As a Chiropractor in San Jose I know the debilitating effects of back pain. Though some people try to “ignore” their back pain in the hopes that it will go away on its own, the majority of individuals know that back pain is difficult, if not impossible, to ignore. Back pain is a constant. It interferes with a person’s ability to work and to enjoy daily life, and it makes it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. In addition, many people know that untreated back pain can cause further musculoskeletal problems. But it will, no doubt, come as a surprise to almost everyone that unaddressed back pain that lingers six months or more has been linked with a loss of brain volume that’s equivalent to 10 to 20 years of normal aging. That’s right!  According to new research at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, back pain can significantly age the brain!  A. Vania Apkarian, Ph.D. and co-author of the study, said that the decline has to do with how the brain adapts to pain, and such decline can damage a person’s ability to assess emotional cues and control emotion.

If you are someone who needed one more reason to make an appointment with your chiropractor to get the treatment you need for your back pain, the possibility of significant brain decline might just be the “inspiration” you needed! Be smart (and stay smart) by calling your San Jose Chiropractor today!

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The survey, reported in the publication’s May 2009 issue, found that more than half of the respondents had “pain (that) severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.” The report stated that while many go to a primary care physician first for diagnosis and treatment, the majority were disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, 59 percent reported that they were “highly satisfied” with the care they received from chiropractors. The next highest rated practitioners were physical therapists (55 percent) and acupuncturists (53 percent), followed by “specialized” physicians (44 percent) and primary care physicians (34 percent).

Respondents were also asked to rate the types of treatments they received. Again, chiropractic/spinal manipulation got top honors, with 58 percent rating it as “helping a lot.” Spinal injections were next highest, rated at 51 percent, followed by massage (48 percent) and physical therapy (46 percent). Other highly rated treatments included prescription medications (45 percent), yoga (44 percent), movement therapy and acupuncture (both 41 percent).

According to a Dynamic Chiropractic article on that report, “Chiropractic ranked first out of 11 treatments, including massage, acupuncture, and exercise, in its ability to treat back pain. More readers said that chiropractic ‘helped me feel much better’ than any of the other therapies.” Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs ranked eighth and 10th, respectively.

So, if you’ve been “highly satisfied” with your chiropractic care, you’re not alone! In fact, more and more people are turning to chiropractic treatment not only for back pain relief, but for a wide variety of painful conditions from sports and repetitive stress injuries to arthritis.

A public version of the report can be found on the Consumer Reports Web site

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The majority of people who are overweight experience moderate to severe back pain. This is because the spine was not made to carry anything that is more substantial in weight than the body is at its generally healthy weight.  As a person puts on extra weight, the spine starts to distort and to compress, creating a lot of pain and discomfort.  The pelvis can conjointly be affected and become tilted forward forcing it to pinch the sciatic nerve. This is a primary reason why individuals who are overweight tend to have problems with their lower back. The affliction is due to either sciatica or the distorting of the spinal column.

If this condition sounds painfully familiar, and you want to get out pain, certainly the thing to do is to get rid of some of the extra weight that you are carrying around, and your spine will start to respond and return to its regular position.  Unfortunately, losing those pounds isn’t easy and it can take time, even with the best of intentions. However, on a positive note you don’t have to live with back pain as you lose the weight. A chiropractor can assist you in getting the pain relief you’ll need as you shed the extra pounds.

But, you will still need to lose the additional poundage, and being free of back pain will undoubted assist you in doing it. Two things that are simple (but not necessarily easy), but will be unquestionably beneficial to you in losing the extra weight naturally are doing some sort of exercise, even if it’s simply a little bit per day, and adapting the food you eat so that you are taking in less calories than you use throughout the day. Sure, you’ve heard about these two things before. But, now that you’ve found out that your back is depending on you, it’s the perfect time to get truly inspired.

Start exercising slowly, especially if you’re having difficulties with back pain. And, most importantly, be sure to see a chiropractor so that you don’t make the blunder that many people do, which is to exercise into the pain. That will definitely make your condition worse. Exercise, though sometimes uncomfortable, should never be painful or cause pain. That’s why it’s crucial to see a chiropractor if you’re having difficulties with back pain.

Do simple stretching exercises and also concentrate on your core abdominal body muscles. Strong stomach muscles aid in relieving back pain. Your chiropractor will be able to provide exercises that are best for you, individually. After a very short period of dedication to losing the weight that is causing your back pain and conceivably other health problems as well, you should begin to notice an enormous difference in the way that you feel.

