Dr. Alex Jmenez, Chiropractor Discusses: Spinal Decompression Therapies, Protocols, Rehabilitation and Advance Treatments Care Plans
At our offices, we offer conservative care for degenerative spinal conditions, including several treatment modalities. Thus, the traction distinguishes as it can elicit the body’s protective proprioceptive response to distraction, reducing intradiscal pressure and minimizing symptoms secondary to disc herniation and axial pain.
Our integrative treatments aim to determine the clinical effects of a short treatment course of motorized axial spinal decompression for patients with pain and physical impairment caused by either lumbar or cervical degenerative disc pathology with no immediate surgical indication.
Conservative care for mid to long-term degenerative spinal conditions with axial and irradiated pain generally includes pharmacological treatment, physical rehabilitation, or injections. Mechanical traction is an old treatment modality, which has been decreased in use facing other modern technologies or utilized in combination with other treatment modalities, such as manual therapy, exercises, heat, or electrotherapy. We, too, offer advanced spinal treatment workshops and boot camps to help educate patients on the dynamics of spinal hygiene.
Our patients get treated for chronic radicular axial spinal pain. This is a referred pain in the spinal axial skeleton and is considered a syndrome with both nociceptive and neuropathic pain components. Patients report improvement in symptoms with a reduction of the axial load in the spine.
Previous studies have shown a decrease of pressure in the intervertebral disc after traction, unloading of the spinal structure, and alleviating the inflammatory reaction of the nerve roots. Here, we present our patients’ literature and scientific background information to make educated decisions about the advanced spinal decompression protocols.
If you’re looking for a non-surgical solution for your persistent back or leg pain, you may want to try spinal decompression therapy. Unlike invasive or laparoscopic surgeries, spinal decompression does not require the patient to go under the knife. Instead, the patient’s spine is stretched to relieve back and leg pain. The goal of spinal decompression is to create an ideal healing environment for the affected areas.
This treatment is typically used for:
Bulging discs
Degenerating discs
Herniated discs
Call us today to schedule your first appointment! Our team in El Paso is happy to help.
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.
Chiropractic Care For Leg Instability- Video
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
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
Can working individuals dealing with degenerative pain syndrome incorporate decompression to provide body relief and mobility?
Introduction
As part of the musculoskeletal system, the spine allows the body to stand vertically and helps protect the spinal cord from injuries. Since the central nervous system provides neuron signals from the brain to the nerve roots, the human body can be mobile without pain or discomfort. This is due to the spinal discs between the facet joints, which can be compressed, absorb the vertical axial pressure, and help distribute the weight to the lower and upper extremity muscles. However, as many people realize, repetitive movements and wear and tear on the spinal structure can lead to overlapping risk profiles that can cause the spinal disc to degenerate and invoke pain in the musculoskeletal system. To that point, it can cause the individual to be in extreme pain and discomfort over time. Today’s article looks at how degenerative pain syndrome affects the spine, the symptoms it’s associated with, and how decompression can reduce degenerative pain syndrome. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to provide numerous treatments to relieve degenerative pain syndrome that is causing mobility issues on the spine. We also inform and guide patients on how decompression can help reduce the pain-like symptoms correlating with degenerative pain syndrome. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricated and important questions about the referred pain-like symptoms they are experiencing from degenerative pain that is affecting their quality of life. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., incorporates this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.
Degenerative Pain Syndrome On The Spine
Do you feel muscle aches or pains in your back after an extended period of lying down, sitting, or standing? Do you feel constant pain after carrying a heavy object from one location to another? Or does twisting or turning your torso provide temporary relief? Many people often don’t realize that many of these pain-like issues are associated with degenerative pain syndrome that affects the spine. Since the body ages naturally, the spine does as well through degeneration. When the spinal discs start to degenerate, it can cause the vertical axial pressure to flatten and squeeze the disc, disrupting its ability to keep hydrated and causing it to protrude out of its original position. At the same time, the height of the spinal disc will gradually fall, and the consequence is a change in dynamics in the affected spine segments. (Kos et al., 2019) Degeneration can cascade down to the surrounding ligaments, muscles, and joints when degeneration starts to affect the spine.
The Symptoms Associated With Degenerative Pain
When the surrounding joints, muscles, and ligaments are affected by degenerative disc pain, it can be due to multiple factors contributing to the pain-like symptoms. Inflammation is one of the symptoms that are associated with degenerative pain syndrome, as disturbances can affect the circadian rhythm and disrupt homeostasis, which then leads to increased stress on the spinal disc, which then contributes to the degenerative process. (Chao-Yang et al., 2021) Inflammation can cause the affected muscles to be inflamed and cause more overlapping risk profiles, as it can affect the upper and lower extremities. Additionally, mechanical loading may affect disc degeneration in various ways at the different vertebral levels. (Salo et al., 2022) This can lead to pain-like symptoms like:
Arm and leg tenderness
Nerve pain
Loss of sensory functions on the upper and lower extremities
Tingling sensations
Muscle pain
However, numerous treatments can help restore spinal mobility and lessen the painful effects of the degenerative pain syndrome of the spine.
