Low back pain has always been a common health issue, but it is becoming seemingly much more common and it seems there are increasingly more “quick fixes” and unproven remedies available. It seems like it is getting harder and harder for that average American to determine who to believe when it comes to low back pain treatments. Let’s take a look at the difference between two different ways of treating low back discomfort: chiropractic therapy and traditional treatments.
Chiropractic Treatment
The practice of chiropractic medication involves the manipulation of certain joints that have been hindered by injuries to the tissue surrounding them. This tissue can be damaged by trauma like being in an auto accident, falling down or a sports injury, while they can also be damaged by excessive use and improper support from the back while sitting, sleeping or lifting. When the tissue begins to heal it may sometimes develop scarring which can create knots in the actual tissue. These formations that develop in the tissue limit the total mobility of the joints.
When the chiropractor manipulates individuals joints the tissue loosens and the joint can begin to maneuver around. The ability to possess a more varied range of motion allows the pressure in the future off the healing cells or surrounding muscles, which results in a good elimination or reduction of pain and the ability to be more active.
People see chiropractors for an array of reason, most commonly however is back pain caused by overuse, improper support, sitting too much in the same position or many other causes. Other reasons someone might visit a chiropractor might include chronic headaches, shoulder pain, constant “crick in the actual neck, ” neuralgia, pain caused by whiplash, hip pain, knee pain, disc disorders or degeneration, just to name several.
Conventional Treatments
The category of conventional treatments for intermittent low back pain generally includes in your own home treatment such as using a heating pad or soaking inside a hot bath, taking over the counter-top anti-inflammatory medicines and starting a regular stretching regimen. At home remedies may also include improving support whenever sitting or sleeping with the addition of a lumbar cushion. If the low back pain is becoming chronic, there are other conventional treatments that may be tried such as bodily therapy or pain control by prescribing prescription strength pain medications.
To summarize, chiropractic treatments offer a far more natural alternative to traditional treatments which often include using prescription drugs that can cause dependence and don’t really do anything to fix the problem that is causing the pain that the drugs are merely masking. Often times, chiropractic treatments can be used along with some of the more conventional kinds of treatment to see even better results. Other alternative therapies can be included as well, such as acupuncture or massage. Some recent studies also have found that stretching exercises and also the practice of yoga might help prevent low back pain from returning after seeing results from a mix of conventional and chiropractic treatments.