WILL YOUR CHRONIC BACK PAIN EVER GO AWAY?

The number two reason people visit their doctor is backpain. Number one is the flu. Close to eighty percent of people suffer back painat some point in their lives. The good news is that most back pain can betreated and the pain significantly reduced, especially if the diagnosisinvolves mechanical reasons rather than organic ones, like arthritis or cancer.

There is a reason that the backbone is used as a metaphorfor structure in just about anything. It’s a complicated system of bones,joints, ligaments and muscles holding everything up. When that starts to fail,everything collapses. It’s the mainframe that can be affected by other parts ofthe body like strained muscles, ruptured disks, and inflamed joints. Poorposture, obesity, and psychological stress can also cause back pain. Depressionis a major contributor to back pain.

What causes some back pain to last longer is not entirelyunderstood, but it is suspected that ignoring it only prolongs the pain. Studiesshow that when back pain is not treated, it may go away temporarily but willmost likely return. More than 33% of the people who experience low-back pain sayit lasts for more than 30 days. Only 9% of the people who had low-back pain formore than 30 days were pain free 5 years later.

Lower back pain can cause a range of symptoms. The pain maybe dull or sharp. It can be in one small area or over a broad area and includemuscle spasms leg pain, numbness, or tingling, often extending below the knee.

Chronic back pain will not go away on its own. Many patientswith long-lasting or recurring back pain feel improvement shortly after startingchiropractic treatment. The relief they feel after a month of treatment is almostalways greater than after seeing a family physician.