The Non-Surgical Approach To Wellness- Video
When it comes to seeking treatment for degenerative pain syndrome, many individuals will do research on which treatment is affordable for their pain, hence why many people opt for non-surgical treatment to alleviate their pain. Non-surgical treatments are customized to the individual’s pain. They can help kickstart the person’s wellness journey, which can include a combination of exercise, manual therapy, and lifestyle modifications. (Brogger et al., 2018) The video above shows how a non-surgical approach can benefit someone with degenerative pain syndrome affecting their spine.
Decompression Reducing Degenerative Pain Syndrome
With many available treatments to reduce pain-like symptoms affecting the spine, non-surgical treatments can be an option. Ranging from chiropractic care to acupuncture, non-surgical treatments can be combined to minimize the pain-like effects. Decompression, as part of the non-surgical treatment options, is an excellent way to reduce the degenerative pain process in the spine. Decompression allows the spinal column to be gently pulled through a traction machine to relieve the spinal disc. When a traction machine decomposes the spine, the pain intensity is significantly reduced in all body parts. (Ljunggren et al., 1984) This is due to negative pressure being reinstated back to the spine to increase disc height and restore the nutrients back to the affected disc and rehydrate them. (Choi et al., 2022) When people start incorporating decompression through consecutive treatment, their pain intensity is reduced, and their spine is mobile again while slowing down the degenerative process on the spine. This allows them to take better care of their bodies by making small changes in their health and wellness.
References
Brogger, H. A., Maribo, T., Christensen, R., & Schiottz-Christensen, B. (2018). Comparative effectiveness and prognostic factors for outcome of surgical and non-surgical management of lumbar spinal stenosis in an elderly population: protocol for an observational study. BMJ Open, 8(12), e024949. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024949
Chao-Yang, G., Peng, C., & Hai-Hong, Z. (2021). Roles of NLRP3 inflammasome in intervertebral disc degeneration. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 29(6), 793-801. doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2021.02.204
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, 1-9. doi.org/10.1155/2022/6343837
Kos, N., Gradisnik, L., & Velnar, T. (2019). A Brief Review of the Degenerative Intervertebral Disc Disease. Med Arch, 73(6), 421-424. doi.org/10.5455/medarh.2019.73.421-424
Ljunggren, A. E., Weber, H., & Larsen, S. (1984). Autotraction versus manual traction in patients with prolapsed lumbar intervertebral discs. Scand J Rehabil Med, 16(3), 117-124. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6494835
Salo, S., Hurri, H., Rikkonen, T., Sund, R., Kroger, H., & Sirola, J. (2022). Association between severe lumbar disc degeneration and self-reported occupational physical loading. J Occup Health, 64(1), e12316. doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12316
Can individuals dealing with hip pain, find the relief they are looking for from spinal decompression to reduce their sciatica pain?
Introduction
When it comes to individuals doing everyday movements, the body can be in weird positions without pain or discomfort. Hence, people can stand or sit for prolonged periods and feel all right when doing strenuous activities. However, as the body ages, the surrounding muscles and ligaments can become weak and tight, while the spinal joints and discs start to be compressed and wear and tear. This is because many individuals make repetitive motions on their bodies that cause pain-like symptoms in the back, hips, neck, and body extremities, leading to referred pain in different body locations. When individuals are experiencing musculoskeletal pain in their bodies, it can cause overlapping risk profiles that can hinder the individual and cause them to be miserable. Additionally, when people experience musculoskeletal pain in their bodies, many will seek treatment to reduce the referred pain-like symptoms associated with the musculoskeletal pain. Today’s article will examine one type of musculoskeletal pain on the hips, how it can cause sciatica pain-like problems, and how treatments like decompression can reduce the pain-like effects of hip pain correlated with sciatica. We talk with certified medical providers who consolidate our patients’ information to provide numerous treatments to relieve hip pain associated with sciatica. We also inform and guide patients on how decompression can help reduce pain-like symptoms like sciatica and restore hip mobility. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricated and important questions about the pain-like symptoms they are experiencing from hip pain. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., incorporates this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.
