Back Pain

You would think, after all this time, that I'd have talked about back pain a long time ago. But I haven't. Today's the day.

First, if you have back pain you have Care Giver choices. Each one approaches the problem differently. Here's what will happen at each:

1. Primary Care Physician--Won't care about the cause of the back pain per se, but will be very interested in eliminating the symptoms. You will be prescribed an anti-inflammatory and some pain medication and off you go.
2. Orthopedic surgeon--Will send you for an MRI if it seems bad. If it is bad (disk extrusion into the spinal chord), will recommend surgery. If it isn't bad, he'll give you anti-inflammatories and pain meds and write a script for Physical Therapy.
3. Physical Therapy--After testing your range of motion, you'll be put on an exercise program where you come to the facility three to five days a week for three to six weeks. If that doesn't work, you'll be sent to the Orthopedic for more radical treatment.
4. Massage Therapy--Muscles will be rubbed. If the problem is stress and tension and muscle contracture, a massage every couple of days for two weeks will be recommended.
5. Acupuncture--Needles will be put in the body in various places to free the energy in the meridian that isn't working associated with the back pain.
6. Chiropractor--Will evaluate you for the cause of the pain. Depending on the type of Doc, you'll receive traction, exercise, adjustments, manipulation, physiotherapy and exercises to prevent further injury. If you see no resolution, you'll be sent for an MRI and referred to a surgeon--probably a Neurosurgeon.

Types of Back Pain/Neck Pain
Here is where the diagnosis of the actual cause is key. Many things can cause backpain:

1. Trauma--you lift something and pull something, falls, strain, etc.
   
2. Kidney infection
3. Constipation
4. Menstrual cramping
5. Gall bladder inflamation
6. Myocardial Infarction
7. Pancreatitis
8. Ascites
9. Indigestion
10. Hepatitis
11. Cancer
12. Arthritis
13. Fractures
14. Infections
15. Stenosis
16. Anneurism
    
17. Sciatica
18. Scoliosis

There's lots more, believe it or not. The cause is important because the treatment relies on the proper diagnosis. Pain killers won't do much to solve your back pain problem if you have a huge abdominal aneurism, for example. Don't laugh. One of my good friends, a Chiropractor, caught this very thing not one month out of college. Scary. What's scary is that he wasn't the first doc to have been visited for the problem.

Let's just say that your problem is musculoskeletal. You know that you pulled something, heard it go "pop" or woke up one day "unable to move" and "crawled to the car". Make your first stop a Chiropractor. This is what they're trained to do. Their specialty is minimally invasive, all natural treatments for back pain.

How to Choose a Chiropractor

1. Ask your friends who they recommend.
2. Find a doc who practices Applied Kinesiology, a sub-specialty that requires extra work and education.
3. Ask your massage therapist--they usually know the good ones.
4. Don't use the Yellow Pages as your only source, if possible. Your health is worth the extra effort.
5. If your Primary Care Physician is holistic minded, ask their recommendation. Don't be surprised if they don't have one. Don't be surprised if they are hostile to the idea. Press on, more people go to Alternative Physicians and pay cash, than go to Traditional Docs every year. It might be a question of economics.

Different Treatments
Some DCs treat only physical causes of pain. They will approach the musculoskeletal problems with heat, ice, TENs, ultrasound, electric stim, myfascial release, stretching, trigger point therapy and of course, spinal manipulation called Chiropractic Adjustments. The skill and precision of the doctor is of utmost importance--not because a bad adjustment will cause long-term harm, but because a good adjustment will help you heal faster than you can believe. In the field, docs with "good hands" are sought out by fellow doctors. Their touch can seem almost magical. It's not. It's just good, skilled hands.

Others doctors, like me, do that and more. These docs also treat the pain by looking at the whole person. For example, if someone has chronic indigestion and has back pain as a result, I will adjust the person's back to relieve the symptoms but then also give nutritional recommendations so the person doesn't "reinjure" themselves. Back pain has a huge emotional component. In fact, some doctors believe that back pain is almost entirely emotional (check here, too). When I find the physical causes of the pain exhausted, looking at the emotional physiology is a next step.

Chiropractors, you should be forewarned, meddle more than most traditional medical professionals. They will try to convince you to give up your bad habits. They will encourage you to eat better, exercise, and change your attitude. Chiropractors are generally a happy bunch. We do have a great life--helping people feel better is fun. Wanting to spread the cheer, they might try to get you to turn that frown upside down.

Chiropractors also want more than for you to just get out of pain. They want you to live your best, healthiest life. The Medical profession is only just beginning to look at the positive side of health--Chiropractors have been doing that from the beginning. If you are starting a weight loss program, changing bad health habits and overcoming addictions, consider visiting your Chiropractor. They will be your biggest cheerleader and helpful ally. They will have natural methods to help you achieve your health goals.