Lower Back Pain: How a Chiropractor Can Help

Lower back pain can seriously disrupt your life. Depending on the severity of your condition, walking, standing, sitting, driving, bending over, and a variety of other activities can cause mild to severe pain that often makes daily activities difficult or even impossible. At Jacksonville Chiropractic in Jacksonville, NC, we’re here to help. 

We understand living with lower back pain is a daily struggle, but we also know that with the right treatment approach, you can enjoy better mobility, consistent pain relief, and better health overall. Read on to learn how a chiropractor can help alleviate lower back pain and get you on the road to recovery.

What Causes Lower Back Pain?

Before we discuss how chiropractic care can help improve or completely alleviate lower back pain, it’s important to understand what can cause that pain in the first place. What might be causing that nagging ache or sharp, pronounced pain in your lower back? Some of the most common culprits include:

• Muscle or ligament strain from repeated lifting using incorrect technique
• Sudden, awkward movements that strain the soft tissues in the lower back
• Poor overall physical condition, which weakens the muscles in the lower back
• Bulging or herniated spinal discs in the lumbar spine, which may be a product of age-related spinal degeneration or improper lifting techniques
• Osteoporosis, which can result in minor compression fractures in brittle, porous bones
• Arthritis, which can lead to spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord)
• Poor posture, which can strain the muscles and connective tissues in the lower back
• Lumbar subluxations, which occur when the vertebrae in the lumbar spine move out of their normal alignment

How Does a Chiropractor Treat Lower Back Pain?

When it comes to treating lower back pain, a chiropractor may use a variety of treatment modalities to both realign the spine and stimulate tissue healing. At Jacksonville Chiropractic, the first step in addressing lower back pain is a comprehensive evaluation, during which we assess your condition and determine which treatments will prove most effective. 

Depending on the severity of the pain and the underlying cause behind it, we may employ a combination of the following treatments:

• Chiropractic adjustments. Using highly refined techniques, a chiropractor applies gentle force to the spine using his hands. Adjustments gently realign the spine into its proper position, which alleviates pressure on the surrounding nerves and reduces strain on the surrounding muscles and connective tissues. 

• Spinal decompression. Non-invasive spinal decompression treatments are conducted on a motorized table, which delivers gradual, gentle traction to the spine. By gently decompressing the lumbar spine, a chiropractor decreases pressure on the spinal discs in the lower back, which is especially beneficial for painful bulging, herniated, or otherwise damaged discs. 

• Cold laser therapy. Cold laser treatments utilize the healing power of infrared light to stimulate expedited healing of the soft tissues in the lower back. Because laser treatments decrease inflammation and increase circulation throughout the lumbar area, they promote faster tissue healing by delivering the critical nutrients and oxygen the tissues need to heal. 

Living with Lower Back Pain? Contact Jacksonville Chiropractic Today

If you struggle with persistent lower back pain, chiropractic care can help you find relief. At Jacksonville Chiropractic, it’s our goal to not only alleviate your pain, but to also educate and empower you to live a healthier, injury-free lifestyle. To learn more about our services or schedule an appointment, call our Jacksonville, NC, office today at (910) 455-6696 or connect with us online, and we’ll be in touch.