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"Oh, my aching back!", and what to do about it.

Written By Red River Chiropractic and Wellness on September 21, 2021

First, why don't we talk about what "not" to do about it?

Ignore it

Your back hurts for a reason!  Your body's trying to tell you something.  How long would you ignore an aching tooth before getting an appointment with your dentist?  There may be a cavity, abcess, broken filling, jammed food or several other reasons.  The point is, you'd probably not ignore it.  So, why would a person's back hurt them?  Oh, let us count the ways!  Over exertion, abuse of it, neglect of it, previous trauma from the past, slouching, poor posture, lifting improperly at work, sitting improperly at work, sitting for too long at work, an auto accident, a sports injury and on and on.  

The truth is, probably over 90% of Americans don't do anything to promote the flexibility, strength and general well-being of their lower back.  We wait until it hurts.  It's just how we're conditioned as a culture and we're paying dearly for our neglect and abuse of it to the tune of billions of dollars every year and untold lost days of work, decreased productivity and human suffering.  We're reactive with our lower backs when we could avoid so much pain, suffering and expense if we were proactive. 

Live with it

Sadly, that's what millions of Americans do each year with their lower back pain.  Many have tried numerous approaches including over the counter rubs, ointments, prescription medications to relax muscles, reduce inflammation and so on.  Many people just "settle" for less out of life: Less activity (truly harmful), fewer hobbies, fewer trips and travel, fewer sports and in general a less fulfilling and enjoyable life.  Movement is life and not moving is death.  Not being able to move freely and without pain truly starts our decline into a lower quality of life and in some cases, an early end to so many joys of life.  Don't give up on finding what's causing it. 

Medicate it

Medication and pain relievers have their place, but, they shouldn't be a way of life as a long term plan.  The key is to truly find out what the cause is.  Medications, all of them, have side effects.  Sometimes, as in hydrocodone/oxycodone (opioids), they can be lethal.  Conservative, non pharmaceutical approaches are the best place to start.  16,000-20,000 people die every year from chronic use of NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.  Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve and even aspirin, can wreak havoc on a person's intestines leading to bleeding, kidney, stomach and liver damage.  Be careful with medications that only offer short term relief. 

A better approach

Chiropractic has a tremendous track record of helping low back pain sufferers find relief and often resolution of their condition.  Study after study has shown that chiropractic care has the best outcomes in the short and long term over many other modalities.  And, chiropractic has no side effects and is extremely safe!  Chiropractic also enjoys over a 90% satisfaction rate according to a WebMD survey.  Chiropractic searches for the cause of lower back pain, which is often spinal subluxation (misalignment) and through a series of spinal "adjustments", helps restore joint mobility, improve "biomechanics" (structure), improve neurological function, which improves control and coordination.  

So, there you have the chiropractic rationale for getting natural help from one of the most common conditions that ails humans.  Chiropractors are uniquely trained to help you get out of pain, improve your health and help you live the active life you deserve.  


Posted In: Cold Laser Low Back Pain