Lower Back Pain

Low back pain is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost days at work. It is also one of the most common reasons to visit a doctor's office or a hospital's emergency department. It is the second most common neurologic complaint in the United States, second only to headache. 

Nerve root syndromes are those that produce symptoms of nerve impingement (a nerve is directly irritated), often due to a Vertebral Subluxation or herniation (bulging) of the disc between the (lower back bones) vertebrae. Sciatica is an example of nerve root impingement. Impingement pain tends to be sharp, affecting a specific area, and associated with numbness or tingling in the area of the leg that the affected nerve supplies.

Keep in mind when a Subluxation is present, it has been demonstrated each time to cause dysfunction on the motor side of the nerve root affecting the organ it supplies. Concerning yourself with only the sensory aspect of a Vertebral Subluxation is missing the mark. Function and performance of an organ is far more important than the way one feels.

Spinal disc degeneration coupled with disease in joints of the low back can lead to spinal-canal narrowing (spinal stenosis). These changes in the disc and the joints produce symptoms and can be seen on an X-ray. A person with spinal stenosis may have pain radiating down both lower extremities while standing for a long time or walking even short distances. 

Low Back Pain Prevention

The prevention of back pain is, itself, somewhat controversial. It has long been thought that exercise and an all-around healthy lifestyle would prevent back pain. This is not necessarily true. In fact, several studies have found that the wrong type of exercise such as high-impact activities may increase the chance of suffering back pain. Nonetheless, exercise is important for overall health and should not be avoided. Low-impact activities such as swimming, walking, and bicycling can increase overall fitness without straining the low back.