Back complaints
Back pain is a broad term for discomfort or pain to the back. You are not alone, because more than 50% of people sometimes suffer from back pain at one point in their lives.
The painful sensation can occur in the upper back (shoulders / neck), middle back (ribs / chest) or lower back and buttocks. The back and spine literally keep the body in balance. With back pain you are therefore often very hindered in your daily life as every movement can cause you pain. What is the cause of your back pain and what can you do about it?
Causes of back pain
Back pain usually occurs gradually, for example due to prolonged overloading (heavy lifting, wrong posture, stress, etc.) But also by a sudden movement – such as in a fall or accident – which can lead to back problems. Sometimes back pain goes away on its own, but often it doesn’t.
Do you have an annoying or sharp pain in your back? Then it is wise to find out the cause of the back pain. By removing the cause, the body can heal and back pain decreases or disappears altogether.
People with back problems often suffer from:
Sometimes the pain is in your back, but the cause of this pain is somewhere else. For example, if you suffer from your shoulders, this may be due to a dysfunction from a vertebra or nerve in the neck.
Symptoms back pain
The symptoms of back pain are different for each person. Often back pain manifests itself in a nagging, stabbing or sharp pain.
Depending on where the pain is present, getting up, walking, exercising, lifting or bending down cab be painful. This pain is an alarm signal from the body that something is wrong. The muscles tighten extra for protection, making movement even more difficult. Your body tells you to rest. By ignoring the pain with, for example, by taking painkillers, it is masking the condition and not healing it, and sometimes if you take medication and you feel pain relief you can make the complaint worse as you your brain no longer perceives certain movements as painful, further damaging the tissue.
What is a hernia?
A hernia is a bulge of an intervertebral disc. In the middle of an intervertebral is a soft gel that ensures suppleness and mobility of the vertebrae. With a hernia, a small tear develops in the intervertebral wall. The medical term for this is a herniation.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a symptom of lumbago or a partial hernia/tear in the disc, causing an an irritation of the Sciatica nerve pathway. The intervertebral vertebra partially ruptures, creating pressure against the Sciatic nerve. This is a large nerve that runs through the lower back and legs. For example, the pain can radiate in the buttock, upper leg, lower leg or foot. It feels like a nagging or stabbing pain, lasting for days to months.
What is lumbago?
With lumbago we speak of a 2-3 degree herniation (from 0-5). The intervertebral vertebra partially ruptures, causing irritation to the Sciatic nerve. Popularly, there is often talk about ‘going through your back’. If you ignore the symptoms of lumbago, there is a good chance of a complete hernia later down the line. Fortunately, chiropractic helps well with both lumbago and a hernia.
What is Lower Cross Syndrome?
In Lower Cross Syndrome, there is an imbalance between the muscles at the front and back of the body. The pelvis is tilted forward and the lower back becomes too hollow. The cause is, for example, a prolonged wrong posture that causes muscles to weaken, tighten or shorten. This leads to increased pressure on the lower back vertebrae. Nerves can become pinched/compressed, you can experience pain. By strengthening weak abdominal muscles and weak glutes (buttock muscles), it becomes easier to adopt the correct posture.
Chiropractic for back pain
Whether you have just gone through your back or have been suffering from back pain for a long time, chiropractic can help! Our experienced chiropractors will look for the cause of your complaints. With our gentle, safe techniques you will quickly get rid of your back pain. From baby to 65+, everyone is welcome.