Lower Back Pain Treatment Santa Fe
The most common cause of back pain is functional distortions in the spine resulting from vertebral subluxations. Suluxations cause articular dysfunction, nerve irritation, and eventually pain. The body responds by tightening muscles in the back, “splinting” the joint to protect it from further damage. Massage, medication, exercise, physical therapy, and acupuncture treat the muscle but don’t address the underlying cause of the problem.
The discs between spinal bones can also be a source of back pain. These rings of fibrous tissue act as spacers, connectors, and “shock absorbers” for the spine. Discs can bulge or herniate, putting pressure on delicate nearby nerves.
When experiencing back pain, you have several choices. One approach is bed rest. But research shows that prolonged bed rest can delay recovery and worsen the problem. Physical therapy is another option, but exercising spinal joints that aren’t articulating correctly can exacerbate the pain. Acupuncture can offer temporary pain relief but does not restore normal spinal alignment and articular function. Another choice is to numb or cover up the pain with drugs or injections. While drugs and epidural injections can offer temporary relief, they can’t correct the functional problems of spinal joints which are being affected.
The most drastic measure is surgery. A laminectomy cuts off the offending facet joints, which permanently alters the normal biomechanics of the spine. A spinal fusion cuts out the disc tissue and immobilizes the joint causing the adjacent joints to become hypermobile, predisposing them to future problems and more surgeries. While there may be times when surgery makes sense, it’s expensive and risky, and more than half of all back surgeries fail.
More and more people are choosing Chiropractic care first. Specifically applied spinal adjustments will correct the vertebral subluxations, which are likely the underlying cause of your pain.
