their load distribution function in the lower extremities. (Kim et al., 2020) However, many people who are experiencing leg and back pain can seek treatment to reduce the pain-like symptoms. 

 


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Spinal Decompression Reducing Pain On The Legs & Back

When it comes to treating leg and back pain, many individuals will start to seek affordable treatment that can reduce pain-like symptoms. Many non-surgical treatments like spinal decompression are excellent for reducing pain that is affecting the back and legs. Spinal decompression uses a traction machine that can help stretch out the tight muscles from the lower back and provide negative pressure to the affected disc by increasing the blood nutrient flow back to the disc while reducing pressure off the aggravated nerve root. (Choi et al., 2022) Spinal decompression can be combined with core stabilizing exercises that can help reduce pain and disability and improve stability in the legs and lower extremities. (Hlaing et al., 2021) With spinal decompression to reduce back and leg pain, many individuals can notice positive results after consecutive treatment, and their mobility is improved. (Vanti et al., 2021) When individuals who are experiencing leg and back pain and are looking for treatment can find the benefits of spinal decompression to be incorporated into their daily routine since it can be customizable and help them be more mindful of what movements and environmental factors are causing them pain. Making these small changes over time can improve their health and help them live healthier lives.

 


References

Becker, B. A., & Childress, M. A. (2019). Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Return To Work. American Family Physician, 100(11), 697-703. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31790184

www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/1201/p697.pdf

Choi, E., Gil, H. Y., Ju, J., Han, W. K., Nahm, F. S., & Lee, P. B. (2022). Effect of Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression on Intensity of Pain and Herniated Disc Volume in Subacute Lumbar Herniated Disc. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 2022, 6343837. doi.org/10.1155/2022/6343837

Fortier, L. M., Markel, M., Thomas, B. G., Sherman, W. F., Thomas, B. H., & Kaye, A. D. (2021). An Update on Peroneal Nerve Entrapment and Neuropathy. Orthop Rev (Pavia), 13(2), 24937. doi.org/10.52965/001c.24937

Hlaing, S. S., Puntumetakul, R., Khine, E. E., & Boucaut, R. (2021). Effects of core stabilization exercise and strengthening exercise on proprioception, balance, muscle thickness and pain related outcomes in patients with subacute nonspecific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 22(1), 998. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04858-6

Kim, H. S., Wu, P. H., & Jang, I. T. (2020). Lumbar Degenerative Disease Part 1: Anatomy and Pathophysiology of Intervertebral Discogenic Pain and Radiofrequency Ablation of Basivertebral and Sinuvertebral Nerve Treatment for Chronic Discogenic Back Pain: A Prospective Case Series and Review of Literature. Int J Mol Sci, 21(4). doi.org/10.3390/ijms21041483

Vanti, C., Turone, L., Panizzolo, A., Guccione, A. A., Bertozzi, L., & Pillastrini, P. (2021). Vertical traction for lumbar radiculopathy: a systematic review. Arch Physiother, 11(1), 7. doi.org/10.1186/s40945-021-00102-5

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Understanding the Benefits of Acupuncture for Low Back Pain

Understanding the Benefits of Acupuncture for Low Back Pain

Can individuals dealing with low back pain find the relief they are looking for by incorporating acupuncture to reduce muscle spasms?

Introduction

Around the world, many individuals, young and old, have dealt with low back pain, which has an impact on their lives and affects their routines. Since low back pain is a multifactorial musculoskeletal issue, it can range from acute to chronic, depending on the severity and environmental factors that are in play. The lower back or the lumbar spinal region has thicker joints and helps stabilize the upper body portion’s weight. However, it is more susceptible to injury, and it causes the surrounding ligaments, soft tissues, and muscles to be overstretched, tight, and weak. When a person is in excruciating pain from the effects of low back pain, it can impact their day and cause them to be miserable. Today’s article focuses on how lower back pain is associated with pain-like symptoms like muscle spasms and how treatments like acupuncture can help reduce muscle spasms associated with lower back pain. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to provide numerous treatments to relieve low back pain correlated with muscle spasms. We also inform and guide patients on how treatments like acupuncture can help minimize the pain in their lower back. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricated and important questions about the referred pain-like symptoms they are experiencing from low back pain that is affecting their daily routine. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., incorporates this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

 