Hip Pain Associated With Sciatica
Do you often experience stiffness in your lower back and hips after sitting down for an excessive period? How about feeling radiating pain running down from your lower back to your legs? Or do you think your hip and thigh muscles become tight and weak, which is affecting your gait stability? Many individuals experiencing these pain-like issues are experiencing hip pain, and it can be an issue when it is not treated over time. Since hip pain is a common and disabling condition that is challenging to diagnose, many individuals often express localized pain in one of the three anatomic regions: the anterior, posterior, and lateral hip sections. (Wilson & Furukawa, 2014) When individuals are dealing with hip pain, they will also experience referred pain in their lower backs, which causes them to be in distress and miserable. At the same time, simple ordinary movements like sitting or standing can affect the muscles and ligaments surrounding the hips and can be damaging. This can cause hip pain to be referred from the lumbar spine and spine problems, which then cause musculoskeletal issues in the lower extremities. (Lee et al., 2018)
So, how would hip pain be associated with sciatica and causing pain in many lower extremities? The hip areas in the musculoskeletal system have numerous muscles surrounding the pelvic bone area that can become tight and weak, causing referred musculoskeletal pain from intrapelvic and gynecologic issues. (Chamberlain, 2021) This means that musculoskeletal disorders like piriformis syndromes associated with hip pain can lead to sciatica. The sciatic nerve travels down from the lumbar region and the buttocks and behind the leg. When a person is dealing with sciatica and is going to their primary doctor to get treated for the pain, their doctors will do a physical examination to see what factors are causing the pain. Some of the common findings during a physical exam were tenderness and palpation of the greater sciatic notch and the reproduction of pain along the hips. (Son & Lee, 2022) This causes associated symptoms that correlate with sciatica and hip pain, including:
Tingling/numbing sensations
Muscle tenderness
Pain while sitting or standing
Discomfort
Is Motion The Key To Healing- Video
Spinal Decompression Reducing Hip Pain
However, many individuals will find non-surgical treatments to help reduce sciatica associated with hip pain. Non-surgical treatments are customized to a person’s pain and are cost-effective while being gentle on the spine. Spinal decompression can help reduce hip pain associated with sciatica. Decompression on the spine allows gentle traction to stretch out weak muscles along the lower back and hips while the spinal discs are experiencing negative pressure. When a person is dealing with sciatica pain associated with hip pain and trying decompression for the first time, they are provided with the relief they deserve. (Crisp et al., 1955)
Additionally, many individuals who incorporate decompression for their hip pain can begin to feel its effects as it helps improve blood flow circulation back to the hips to start the natural healing process. (Hua et al., 2019) When people begin incorporating decompression for their hip pain, they can relax as they feel all their aches and pain gradually disappear as mobility and rotation are back on the lower extremities.
References
Chamberlain, R. (2021). Hip Pain in Adults: Evaluation and Differential Diagnosis. American Family Physician, 103(2), 81-89. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33448767
Crisp, E. J., Cyriax, J. H., & Christie, B. G. (1955). Discussion on the treatment of backache by traction. Proc R Soc Med, 48(10), 805-814. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13266831
Hua, K. C., Yang, X. G., Feng, J. T., Wang, F., Yang, L., Zhang, H., & Hu, Y. C. (2019). The efficacy and safety of core decompression for the treatment of femoral head necrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Orthop Surg Res, 14(1), 306. doi.org/10.1186/s13018-019-1359-7
Lee, Y. J., Kim, S. H., Chung, S. W., Lee, Y. K., & Koo, K. H. (2018). Causes of Chronic Hip Pain Undiagnosed or Misdiagnosed by Primary Physicians in Young Adult Patients: a Retrospective Descriptive Study. J Korean Med Sci, 33(52), e339. doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e339
Son, B. C., & Lee, C. (2022). Piriformis Syndrome (Sciatic Nerve Entrapment) Associated With Type C Sciatic Nerve Variation: A Report of Two Cases and Literature Review. Korean J Neurotrauma, 18(2), 434-443. doi.org/10.13004/kjnt.2022.18.e29
Wilson, J. J., & Furukawa, M. (2014). Evaluation of the patient with hip pain. American Family Physician, 89(1), 27-34. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24444505
Can individuals with osteoarthritis incorporate spinal decompression therapy to restore spinal mobility and quality of life?
Introduction
As the body ages, so does the spine, as the spinal disc between the joints and the bones starts dehydrating from constant compression through repetitive motions. The many environmental factors contributing to this degenerative disorder can vary within the person and lead to arthritic conditions within the upper and lower extremities. One of the most common types of arthritis is osteoarthritis, and it can affect many people worldwide. Dealing with osteoarthritis in their joints can cause numerous pain-like symptoms that correlate with other body conditions, causing referred pain. However, many treatments can help slow the process of osteoarthritis and relieve the body from the pain-like symptoms of the joints. Today’s article looks at how osteoarthritis affects spinal mobility and how treatments can restore spinal mobility from the effects of osteoarthritis. We talk with certified medical providers who utilize our patients’ information to provide various treatments to reduce the impact of osteoarthritis on the joints. We also inform patients how multiple treatments can help slow down the degenerative process of osteoarthritis. We encourage our patients to ask their associated medical providers intricated and important questions about the pain-like symptoms they are experiencing from osteoarthritis. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., incorporates this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.
