Back pain is one of the most common disabilities in the world. Back pain can be caused by a wide range of problems such as bad posture, joint issues, muscle strains or herniated discs. Receiving chiropractic treatment on an ailing back can often help diminish or solve the problems of back pain.
What is the cause of back pain?
Back pain is most commonly caused by strained muscles or tendons in the back. This can be caused by repetitive overuse of the back or suddenly twisting the back. A sprain means there are minuscule tears in the muscle or tendon tissue. Bad posture can also put unnecessary stress on the back causing long-term damage. Joints that connect the vertebrae can be damaged or fractured compromising the structural integrity of the back, as well as causing pain and inflammation. A herniated disc occurs when the center of the lumbar disc breaks open exposing lumbar disc fluid to the nerves causing pain and inflammation.
Types of back pain
What are the symptoms?
- Back pain that is sharp or dull
- Decreased mobility in the back
- Tightness in the back
- Pain when lifting objects
- Pain that continues through buttocks and legs
Dr. Petersen is well trained to correctly diagnose and treat back pain. We utilize the most advanced Physiotherapy Techniques such as ART (active release technique), Grason, E-stem, Class 4 laser, Cold laser and exercise to return you to your activity in the shortest time possible.
Tests
We can recommend various tests to properly assess what is causing your symptoms:
- X-rays
X-rays can show us if there is internal damage in the back that can be treated. - MRI
An MRI can show how much damage there might be and to what degree the back has been affected.
Treating Back Pain
Treatment in our office is broken down into three segments:
- Pain reduction
- Treatment to restore oxygen and proper nutrients to damaged segment
- Exercise and proper stretching
Pain Reduction
Stopping or decreasing the activity that is causing the pain is the main goal of our first treatment segment. Applying ice and heat alternatively throughout the day will help with both pain and inflammation. Our Class 4 laser treatment is very effective for this segment.
Treatment
Class 4 laser, Gaston, E-stem, Ultra Sound and soft tissue work are all implemented by us to restore the proper nutrients to the tissue.
Exercise
We offer a very effective Physiotherapy regiment to both decrease pain and restore proper function.