Low back pain is common. In fact, about 80% of people will experience back pain in their lives.
Although back pain is common, there are many different causes of low back pain. Most commonly, back pain occurs due to repetitive movements or prolonged inactivity or postures. I bet you were thinking back pain is mostly due to injuries, such as a fall, right? While that is a risk factor for developing back pain, it’s certainly not as common as a slow and progressive onset of back pain.
Why would back pain occur more often with non-injuries than with injuries?
Well, your back is made of small bones, or vertebrae that form many joints. The purpose of these joints are to allow for movement of your spine. Joints love to move and are healthier when they move regularly.
When we sit for prolonged times, joints become tight and restricted and wear down. Often leading to degenerative changes and arthritis. In addition, when you do one movement repetitively, for long periods of time, your joints also become worn down and degenerative. These changes often lead to symptoms of stiffness, discomfort and pain.
Just because you have pain, acute or chronic, does not mean that you have to live with it. Think of pain as a signal from your brain, telling you that there is something happening that you need to pay attention to. Once you identify what the source of the pain is, you can get the help that you need to get rid of the pain. It sounds easy right? Well it really can be that easy.
Take for example my 44-year-old Mississauga car salesman patient and sole income earner for his household. He was searching for a chiropractor in Mississauga that could fix his back pain. He was in excruciating pain. Finally, a friend of his, and a past patient, also living in Mississauga, recommended he see me for chiropractic care. He came into my office after experiencing low back pain for 5 months that was getting progressively worse and radiating into his legs. He was in so much pain that was unable to walk and had to take time off of work.
Initially, he was very skeptical. He said that he was in so much pain that I couldn’t possibly help him.
Well, It didn’t take long for him to see improvements and have a totally different perspective on chiropractic care. After a few sessions he was able to function better due to improved pain in his leg and back. He was able to go back to work and provide for his family. His low back pain had been fixed with chiropractic care.
Does this low back pain sound familiar?
What if I told you that you can fix your low back pain with 5 easy steps? I’ve worked with countless patients in Mississauga, including my 44-year-old client to treat their low back pain. If their low back pain can be resolved with chiropractic care, so can yours!
I’m gonna take you through 5 SIMPLE STEPS for EFFECTIVE low back pain TREATMENT. There are no tricks or secrets, just effective chiropractic care essentials to help you get back to enjoying your activities PAIN-FREE.
Here’s your roadmap:
✅ Understanding your low back
✅ Common causes of low back pain
✅ Risk factors of low back pain
✅ Exercises to help with low back pain
✅ In just 5 easy steps!
Let’s get started!
What Is Low Back Pain, and Why Does it Matter?
Spinal Anatomy
Let’s talk about your spine for a moment. The function of your spine is to hold up the weight of your upper body and allow you to bend and twist. Pretty cool, huh?
Your spine is composed of 33 vertebrae that stack on top of each other. Your low back (lumbar spine) contains 5 of these vertebrae. Vertebrae stacked on one another form joints called facet joints. When the vertebrae are stacked up the spinal canal is formed, housing and protecting your spinal cord. Spinal nerves branch off each side of your spinal cord segmentally at each vertebral level and communicate with the muscles, ligaments and joints of your back and lower body all the way down to your toes. They are like tiny highways of communication as well as a pathway that pain can travel.
Disc Pathology
In between each vertebrae are shock absorbers called discs. These discs protect the spine from wear and tear from vibrational forces that travel up the spine like when jumping or running. As time progresses these discs lose hydration and become thinner and degenerated. They no longer provide shock absorbing protection to the spine and can lead to pain. Most back pain is a result of these disc changes.
Common causes for developing low back pain include:
- Bulging, herniated or degenerative discs
- Sprains and strains
- Inflammation
- Spondylolisthesis
- Osteoporosis
- Posture
Risk factors for developing low back pain include people with a sedentary lifestyle, poor physical activity, obesity, smoking, drinking, and pregnant women. Women are at more risk than men due to hormonal factors.
According to the WHO, low back pain (LBP) has the highest prevalence globally among musculoskeletal conditions and is the leading cause of disability worldwide1. Low back pain can be acute or chronic and occur at any age including children and adolescents.
Acute episodes of lower back pain last a few days to four weeks, whereas subacute episodes last for four to twelve weeks. About 20 percent of people with acute back pain go on to develop chronic back pain lasting 12 weeks or longer. Chronic LBP is a major cause of work loss and participation restriction and reduced quality of life and contributes to a huge economic burden on societies.
On a positive note, most of the time back pain improves or resolves with proper care and treatment.
So there is hope for your low back pain!
How can you fix low back pain? With chiropractic!