How Does Osteoarthritis Affect Spinal Mobility?
Have you noticed morning stiffness after a good night’s rest? Do you feel tenderness in your joints after some light pressure? Or do you feel limited mobility in your joints, causing a restricted range of motion? Many of these pain-like scenarios are correlated with osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disorder that has affected many individuals, including older adults. As stated earlier, when the body ages, so do the joints, bones, and spine. Regarding osteoarthritis, the joints will degenerate through natural wear and tear around the cartilage. Osteoarthritis affects multiple joints like the hips and knees, which are the most common, and the spine, and causes numerous sensory-motor dysfunctions. (Yao et al., 2023) When the cartilage around the affected joints starts to deteriorate, the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis causes a disturbed cytokine balance of the proinflammatory cytokines to initiate a vicious cycle that causes cartilage and other intra-articular structure damage around the joint. (Molnar et al., 2021) What this does is that when osteoarthritis starts to affect the joints, it can lead to numerous referred pain-like symptoms.
However, although osteoarthritis can affect the joints, naturally, numerous environmental factors do play a part in the development of osteoarthritis. Physical inactivity, obesity, bone deformities, and joint injuries are some of the causes that can progress the degenerative process. The symptoms that are associated with these environmental factors include:
Pain
Joint stiffness
Tenderness
Inflammation
Swelling
Grating sensation
Bone spurs
Many individuals dealing with pain-like symptoms caused by osteoarthritis will explain to their primary doctors that the pain varies in duration, depth, type of occurrence, impact, and rhythm. This is because the pain from osteoarthritis is complex and multifactorial. (Wood et al., 2022) However, many individuals can look for the help they need to reduce the pain-like issues caused by osteoarthritis through treatments that can slow down the degenerative progress.
An In-depth Look At Spinal Decompression-Video
When it comes to seeking treatment to reduce the effects of osteoarthritis, many individuals seek out treatments that are cost-effective and safe for older individuals. Non-surgical treatments could be the solution many individuals seek to reduce the progress of osteoarthritis. When people experiencing osteoarthritis go to non-surgical treatments, they find out that the pain is decreased, their range of motion is increased, and their physical function has improved. (Alkhawajah & Alshami, 2019) At the same time, non-surgical treatments can be combined with other therapies to the individual’s personalized treatment plan. No-surgical treatments can range from chiropractic care to spinal decompression as they work on gently realigning the spine through traction and help reduce joint and muscle pain. The video above gives an in-depth look at spinal decompression and how it can benefit individuals who are in pain.
Spinal Decompression Restoring Spinal Mobility From Osteoarthritis
Since spinal decompression is a form of non-surgical treatment, it can help slow down the process of osteoarthritis. Spinal decompression incorporates traction to gently pull on the spine, allowing the discs and joints to be lubricated and permitting the natural healing process to occur. This is because the surrounding muscles that protect the joints are being stretched gently and the vertebral disc space is being increased to allow the disc to be rehydrated and the protrusion to recede back to its original position. (Cyriax, 1950) Spinal decompression can help slow down the degenerative process of osteoarthritis, and when combined with physical therapy, the surrounding muscles, tissues, and ligaments are strengthened.
In contrast, joint and spinal mobility and flexibility are increased. Spinal decompression can also help many individuals reduce their chances of surgery, as consecutive sessions can help provide pain relief and functional improvement to the spine. (Choi et al., 2022) When people regain their spinal mobility back to their bodies from spinal decompression, they can make small changes in their daily routine to slow down the degenerative process of osteoarthritis.
References
Alkhawajah, H. A., & Alshami, A. M. (2019). The effect of mobilization with movement on pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 20(1), 452. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-019-2841-4
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
Molnar, V., Matisic, V., Kodvanj, I., Bjelica, R., Jelec, Z., Hudetz, D., Rod, E., Cukelj, F., Vrdoljak, T., Vidovic, D., Staresinic, M., Sabalic, S., Dobricic, B., Petrovic, T., Anticevic, D., Boric, I., Kosir, R., Zmrzljak, U. P., & Primorac, D. (2021). Cytokines and Chemokines Involved in Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci, 22(17). doi.org/10.3390/ijms22179208
Wood, M. J., Miller, R. E., & Malfait, A. M. (2022). The Genesis of Pain in Osteoarthritis: Inflammation as a Mediator of Osteoarthritis Pain. Clin Geriatr Med, 38(2), 221-238. doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2021.11.013
Yao, Q., Wu, X., Tao, C., Gong, W., Chen, M., Qu, M., Zhong, Y., He, T., Chen, S., & Xiao, G. (2023). Osteoarthritis: pathogenic signaling pathways and therapeutic targets. Signal Transduct Target Ther, 8(1), 56. doi.org/10.1038/s41392-023-01330-w
Can working individuals with low back pain incorporate nonsurgical treatments to reduce limited mobility and provide relief?
