Back Problems

Back pain relief with chiropractic treatment | Chiro FAQs

Meet Henry, He feels pain in his back and he is not familiar with physio /chiropractic treatments. He feels very nervous about his conditions and unsure about what to do with his back pain and where it comes from. Here’re some questions he asked our practitioners about back pain causes and how he can get back pain relief from treatments and more.

Question 1: I’ve started trying to be more active from time to time, avoiding to sit very long and taking regular walks, however, I still see no improvements of my lower back pain, what may be my back pain causes? 

Physical pain is caused by inflammation. So when you have back pain, it can mean the physical structures of the back are inflammed. This can be a muscle, tendon, ligament or joint. In some cases it can be the disc as well, which is a soft spongy material in between the vertebrae. These structures can be inflammed due to a sudden acute injury or it can be something chronic that progressively occurs over time. There are different types of treatments that can help with relieving lower back pain and building a stronger body.

Question 2: I’ve came to this clinic because my GP tells me you’re a good chiropractor, still to this date, I don’t know the difference between chiro and physio? I saw that your clinic also offer physiotherapy, do you think that may be more suitable for me?

There is a lot of overlap between chiropractors and physiotherapists. We both can treat many of the same problems. The way I like to approach this question, is that there are many ways to help you to achieve your physical goals. A chiropractor may offer one approach, whereas a physiotherapist may offer another. The method may even be different within the same profession. So, it comes down to which practitioner can offer the most suitable solution to help you with relieving back pain as the solution often varies depending on the individuals.

The advantage of working closely with each other, is that we are able to refer and most importantly work together if necessary.

Question 3: I feel pain in my lower back and my left lower back hurts more than the right side. Why does my lower back hurt one side more than the other?

Generally, when you feel pain in the lower back it means that one or more physical structures of the back are inflamed. The physical structures can be the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, facets or disc. Because there can be many things that can be inflamed, it is important to be more detailed about the type of pain you are experiencing. Is it constant? On or off? Sharp pain or dull? When do you experience it more? Do you get any other associated symptoms with your pain? These are questions a professional would ask you to narrow down and try to find the cause of your pain.

In some situations, something other than physical structures has caused pain in the lower back. It may be from kidneys or other organs, and some forms of cancer or other systemic disorders. However, the type of pain and other signs/symptoms will be different and a professional if needed will refer you for the appropriate care

Question 4: I also drink some…Could it be my kidney? Is lower back pain a sign of kidney problems?

Pain from the kidney can come from either an infection or a kidney stone passing. They can cause lower back pain, however it has different qualities. With pain associated with kidneys, the pain tends to be constant and will see neither improvement or worsen with posture, movement or treatment. You will also be experiencing other symptoms such as pain with urination, fever chills, bloody or cloudy urine, nausea, vomiting, bladder infections or small sediment/stones in the urine. A kidney stone generally causes sharp severe pain that can fluctuate slightly as the stone moves whereas a kidney infection will have dull pain.

Question 5: Could my back pain result from other parts of the body? Can it be related to hip pain or leg pain?

Yes, and we’re here to help you with identifying the roots of the problem.

Your back pain could be related to different body areas in two ways. You could have an issue either above or below the symptomatic area. Due to this problem, which can either be very severe or very minor, your back could be compensated for this issue. As a result, your physical back structures are placed under more stress and can therefore become inflamed and painful.

The pain could be related to another area is called referred pain. This is where pain from one physical structure will feel pain in a different area other than the site of injury. Currently, there is no definitive explanation for why this occurs but there have been several proposed mechanisms.

Question 6: Could my lower back pain affect the upper back? What are some upper back pain causes? 

The upper back has a similar physical structure to the lower back as in it has spinal joints, discs, ligaments, tendons and muscles. However, the whole back as is a very complex structure. Depending on where the pain is located and the type of pain, the affected structure could be entirely different. Common causes of upper back pain could be poor posture, over use, trauma, repetitive use, car accidents, muscle weakness and many more.

Question 7: I’m not feeling as stiff any more, do I still need to come for more sessions? Will my back pain come back?

It is good to hear your back pain is becoming better. The back pain may come back if we have not adequately addressed the issue. We can slowly reduce the frequency of treatment to keep an eye on your condition. There is also no guarantee that your back pain won’t come back however we can reduce the chances of that happening.

 

  • Even machines and robots can break down, let alone us as humans.
  • Develop strength and flexibility in our muscles, tendons and ligaments to help withstand the amount of stress and pressure we place on our bodies.
  • Making changes to your lifestyle eg work and home activities to help minimise the stressed placed on your back
  • Develop good management strategies to help alleviate the stress placed on your back while “living”

 

Question 8: I don’t know whether to use cold/hot treatment. Which one helps to relieve lower back pain?

Heat is generally used to help alleviate chronic lower back pain. The heat helps because it improves blood circulation and reduces muscles tightness. However, using heat directly after an acute injury is not recommended as it can increase the amount of inflammation to the area. If in doubt, see a professional.

Question 9: I may have chronic back pain. Can I benefit from the NDIS program? 

We are a registered NDIS provider.

The government has strict definitions and criteria for who is classed as disabled and whether or not they are eligible for government funding. In extreme cases, chronic back pain can be classed as a disability. However, we prefer to try to look at chronic back pain with as much positivity as possible and find areas where we can improve. Sometimes, there may not be a perfect solution that completely resolves an issue but with time, consistency and effort we aim to help you improve your conditions.

Question 10: When I start to feel better, are there any back pain exercises I can do at home? Are there activities you’d recommend me to avoid? 

There are many things that you can do at home to help strengthen your back. Three of my favourite exercises are, deadbugs, planks and glute bridges. These 3 exercises will help to strengthen the core abdominal muscles and the gluteus (butt) muscles. These muscles are important in helping us to protect our lower backs.

When it comes to avoiding certain activities, factors that come into consideration are age, injury history and severity, what stage of the injury is, the level of performance you want to reach. I always like to stay positive and help people with achieving their dreams. A lot of things can still be achievable, however the more forceful, intense or higher risk the activity, the more time and effort it requires to strengthen and prepare our bodies. We can discuss these ambition and goals and make a plan. During certain stages in your recovery, we may advise you to avoid doing a certain activity, movement or position. As your back continues to stabilise and improve, practitioners let you know whether a) you can return to that activity b) still require more training before you can do that activity or c) avoid that activity altogether.

Hopefully, we’ve answered most of your questions about lower back pain. If not, we’re located at five different locations in Sydney: Sydney CBD, Castle Hill, Hurstville, Burwood, Chatswood and Rhodes. Book in an appointment with Fort Healthcare OR Call us to inquire. You’ll receive the best possible treatment for your back pain relief.

 

Author Bio: Peter Luan | Certified Chiropractor at Fort Healthcare 

Special Interest: sports injury, biomechanical deficiencies, chronic postural imbalances and shoulder conditions such as frozen shoulder and impingement, 10 years of experiences in remedial massage and soft tissue manipulation in addition to his chiropractic skills.

 

Comments(1211)