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Anatomy

Knowledge of the anatomy of the spine is very useful in understanding back pain. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back consist of posterior joints called facets that connect vertebrae to one another and serve to guide the movement of the spine. The inter-vertebral discs join the bodies of the vertebrae and are made of a form of dense cartilage that encases a soft material in the center, called the nucleus. The main function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also connect the vertebrae. The wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine is the sacrum and is joined to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. In a canal located between the body and the facets of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal nerves go out from the spine between the vertebrae.

Causes of back pain

Most often, back pain comes about without a trauma, an accident, or a major injury prior to the onset. The cause of most back pain is the cumulative effects of improper sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of regular exercise and other poor lifestyle-related factors.  These cumulative factors create stresses and imbalances on the spine and, therefore, some may injure their back merely by bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The instability of the spine makes it vulnerable to even the most simple movements, such as bending. When this comes about, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your San Jose Chiropractor can help you to get out of pain quickly.

Disc Problems & Sciatica

Prolonged sitting, especially in a slouched position causes increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles surrounding the spine. Eventually the lower spine loses its customary function and no longer can make room for the normal day-to-day stresses in ones life. In the end, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, permitting the soft nucleus to bulge the disc outward. If the disc pushes on sensitive tissues, it creates the pain that is often referred to as a slipped disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, a person can develop sciatica, which is defined as pain, tingling, numbness, and sometimes weakness in the lower extremities. On occasion if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition is not managed correctly, surgery is required to remove the herniated disc material. But, with the correct chiropractic adjustments and management, as well as postural exercises, most of these cases can healthfully heal. If you are experiencing any of the conditions defined above, it is essential for you to seek chiropractic treatment.

Spondylosis

Increased wearing away and weight-bearing stress on the spine occurs when there is repetitive assault to the discs, facet joints, and surrounding ligaments. Bone spurs are produced when the cartilage around the joints is adversely affected by stress that engenders calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae. These spurs can restrict adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This condition – known as Spondylosis – is a form of arthritis that is likely to affect almost everyone at some point in life, as it is a common part of the aging process of the spine as well. But|However, determinants such as previous trauma, unhealthy lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influence the time of onset in life. Regular chiropractic treatment and overall chiropractic management is very effective in slowing the aging process of the spine, as well as helping Spondylosis sufferers in managing their condition. Your San Jose Chiropractor has helped many Spondylosis sufferers.

Sacroiliac Problems

Another common area of dysfunction or injury in the low back is in the sacroiliac joints. These weight-bearing joints attach the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are usually very strong and stable. However with disturbances such as falls, sports injuries, or lifting heavy objects, the joints can become unstable and relocate to an abnormal position.  This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. Women may get this condition during or after their pregnancy. The imbalances in the lower extremities caused by sacroiliac subluxation can create a functional long and short leg. Pain is felt particularly with prolonged standing and walking, or during and after physical activity, and the individual may experience a lack of energy and feeling tired easily.  Other symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches, can move further up the spine. Chiropractic adjustments establish the proper alignment of the joints and are extremely affective in ameliorating sacroiliac problems. Ask your San Jose chiropractor how you can receive effective pain relief.

Spinal Subluxation

A prevalent disorder of the lower back, as well as the entire spine, is subluxated or misaligned facet joints. Subluxations can exist on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and Spondylosis. They not only produce pain, but they can also imparel the spinal nerves as they exit the foramen or spaces between the vertebrae, and produce nerve compression, known as paraethesia. Paraesthesia is a change of sensation described as a tingling, burning or “funny feeling.” Paraesthesia in the upper extremities oftenoriginates from nerve problems in the neck, while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is commonly associated with nerve dysfunctionin the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also becorrelated with, or complicated by, spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best eliminated by chiropractic adjustments.

Trauma

Injury such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury can cause damage to the spine and lower back. Often these traumas create over-stretching or tearing of the tissues of the spine. When this happens a person can experience considerable pain and immobility. In order to prevent long term disability or the development of any of the conditions listed above, chiropractic adjustments and treatment at the onset of symptoms is vital. If you experience a trauma, call your chiropractor as soon as possible.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is often associated with low back pain. chiropractic care offers exceptional pain relief.

When it comes to the spine, chiropractors have more education and training than medical doctors. I can provides state of the art diagnosis and expert treatment for any of the above-mentioned dysfunctions of the spine and lower back.

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