Introduction
Many working individuals will slowly develop low back pain due to excessive standing or sitting, physical demands that cause them to lift heavy objects, or improper footwear that causes them to be imbalanced. Since the spine is part of the musculoskeletal system, the spinal discs in the lumbar region are the most susceptible to being compressed. They can be one of the issues why many individuals tend to develop lower back pain. Low back pain is common for working individuals and is a multifactorial musculoskeletal disorder that causes many working people to miss out on work. However, many people with low back pain often seek treatment to reduce the pain and help them get back to work. Today’s article looks at the causes of low back pain and how nonsurgical treatments can help reduce low back pain and restore mobility to the body. We speak with certified medical providers who incorporate our patients’ information to provide various treatments to ease low back pain. We also inform patients how nonsurgical treatments can help restore mobility to the body while giving numerous techniques to reduce the chances of low back pain returning. We encourage our patients to ask intricated questions to our associated medical providers about the pain-like symptoms they are experiencing correlating with their backs. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.
The Causes For Low Back Pain
Do you feel stiffness in your lower back after a hard workday? Do you experience muscle aches or pain in your lower back after picking up a heavy object? Or do you experience limited mobility and stiffness over time after excessive standing or sitting at your job? Many individuals in these pain-like scenarios have experienced low back pain at some point in their lives, and it has impacted them to miss out on work. Since many people worldwide have experienced low back pain at some point in their lives, it has become a common problem that has become the leading cause of disability and is often associated with high cost. (Chou, 2021) Low back pain is a multifactorial condition that is specific or non-specific depending on the severity of the person’s experience. Non-specific low back pain often refers to when there isn’t a particular disease or structural reason for the pain to occur. This causes many people to go into early retirement due to losing their ability to work and become a socio-economic burden when seeking treatment. (Chenot et al., 2017) Specific low back pain is due to repetitive trauma and overusing the surrounding muscles that can cause the spine and spinal disc to be constantly compressed. This causes musculoskeletal pain symptoms and affects the rest of the lower extremities. (Will et al., 2018)
Some of the causes that low back pain is associated with can range from normal environmental factors to traumatic injuries that many working individuals have endured. Since low back pain is one of the leading causes of lost workdays around the world, some of the common causes that are contributed to low back pain include:
Mechanical strain
Obesity
Poor body mechanics
Trauma
Repetitive motions (twisting, bending, or lifting)
Herniated disc
Spinal stenosis
These pain-like causes can affect the upper and lower extremities and, when not being treated, lead to pain-like symptoms from radiating pain to limited mobility. However, when many people decide that enough is enough and want to get the treatment they need, they will seek out something that is not only affordable but can reduce the pain while restoring mobility.
The Power Of Chiropractic Care-Video
Nonsurgical Treatments For Low Back Pain
When it comes to seeking treatment for low back pain, many individuals are looking for something that is not only cost-effective but can help reduce the pain-like symptoms associated with the lower back. Nonsurgical treatments can help reduce low back pain and are cost-effective for many individuals including working individuals. Treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic care, and spinal decompression have various techniques and methods to provide pain relief to many individuals dealing with low back pain. Knowing the prevalence of the multiple pathologies of low back pain, a detailed history, and physical examination maneuvers allow doctors to accurately and quickly classify the most common causes of low back pain. (Kinkade, 2007) This will give them a better understanding of what kind of low back pain treatment they need to restore mobility to their bodies.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is a nonsurgical treatment that incorporates manual and mechanical manipulation to realign the body out of subluxation from low back pain. Chiropractic care can be incorporated into a person’s health and wellness treatment plan as it can help improve pain and disability associated with low back pain. (Bussieres et al., 2018) Chiropractors combine various techniques to stretch and strengthen weak muscles around the lower back and reduce low back pain intensity and disability. (Vining et al., 2020) Chiropractic care can also work with other forms of therapies to reduce the chances of low back pain from returning.
Spinal Decompression
Spinal decompression is another form of nonsurgical treatment that can help the lumbar spine through gentle traction and help decompress affected spinal discs from causing mechanical back pain. Spinal decompression can also alleviate the referred pain-like symptoms from the nerve roots involved in the lumbar region while rehydrating herniated discs. Spinal decompression can also help many individuals have their lumbar range of motion back and improve their pain and endurance while restoring their quality of life. (Amjad et al., 2022) Just like chiropractic care, spinal decompression can be combined with other therapies to strengthen the surrounding muscles and ligaments.
