Chronic or acute low back pain is a very common problem. It is estimated that upwards of 69% of he population will suffer from back pain this year alone. Low back pain can have an affect on  work, home and recreational activities.

 While there is no surefire cure for low back pain, there are some steps you can take now to start managing your back pain. And there are some important things you should immediately STOP doing. 

1. Stop avoiding exercise or movement. -  It may be uncomfortable, but movement and exercise for your back is proven to be beneficial for most low back pain. It helps keep your muscles for and strong in addition to providing increased circulation to your muscles, joints and discs. Most experts agree - when your back hurts - getting up and moving and back to normal activities is a smart approach. 

2. Stop lifting heavy stuff - One of the main causes of low back pain is frequent and/ or  heavy lifting. If your job or sport  requires that you lift heavy items, learn to lift properly and avoid any unnecessary lifting. Thie same advice works repetitive lifting of smaller objects (children ?) and bending.

3. Try active forms of therapy-  Passive traditional  forms of treatments like heat, ice , sports rubss and braces  may feel like they help and they might . Unfortunately , their effect is usually only temporary. Most research indicates that active self-care exercise, stretches, chiropractic or spinal manipulations and postural correction are simply more effective remedies for low back pain. A visit to your chiropractor or physical therapist can help determine which exercises are best for your specific condition.

4. Stop looking for a Silver bullet - Stop searching for a miracle treatment. After tens of thousands of studies and years of research we can be sure that no magic solution exists. We have  all seen the advertisements that promise a miracle cure for your low back pain. Hanging an inversion table, rubbing healing balms on your back or spending money on fancy new mattresss and pillows all sound great but the evidence indicates that many of these miracle cures are not beneficial. Evidence supports the use of simple treatments like exercise, spinal manipulation , nsaids and time to treat the vast majority of low back cases. 

5. Don’t worry about what to call it - Most times you don’t even need  a specific diagnosis. Some estimate that 85%- 90%  of all cases low back pain can be classified as "non-specific." This means that the origin of your pain cannot be localized to one specific structure or problem. While common diagnostic tests ( like X-ray ,CTscan  MRI etc) for low back pain can show the bones, discs, and joints with great detail, no test can tell the exact cause of your pain with 100% accuracy. Generally after a period of treatment ( 2-6/weeks ) is expected before the value of these tests measure up. 

Dr Ray Gaskey

Bradford Family Chiropractic 

If you have any questions regarding your low back pain and want to discuss it with a chiropractor near you, call us at 770 552 7979 . We are in Marietta.