Let me show you how…
How to Fix Low Back Pain with Chiropractic Care in 5 Steps?
STEP 1: AVOID AGGRAVATING ACTIVITIES, MOVEMENTS OR POSTURES
The first step to getting rid of your back pain is to stop doing movements or activities that provoke your back pain. All too often I see patients stretching out their back. I ask, “does that hurt”? More often than not they say “Yes”! I then explain to them that each time they put their back through an aggravating movement, it’s like causing microtrauma to the area. The more you do that the longer it will take your body to heal. Avoiding aggravating activities also gives your body the time it needs to heal.
Movement such as:
- bending
- twisting
- lifting
- pushing
- pulling
can continually pinch or compress your low back discs and prolong your injury. Listen to your body. If it hurts to mow the lawn or unload the dishwasher then you need to delegate that task to someone else.
In addition, using proper bending, lifting techniques can also be helpful when required to do so with less aggravation to your back.
Modifying sleep position may also help with getting a good night sleep, such as sleeping on your back with a pillow behind your knees, sleeping on your side with a pillow between the knees or sleeping on your stomach with a pillow under your shins.
STEP 2: ICE
Ice is a natural anti-inflammatory. When it comes to low back pain most of the time, there is some inflammation contributing to pain. Putting an ice pack helps to reduce inflammation and pain.
Follow the 10/10/10 protocol when icing:
- Put the ice on for 10 minutes then take a 10 minute break
- Put the ice on for another 10 minutes and take another 10 minute break
- Apply another 10 minutes of ice
This method of icing definitely delivers the most effective way to reduce inflammation and get deeper into the tissues without freezing your skin. You’re welcome!
If the ice does not seem to be helping then you can switch over to heat. But, I recommend trying ice first before heat. Heat commonly feels good. It helps to relax the area but can further increase the inflammation in the area leading to a pain cycle. This is symptomatic care and can prolong or worsen your symptoms.
STEP 3: EXPLORE POSITIONS OF RELIEF
Low back pain episodes can vary from mild to debilitating pain. In the latter, it can be very difficult to find a comfortable position. In the case of disc related pain, any position may feel uncomfortable. Getting into a position of relief can help guide you towards the direction your body needs to move towards to help alleviate the pain.
The following are positions that can help alleviate low back pain associated with a bulging disc.
Unloading Spine
Lie down on your stomach with your arms at your sides. Turn your head to the side or face down. Hold for 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat up to eight times a day. If this exercise feels comfortable and you feel improvement in your low back pain and improved mobility you may continue. If you feel like this exercise increases your pain or you experience pain in your legs you should discontinue the exercise.
Unloading Spine
Spine Unloading With Pillow
Lying flat on your stomach, place a small pillow under your stomach and arms at your sides. Gently turn your head from left to right. Hold for 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat up to eight times a day. If this exercise feels comfortable and you feel improvement in your low back pain and improved mobility you may continue. If you feel like this exercise increases your pain or you experience pain in your legs you should discontinue the exercise.
Spine Unloading With Pillow
STEP 4: BACK DECOMPRESSION EXTENSIONS
If you are doing well with the first two exercises you can move onto movement based exercise starting with the elbow press-up. Lay flat on your stomach and prop yourself up on your elbows with your arms flat on the ground. Gently lift your upper body. Hold for 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat up to eight times a day. If this exercise feels comfortable and you feel improvement in your low back pain and improved mobility you can continue. If you feel like this exercise increases your pain or you experience pain in your legs you should discontinue the exercise.
Elbow Press-Up
Next is a full press up. Lie flat on your stomach. Place your hands under your shoulders. Slowly straighten your arms to lift your upper body. Hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position. Perform 10 reps, 1-3 sets. Repeat up to eight times a day. If this exercise feels comfortable and you feel improvement in your low back pain and improved mobility you can continue. If you feel like this exercise increases your pain or you experience pain in your legs you should discontinue the exercise.
Full Press-Up
Standing extensions can be done in place of lying down extensions when you are unable to get down to the ground. Stand up straight. Place your closed fists over the small dimples (Sacroiliac joints) of your back. Gently bend backward as far as you can go comfortably, keeping your knees straight. Hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position. Perform 10 reps, 1-3 sets. Repeat up to eight times a day. If this exercise feels comfortable and you feel improvement in your low back pain and improved mobility you can continue. If you feel like this exercise increases your pain or you experience pain in your legs you should discontinue the exercise.
Standing Extension
STEP 5: STRENGTHEN
A key component to back pain prevention is ensuring your back and core is strong. It seems obvious right? It sure does.
