Our Scottsdale and Phoenix Chiropractor Is Answering Your Questions About Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is so incredibly common that just about everyone you know will experience it at some point in life. At Secrest Family Chiropractic, our Phoenix area chiropractor can help you reclaim your healthy spine without drugs or invasive procedures.

What Causes Lower Back Pain? 

Lower back pain can be idiopathic, meaning there's no clear cause of symptoms (fortunately, even these cases respond positively to chiropractic care!). Alternatively, the cause (or causes) of a patient's lower back pain is quite clear. These may include:

• Muscle strains and spasms (either on their own or as a protective reflex in response to underlying injury)
• Joint misalignment 
• Disc herniation, bulge, and degenerative disc disease
• Osteoarthritis 
• Nerve compression (e.g., lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica)
• Spinal stenosis
• Auto accident injury 

You may be more at risk for lower back pain if you are currently struggling with overweight or obesity; if you smoke; if you have a highly active and physically demanding career; if you are sedentary (sitting can impose more strain on the low back than standing!); if you have a prior history of lower back pain; and if you're a male between the ages of 35-50. 

What Symptoms are Typically Associated with Lower Back Pain? 

Symptoms of lower back pain range from mild to severe. They can come and go depending on factors such as position, activity, time of day, and even stress level. A few common symptoms we see among our patients include:

• Lower back stiffness, pain, and muscle tenderness
• Muscle length abnormalities (including shortened hamstrings and hip flexors)
• Pain that refers into the buttocks, groin, and leg, especially if nerve impingement is involved (this can also result in numbness and weakness in the leg, as well)

How can our Scottsdale Chiropractor Help Manage Lower Back Pain?

Our Scottsdale chiropractor helps people with lower back pain learn more about their unique diagnosis and source of dysfunction. We'll screen your posture and ask questions about your lifestyle to help us determine how your injury occurred. Based on our examination results, we'll implement customized care including spinal adjustments, massage therapy, and corrective exercises with the ultimate goals of reducing pain, inflammation, stiffness, spasms, and muscle length imbalances.

In addition to these foundational chiropractic care techniques, we also provide specialty services for lower back pain relief, including:

• Applied Kinesiology
• Kinesiology taping (rock tape)
• Massage therapy
• Pregnancy and post-partum care

Do You Have an Achy, Painful Lower Back

Contact our chiropractor in Scottsdale today by calling Secrest Family Chiropractic at (480) 994-4411.