Back pain is so common that an estimated 80% of the population will suffer from it at some point in their lives. What becomes troublesome is when that pain never goes away or re-occurs so frequently that it deeply impacts a person's lifestyle.

Most people are quick to attribute back pain to a specific injury but that's not always the case. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a patient say to me, "But I didn't do anything different that would have caused this." The truth of the matter is that underlying weaknesses of the bones, muscles, ligaments and discs occur long before symptoms arise.

And PLEASE be aware that symptoms are NOT NORMAL. Common, yes. But NOT NORMAL.

So wouldn't it make the most sense to treat the underlying issue that is CAUSING the symptoms rather than just masking the symptoms? I certainly think so.

What are the OPTIONS patients are given to address the SYMPTOMS of low back pain? Let's talk about these first since they are the most common solutions offered in mainstream medicine.

1. Pharmaceuticals (pain killers and anti-inflammatories)
Yes, these things may help you move better, get to sleep or help you function better at work but they are short-lived and come with certain risks and side effects. I won't get into all of them now but hopefully you're aware that long-term use of pharmaceuticals can have some serious detrimental effects on the body and cause addiction issues as well. Not to mention, more time goes by where the CAUSE of the pain is being unaddressed.

2. Injections (cortisone)
Who's been on this roller coaster before? I've heard countless stories of patients who were treated with cortisone injections for their pain and the story is almost the same with all of them. They have pain, get a shot, the pain gets better, then the pain comes back, they get another shot, the pain goes away, then the pain comes back, so they get another shot and finally at some point the shot stops working! There's also a list of complications that come with repeated cortisone shots including osteoporosis, nerve damage and joint breakdown.

3. Back Surgery
According to research, 53% of surgery for L5-S1 (the most common disc injured in the lumbar spine) fail to produce relief. Only 26% of patients were able to return to work after having surgery and medical doctors are saying these failed surgeries are occurring at an alarming rate and this invasive procedure leads to scar tissue, limited mobility, and comes with a risk of infection, symptoms becoming worse or can even lead to death.

4. Therapeutic treatment (Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Physical Therapy)
I may be biased here but I've always been one to say that a physical problem responds best to a physical solution. These treatments significantly help those with back pain by improving blood flow, eliciting muscle relaxation and increasing joint mobility. There are virtually no side effects and can provide long lasting relief, posture awareness and encourage the practice of continued exercise to help stabilize and support the weakened areas so they can fully recover.

….BUT, sometimes not everyone responds the way we would like them to. And this can be very frustrating to both the health practitioner and to the patient. It is this reason why we've turned to a REVOLUTIONARY back pain treatment option for our patients….SPINAL DECOMPRESSION.

Chiropractors are trained experts in mobilizing the spinal column (and extremities) to provide the needed motion in the body's joints which can fixate and degenerate due to poor posture and injuries. However, disc injuries (which are the most common cause of chronic back pain problems) do not always respond to traditional chiropractic care alone.

Spinal Decompression is a non-surgical approach to back pain with an 86% long-term relief success rate. There are no side effects (mild temporary soreness is possible) and 9 out of 10 patients report satisfaction with their treatments. Decompression works by isolating the spinal discs and places them under negative pressure, causing a vacuum effect within them. This causes bulges or herniations to be drawn in and floods the discs with minerals and fluids to help them heal. As the discs begin to repair themselves, pressure is then taken off the nerves which result in pain relief and a decrease in the overall inflammation in the area.

Call Balance Chiropractic & Wellness Center at 631-470-9670 to relieve YOUR back pain today.