Lower Back Injuries and Chiropractic Care
Years of poor posture, improper lifting, and a lack of exercise may have left you prone to back injuries. The joints of the lower back are particularly vulnerable to dysfunction, which can often lead to painful results. In addition, lower back injuries can occur when the muscles and ligaments surrounding the spine are stretched, torn, or distorted.
Types of Lower Back Injuries
Some of the most common types of lower back injuries include:
- Facet Syndrome: Also known as back sprain, this injury is usually brought on by a sudden movement or injury after years of back neglect. People suffering from lumbar facet syndrome experience pain, stiffness, and difficulty in moving, and may find themselves bent off to one side.
- Sacroiliac Syndrome: This lower back injury is also caused by sudden movement or injury, and manifests as excruciating pain in the hip area. People experiencing sacroiliac syndrome usually have difficultly changing positions. Sacroiliac syndrome is the most commonly misdiagnosed of the lower back injuries, and is often confused with a disc herniation or facet syndrome.
- Herniated Discs: Also known as slipped discs, lower back injuries of this type are usually brought on by a sudden movement (such as lifting) on top of the general wear and tear. In fact, most herniated discs actually start off as undiagnosed bulging discs. Those suffering from herniated discs usually experience severe pain in the lower back and legs. Back injuries of this time usually require a long period of recovery.
- Muscle/Ligament Strain: Stress is placed on the muscles and ligaments around the spine, often due to poor posture or old, untreated back injuries. The symptoms of muscle/ligament strain are chronic backaches and occasional spasms.
- Sciatica: The sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the legs, gets compressed or irritated by a subluxation (misaligned vertebrae), a herniated disc, or through faulty pelvic alignment (due to an injury sustained in a fall). People suffering from sciatica may experience pain, numbness, and weakness in their back, buttocks, and one or both legs.
Symptoms of Lower Back Injuries
Even if you’re not experiencing back pain at the moment, you may still be suffering from a lower back injury of some sort. Symptoms of undiagnosed lower back injuries might include:
- Leg pain with weakness, numbness, and/or tingling.
- Back or leg pain with sneezing or coughing.
- Difficulty standing after sitting for an extended period of time.
- Pain after walking for an extended period of time.
- Stiffness or soreness in the morning.
- Pain in the hip, buttock, leg, knee, or foot.
If you are currently experiencing any of these symptoms, you should seek the help of a licensed chiropractor or medical professional immediately.
Chiropractic Treatment of Lower Back Injuries
Most medical professionals agree that you should attempt to treat back injuries conservatively before resorting to more aggressive solutions (such as surgery). Before starting treatment, a legitimate chiropractor will ascertain the severity of your symptoms and decide whether or not chiropractic care would be beneficial. In cases of severe pain, numbness, or functional impairment, your chiropractor will likely refer you to a medical doctor or specialist.
That said, in cases where the problem is diagnosed early and the symptoms aren’t particularly severe, your chiropractor may be able to alleviate your pain and swelling through spinal manipulation and other methods, giving your body a chance to heal itself naturally from its back injuries.