Acupuncture
With low back pain being a common problem for many individuals, sometimes it could be due to aggravated nerve roots along the surrounding muscles that are causing referred trigger pain correlating with low back pain. When that happens, many individuals will seek out acupuncture to reduce the pain and improve their quality of life. (Baroncini et al., 2022) Acupuncture can reduce the inflammatory effects caused by inflammation associated with low back pain and can increase mobility in the sacroiliac joint to improve mobility. (Sudhakaran, 2021) Depending on the source of pain in the back, acupuncture can help reduce the pain and provide relief. Many individuals seeking treatment for their lower back can incorporate these treatments to improve their health and restore their quality of life.
References
Amjad, F., Mohseni-Bandpei, M. A., Gilani, S. A., Ahmad, A., & Hanif, A. (2022). Effects of non-surgical decompression therapy in addition to routine physical therapy on pain, range of motion, endurance, functional disability and quality of life versus routine physical therapy alone in patients with lumbar radiculopathy; a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 23(1), 255. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05196-x
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
Bussieres, A. E., Stewart, G., Al-Zoubi, F., Decina, P., Descarreaux, M., Haskett, D., Hincapie, C., Page, I., Passmore, S., Srbely, J., Stupar, M., Weisberg, J., & Ornelas, J. (2018). Spinal Manipulative Therapy and Other Conservative Treatments for Low Back Pain: A Guideline From the Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 41(4), 265-293. doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.12.004
Chenot, J. F., Greitemann, B., Kladny, B., Petzke, F., Pfingsten, M., & Schorr, S. G. (2017). Non-Specific Low Back Pain. Dtsch Arztebl Int, 114(51-52), 883-890. doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2017.0883
Vining, R., Long, C. R., Minkalis, A., Gudavalli, M. R., Xia, T., Walter, J., Coulter, I., & Goertz, C. M. (2020). Effects of Chiropractic Care on Strength, Balance, and Endurance in Active-Duty U.S. Military Personnel with Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med, 26(7), 592-601. doi.org/10.1089/acm.2020.0107
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
Can individuals dealing with neck and back pain find the relief they need from the effects of spinal decompression therapy?
Introduction
Across the world, many individuals deal with neck or back pain from excessive sitting or standing, poor posture, or lifting heavy objects that cause their spine and muscles to ache constantly. Since the body is in constant movement, the spine is being compressed through repetitive movement that can cause the spinal discs to pop out of their original position and aggravate the surrounding nerves to cause pain-like symptoms in the neck and back regions. Many people start to complain about their necks and backs hurting and feeling referred pain in different locations in the upper and lower body portions. This can range from acute to chronic, depending on the severity of the pain. When people are experiencing these musculoskeletal pain disorders in their bodies, many will seek treatment to alleviate the pain in their necks and backs to return to their daily routines. Hence why, treatments like spinal decompression can have a positive effect on providing the relief that many individuals deserve. Today’s article looks at why the neck and back in the human body are the most common pain areas many people endure and how spinal decompression can reduce neck and back pain. We speak with certified medical providers who incorporate our patients’ information to provide various techniques to relieve neck and back pain from the body. We also inform patients how treatments like decompression can reduce musculoskeletal pain disorders from the neck and back. We encourage our patients to ask intricated questions to our associated medical providers about the pain-like symptoms they are experiencing correlating with their neck and back. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.
Why Are The Neck & Back Common Pain Areas?
Do you feel muscle tension in your neck after being hunched on the computer or your phone for a long time? Do you feel aches and pains in your back after carrying or lifting a heavy object? Or do you feel tingling or numbness in your arms or legs? Many of these pain-like symptoms are often correlated with neck and back pain that can be a nuisance to many individuals. So why is it that the neck and back of the human body are the most common pain areas that many people worldwide endure? Many people with highly demanding jobs often perform normal movements repetitively, which causes stress on the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and joints, and the accessory muscles will begin to be overworked and tight. Neck and back pain are amongst the most common symptom-related complaints that contribute to high levels of lost workdays, disability, and health care use. (Corwell & Davis, 2020) This causes many individuals to have unwanted socio-economic stress when they visit their primary care doctors. Additionally, neck and back pain are non-neurologic causes in the musculoskeletal system; these can generate pain in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, spinal discs, articular cartilage, and bone. (Meleger & Krivickas, 2007) To that point, when neck and back pain are not treated right away, it can lead to correlating pain symptoms that can lead to a life of disability. Since the spine has multiple structures, from the neck to the lower back, when a person is in pain, it can lead to various pain generators that can cause some visceral pain. (Patel et al., 2015) Hence why, neck and back pain are multi-factorial and lead to numerous disorders.
