What is low back pain
Pain in the lower back is a very common occurrence. When defining low back pain, the anatomy of the area must first be established as each structure may contribute to the scenario.
The low back is comprised of bony elements called vertebrae, nerves and muscles. Each structure has its own function and its own dysfunction.
When a vertebra is out of alignment, it can cause the entire spine to malfunction. When the vertebrae are out of alignment, the musculature, then overwork to keep the person standing up and moving as normally as possible. This extra strain on the muscles can produce pain and lead to quadratus lumborum syndrome, piriformis syndrome, sacroiliac syndrome or even to disc issues.
How do you get low back pain?
It is also very common for traumas such as slips, falls, motor vehicle accidents and others to contribute to the situation.
It is worth noting that activities which are considered to be “healthy” can sometimes contribute to the pain pattern when the vertebrae on the inside are out of alignment. In this case, the exercises are essentially anchoring the abnormal pattern and contributing to the dysfunction of the area.
Research supporting chiropractic treatment of low back pain.
Ottawa University professor and director, Pran Manga PhD, was commissioned by the Ministry of Health in Ontario to examine the cost-effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for the management of low back pain for the province of Ontario. The report showed that there was overwhelming evidence supporting the use of chiropractic for the treatment of low back pain. This would represent a huge cost saving to the province. It also recommended that chiropractic treatment for low back pain should be fully funded by the provincial health care plan.