Low Back Pain Associated With Muscle Spasms

Do you feel radiating or localized pain in your lower back after a long workday? Do you feel stiffness in your lower back region after stretching in the morning? Or have you noticed you are more tense in the different areas of your back and looking for relief? While it is a common problem that many people experience, low back pain can occur to many individuals worldwide and can significantly impact a person. As a major public health concern, low back pain globally transcends through ages, occupations, and socio-economic backgrounds, causing pain-like symptoms to develop over time. (Emorinken et al., 2023) Numerous factors can lead to low back pain and the symptoms that can occur in the lumbar region. Since low back pain can affect many individuals worldwide, this musculoskeletal condition can cause activity limitations in people. It can progressively increase spine degeneration, affecting the joints, bones, and discs. (Hauser et al., 2022) Some of the symptoms that correlate with low back pain include:

  • Stiffness
  • Gait instability
  • Numbing or tingling sensations in the extremities
  • Myofascial referred pain
  • Muscle spasms

 

 

The painful effects of low back pain can cause muscle spasms in the lumbar region as many people continuously make repetitive motions that cause the surrounding muscles to become overworked and develop trigger points to cause muscle spasms. When a person goes to a doctor to treat their lower back pain, they undergo a physical examination to evaluate their lower extremities’ strength, sensation, and reflexes. These examinations help doctors determine the proper protocol for low back pain through inspection, palpation, and range of motion of the lumbosacral musculature to identify point tenderness, restriction, and muscle spasms. (Will et al., 2018) These identity markers allow doctors to devise a personalized plan to reduce the effects of low back pain and help individuals regain their health.

 


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Acupuncture Effects On Low Back Pain

When people with back pain are looking for treatment, they are looking for something affordable and can work with their busy schedule. Hence, non-surgical treatments could be the answer to reducing low back pain. Numerous non-surgical treatments can help individuals with specific pain-like symptoms that correlate with various factors. Each treatment, from chiropractic care to traction therapy, is personalized for the individual. Now, one of the oldest forms of non-surgical treatment is acupuncture. Originating from China, acupuncture incorporates solid thin needles at specific body points to balance the energy flow in the body that highly trained professionals perform. The effects of acupuncture can help stimulate the release of adenosine at the sight of needle stimulation while increasing local blood flow to the affected area to promote natural healing. (Mu et al., 2020) So, how does acupuncture help individuals reduce low back pain? 

 

 

Since low back pain can cause a socio-economic burden many people are affected by, acupuncture can help reduce pain and disability in the affected muscle areas while improving the person’s quality of life. (Baroncini et al., 2022) Acupuncture for low back pain benefits individuals by releasing endorphins and other neurohumoral factors that change brain and spinal cord processing. At the same time, acupuncture can also increase microcirculation and reduce the inflammatory effects of low back pain. (Sudhakaran, 2021) Acupuncture can also be part of a person’s personalized treatment plan, as physical and massage therapy can help strengthen the affected muscles caused by low back pain. When people dealing with low back pain are finally getting the relief they need, they can get their quality of life back through small changes to better themselves. This allows them to be more mindful of the various factors that can cause their bodies pain and prevent them from returning over time.


References

Baroncini, A., Maffulli, N., Eschweiler, J., Molsberger, F., Klimuch, A., & Migliorini, F. (2022). Acupuncture in chronic aspecific low back pain: a Bayesian network meta-analysis. J Orthop Surg Res, 17(1), 319. doi.org/10.1186/s13018-022-03212-3

Emorinken, A., Erameh, C. O., Akpasubi, B. O., Dic-Ijiewere, M. O., & Ugheoke, A. J. (2023). Epidemiology of low back pain: frequency, risk factors, and patterns in South-South Nigeria. Reumatologia, 61(5), 360-367. doi.org/10.5114/reum/173377

Hauser, R. A., Matias, D., Woznica, D., Rawlings, B., & Woldin, B. A. (2022). Lumbar instability as an etiology of low back pain and its treatment by prolotherapy: A review. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil, 35(4), 701-712. doi.org/10.3233/BMR-210097

Mu, J., Furlan, A. D., Lam, W. Y., Hsu, M. Y., Ning, Z., & Lao, L. (2020). Acupuncture for chronic nonspecific low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 12(12), CD013814. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013814

Sudhakaran, P. (2021). Acupuncture for Low-Back Pain. Med Acupunct, 33(3), 219-225. doi.org/10.1089/acu.2020.1499

Will, J. S., Bury, D. C., & Miller, J. A. (2018). Mechanical Low Back Pain. American Family Physician, 98(7), 421-428. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30252425

www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2018/1001/p421.pdf

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