When it comes to reducing neck and back pain from the body, many individuals will seek medical treatment to relieve themselves from the pain. However, many primary care doctors will assess their patients to determine what the root cause of their pain by taking notes of their daily routine. Many normal causes of neck and back pain can be due to:
Poor Posture
Stress
Physical Inactivity
Trauma/Injuries
Excessive sitting/standing
Lifting/carrying heavy objects
These causes can lead to a life of disability and affect a person’s quality of life; however, luckily, many individuals have researched and looked for treatment that is cost-effective and can help reduce the pain they are experiencing.
Understanding Academic Low Back Pain- Video
Do you feel aches and pains in your neck and back? Do you feel stress in your muscles that cause you to feel miserable? Or do you feel pain in your upper or lower body portions affecting your daily routine? Many of these scenarios correlate with neck and back pain, a common issue many individuals experience. If not treated right away, it can lead to a life of disability and, for working individuals, lose a day of work. However, many individuals seek cost-effective treatments that can help reduce the pain affecting their necks and back. Treatments like chiropractic care, traction therapy, massage therapy, and spinal decompression are all non-surgical, affordable, and can help reduce pain-like symptoms associated with neck and back pain. The video above explains the causes of academic low back pain and how non-surgical treatments like chiropractic care can work with additional therapies to prevent back and neck pain from returning. At the same time, when individuals begin to reduce their workload and educate themselves on what to do to avoid neck and back pain from returning, they can start feeling better. (Tyrdal et al., 2022)
The Effects Of Decompression On Neck & Back Pain
As part of the non-surgical treatments, spinal decompression can help many individuals dealing with neck and back pain. What spinal decompression does is incorporate gentle traction on the spine to decompress the affected spinal disc that can be associated with neck and back pain. When the spine is being treated with spinal decompression, the gravitational traction pull helps produce a greater disc space on the spine to decrease intradiscal pressure and pain. (Vanti et al., 2021) This allows all the nutrients and fluids to return to the spine and spinal discs while promoting the body’s natural healing process.
Additionally, many individuals with neck and back pain will begin to notice a huge reduction in their pain and disability through consecutive treatment. (Vanti et al., 2023) By incorporating healthy habits to reduce the chances of neck and back pain from returning, many individuals can make small changes to their daily routine. This allows them to have a positive outlook and continue their health and wellness journey.
References
Corwell, B. N., & Davis, N. L. (2020). The Emergent Evaluation and Treatment of Neck and Back Pain. Emerg Med Clin North Am, 38(1), 167-191. doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2019.09.007
Meleger, A. L., & Krivickas, L. S. (2007). Neck and back pain: musculoskeletal disorders. Neurol Clin, 25(2), 419-438. doi.org/10.1016/j.ncl.2007.01.006
Patel, V. B., Wasserman, R., & Imani, F. (2015). Interventional Therapies for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Focused Review (Efficacy and Outcomes). Anesth Pain Med, 5(4), e29716. doi.org/10.5812/aapm.29716
Tyrdal, M. K., Veierod, M. B., Roe, C., Natvig, B., Wahl, A. K., & Stendal Robinson, H. (2022). Neck and back pain: Differences between patients treated in primary and specialist health care. J Rehabil Med, 54, jrm00300. doi.org/10.2340/jrm.v54.363
Vanti, C., Saccardo, K., Panizzolo, A., Turone, L., Guccione, A. A., & Pillastrini, P. (2023). The effects of the addition of mechanical traction to physical therapy on low back pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc, 57(1), 3-16. doi.org/10.5152/j.aott.2023.21323
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
Can individuals incorporate decompression to reduce spinal disc pressure on their lower backs to restore their quality of life?
Introduction
The spine has a wonderful relationship with the human body as it is part of the musculoskeletal system. The spine has many components allow the body to be mobile and help stabilize the different muscle groups around the upper and lower portions. When the body is in motion, the spine starts to compress the spinal discs between the spinal column, which helps reduce the vertical axial load. Many people with highly demanding jobs will often use repetitive motions that cause the spinal disc to be constantly compressed. When the spinal disc starts to be continuously compressed, it can eventually crack over time from the immense pressure. It can aggravate the surrounding nerves that can cause referred pain-like symptoms in the upper and lower extremities. To that point, it can lead to a life of disability if it is not treated right away. Luckily, numerous treatments can help reduce the immense pressure from the spinal discs and reduce the pain-like symptoms from the upper and lower extremities. Today’s article looks at how spinal pressure affects the lower back and how decompression can help reduce spinal pressure on the lower back. We speak with certified medical providers who incorporate our patients’ information to provide various solutions to relieve spinal pressure on the spine. We also inform patients how treatments like decompression can reduce vertical axial pressure on the lower back. We encourage our patients to ask intricated and educational questions to our associated medical providers about the pain-like symptoms they are experiencing correlating with spinal pressure affecting their lower back. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.
