Mechanical Back Pain

Mechanical back pain is a vague term that refers to any type of back pain as a result of an abnormal placement of stress on the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and discs of the vertebral column. The typical causes of mechanical pain are incorrect lifting and bending motions, poorly designed seating, poor posture, abnormal gait and movement patterns and the development of bad habits. Nearly 85% of people experience back pain in their lives that is severe enough to seek medical intervention. Conservative care such as chiropractic care and physical therapy are considered the primary treatment for mechanical back pain. Seeking conservative care will likely result in a more accurate diagnosis and specified treatment plan to correct the specific condition causing the mechanical back pain.

A study published in 2018, in JAMA Network Open, weighed the pros and cons of chiropractic care for back pain in 750 active-duty military personnel complaining of back pain. Half the personnel were assigned physical therapy, self-care, and chiropractic care, whereas, the other half received just “usual” care (medication). After 6 weeks of treatment, those assigned chiropractic care reported less pain intensity, disability and improvement in function. In addition, the personnel also needed less pain medicine and reported a higher satisfaction with treatment.

Chiropractor Care for Back Pain

The most common treatment for back pain with chiropractic care is spinal manipulation, also known as manual manipulation. Spinal manipulation can help reduce joint stress, improve neurological function, increase mobility, and relieve pain in people with acute back pain.  Pain can be chronic because of a injury, long term sedentary lifestyle, constant repetitive trauma or other issues. In chronic cases chiropractic can help relieve pain, improve daily living activities, and stop the progression of degenerative changes. Chiropractors work with all kinds of pain; however, their main focus is on the spine. People often prefer conservative treatment options over invasive procedures or medication. In most cases, back pain resolves with conservative treatment approaches including spinal manipulation, corrective exercises and passive therapies.

What is Spinal Manipulation?

Spinal manipulation involves a hands on approach to restore mobility in joints in areas including the pelvis, lower back, middle back, neck and extremities. Spinal manipulation further aims to reduce irritation of the nerves that radiate pain or numbness down the arm or leg. Spinal manipulation is sometimes done in combination with other therapies. It may seem a little uncomfortable at first, but it is safe and effective, and your doctor will make sure that you are not pushed beyond your limits. You may also feel a little sore initially, however, as time passes, you should notice less and less soreness while noticing improvement with overall function and back pain.

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