Just because you’re an active construction worker does not mean that your core is prepared to do strenuous and repetitive work all day long. There has to be a good balance between all muscle groups and proper strengthening exercises in order to prevent injuries. Many people do not get the exercises that they need on a daily or weekly basis. Also, prolonged sitting actually deconditions your core. So if you’re thinking “my job is not strenuous. I sit and work all day” you may be more at risk than you think.
Once you’re out of the acute phase, you can graduate into active rehabilitative exercises for back pain to help engage and strengthen the core.
Glute Bridge
The glute bridge works the gluteus maximus, the largest of the gluteal muscles in the buttocks. The glutes help stabilize the lower back by acting as both a stabilizer and an extensor of the back. Strong glutes can stabilize and support the lower back and hips and weak glutes can contribute to lower back pain.
Glute Bridge
To perform a glute bridge, lie on your back with the knees bent and the feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your arms down by your sides. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your pelvis off the floor, squeeze the gluteal muscles at the top of your bridge. Lift up so that your body forms a straight line through the shoulders, hips, and knees. Hold the position for 10-30 seconds then slowly return to the start position. Repeat the steps above 10–15 times for 2-3 sets as tolerated.
Plank
The plank primarily works the abdominals, but it also engages the arms, shoulders, hip flexors, and feet, making it a good full-body stability exercise. It also engages the back extensor muscles and the quadratus lumborum, which is the deepest back muscle.To begin, lie on your stomach with the forearms on the floor and the elbows directly under your shoulders. Tighten the abdominal and lift your hips and knees off the floor. Hold the position for 10–30 seconds without allowing the pelvis to drop toward the floor. Slowly return to the start position and then repeat 3-5 times.
Modification: perform with knees bent and on the floor.
Side Plank
The side plank is a modified version of the plank that works the muscles on the side of your body, the quadratus lumborum (QL) as well as the gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata (TFL). These muscles are important for hip stability. Begin with lying on your right side with legs straight and right foot on the floor. Place your right elbow directly under your right shoulder with elbow bent at a 90 degree angle. Tighten your abdominal and lift your right hip and knee off the floor so that your left leg is stacked on top. Push your hips forward to keep your body straight. Hold the position for 10–30 seconds and slowly return to the start position and repeat on the other side. Repeat the steps above 3-5 times as tolerated .
Modification: perform with knees bent and on the floor.
Side Plank
Bird Dog
The bird-dog works the gluteal muscles and back extensor muscles. Begin on your hands and knees with the shoulders directly over your hands and the hips directly over the knees. Tighten your abdominal muscles and stretch the right arm straight out in front with thumb facing up and hold. Next, slowly lift the left leg and extend it straight back pushing through the heel of your foot. Hold the position for 15-30 seconds. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Repeat 3-5 times.
Bird Dog
Abdominal Drawing-in Maneuver (ADIM)
This exercise engages the the transversus abdominis (TA), a deep abdominal muscle that helps stabilize the core. Strong abdominal muscles help support the spine and weak abdominal muscles can result in poor core strength, which can lead to lower back pain.
To begin, lie on your back with the knees bent, feet flat on the ground and the arms down by your sides. Gently pull your belly button toward your spine using your muscles to draw in. Hold the position for 10-30 seconds, and then release. Rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 10-15 times.
Abdominal Drawing-In Maneuver
Now that you have the chiropractic care essentials to fix your nagging and painful low back you’re well on your way to getting back to the life and activities you enjoyed, PAIN-FREE!
FAQ’s
How effective is chiropractic treatment for low back pain?
Chiropractors are primary health care providers that are highly trained to assess and diagnose conditions related to nerves, muscles, ligaments, joints and tendons. Low back pain is a common complaint seen by many chiropractors. In fact, 46% of chiropractic patients are receiving care for lower back pain, making it the reason most people see a chiropractor, and 77% of people who receive chiropractic care for back pain describe it as “very effective”.
How do you treat lower back pain?
Chiropractors offer many different approaches to treating back pain conditions. Treatment often is based on the diagnosis, severity of condition and patient preferences. Some treatment options may include any of the following: chiropractic adjustments, chiropractic mobilizations, soft tissue therapy, acupuncture, electrotherapy, ultrasound, laser, taping, exercise based care, and stretches.
What is routine chiropractic care?
Routine chiropractic care is treatment for low back pain and other conditions that is non-invasive, without the use of medications to help alleviate pain conditions as well as provide preventative or maintenance care.
Should you see a chiropractor if you have back pain?
Chiropractors are highly trained to assess, diagnose and treat back pain. They are also trained to know when to refer to another medical professional as well as when imaging is indicated. Seeking early care can help to improve recovery times.