How Does Spinal Pressure Affect The Lower Back?
Have you felt any muscle aches or stiffness in your lower back after bending down to pick up an object? What about feeling excruciating pain in your lower back that is radiating to your neck or your legs? Or do you feel pain in one location of your back that is not going away after rest? When many individuals are in pain, and home remedies are not providing the relief they deserve, they could be dealing with spinal pressure that is affecting their back. When people start to do repetitive motions to their bodies, the spinal disc will begin to crack and shrink depending on the environmental factor the pain is associated with.
Regarding spinal pressure in the lower back, the disc is thicker and the most susceptible to injury. When it comes to spinal pressure related to disc herniation, it can lead to many individuals dealing with lower back pain and can affect their quality of life. One of the symptoms of disc herniation that are correlated with spinal pressure is that the displacement of the spinal disc can cause pain and disability in the spine as a result of a traumatic injury or degenerative changes due to the natural aging process. (Chu et al., 2023) When working, individuals put constant pressure on their spines, which can speed up the development of lower back pain.
Additionally, when there is immense spinal pressure on the spine, many pain-like issues that individuals don’t normally have will begin to pop up. This is due to a focal displacement of the intervertebral disc material that is beyond the normal limit of the spine and compresses one or more nerve roots, which can cause musculoskeletal issues to arise. (Trager et al., 2022) This, in turn, causes radiating extremity pain on the upper and lower body portions, sensory disturbances, muscle weakness, and even diminished muscle stretch reflexes as pain-like symptoms in the lower back. At the same time, when individuals are experiencing low back pain associated with spinal pressure, their truck muscles have an abnormal tilt when sitting, standing, and walking. (Wang et al., 2022) When this happens, it can cause them to develop poor posture, and when they are in an upright position, they will feel pain in their lower backs due to weak truck muscles. However, there are ways to relieve spinal pressure from aggravating the nerve roots affecting the lower back.
The Non-Surgical Approach To Wellness-Video
When looking for the right treatment, many individuals want to look for something that is cost-effective and relieves their pain. Non-surgical treatments are cost-effective and utilize various techniques to help reduce musculoskeletal pain through mechanical and manual motions to strengthen weakened muscles, relieve spinal pressure off the disc, and help realign the body to promote healing properties. The video above shows how non-surgical treatments like chiropractic care can help many individuals get their foot on the right on their health and wellness journey. At the same time, spinal decompression is another form of non-surgical treatment as it incorporates gentle traction on the spine to reduce intervertebral pressure during active and passive traction. (Andersson et al., 1983) When the spine is gently pulled, the herniated disc starts to return to its original position back to the spine, which then allows the fluids and nutrients to return to the disc and rehydrate them.
Decompression Reducing Spinal Pressure On Lower Back
So, how does spinal decompression help reduce disc pressure off the spine when dealing with low back pain? As stated earlier, spinal decompression incorporates gentle traction on the spine to be gently pulled to stretch weak surrounding muscles in the lower back. This causes an inverse relationship as the pressure within the nucleus pulposus of the herniated disc can help improve posture for many individuals with low back pain. (Ramos & Martin, 1994) Similarly, when many people incorporate decompression and chiropractic, the pain intensity is significantly reduced in all body parts, and many individuals will begin to feel the relief they deserve. (Ljunggren et al., 1984) When many individuals listen to their bodies and get the treatment they deserve, they will start to notice how decompression can help restore their bodies and positively improve their health.
References
Andersson, G. B., Schultz, A. B., & Nachemson, A. L. (1983). Intervertebral disc pressures during traction. Scand J Rehabil Med Suppl, 9, 88-91. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6585945
Chu, E. C., Lin, A., Huang, K. H. K., Cheung, G., & Lee, W. T. (2023). A Severe Disc Herniation Mimics Spinal Tumor. Cureus, 15(3), e36545. doi.org/10.7759/cureus.36545
Ljunggren, A. E., Weber, H., & Larsen, S. (1984). Autotraction versus manual traction in patients with prolapsed lumbar intervertebral discs. Scand J Rehabil Med, 16(3), 117-124. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6494835
Ramos, G., & Martin, W. (1994). Effects of vertebral axial decompression on intradiscal pressure. J Neurosurg, 81(3), 350-353. doi.org/10.3171/jns.1994.81.3.0350
Trager, R. J., Daniels, C. J., Perez, J. A., Casselberry, R. M., & Dusek, J. A. (2022). Association between chiropractic spinal manipulation and lumbar discectomy in adults with lumbar disc herniation and radiculopathy: retrospective cohort study using United States’ data. BMJ Open, 12(12), e068262. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068262
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