That's A Lot of Back Pain!

• Worldwide, back pain is the single leading cause of disability, preventing many people from engaging in work as well as other everyday activities.

• Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.

• Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives.

• Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.

• Most people with low back pain recover, however recurrence is common and for small percentage of people the condition will become chronic and disabling.

• Low-back pain costs Americans at least $50 billion in health care costs each year—add in lost wages and decreased productivity and that figure easily rises to more than $100 billion

Research found from the American Chiropractic Association

Let's Talk Chiropractic Care...

It's one thing to know how to effectively get rid of back pain once it plagues your life and well-being. It's another, better thing altogether, to have the ability to prevent instances of back pain from even occurring to begin with. Scientists have yet to come up with a magical and fool-proof method for completely preventing all the health issues and problems which could possibly hinder someone's health and well-being. This is why we can and should be taking our health into our own hands with preventative care measures. As it turns out, one of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is by seeing a doctor of chiropractic on a regular basis.

Typically, most people wait until they are in pain or their “back goes out” before they do anything about it. Imagine if this approach was how we dealt with our dental health. We would wait to brush our teeth until we already had a toothache or cavity. This sounds crazy but that is exactly the same concept. Our spine is a very important, delicate structure and unlike teeth, it isn’t replaceable. Not everyone needs the same kind of preventative visits. Some people are very physically active, and may require more visits than those who are only mildly active. Your chiropractor is the person to talk to about how often you need to be seen to receive preventative care.

Active Chiropractic Care vs Maintenance Chiropractic Care

Active care includes relief, correction, and stabilization of a condition. This care requires frequent visits that reduce in frequency as the patient improves. In addition to the chiropractic adjustments, treatment during this phase of care usually requires additional services such as therapeutic modalities as well as physical therapy rehabilitative exercises. A doctor-prescribed treatment plan is necessary during this care phase and treatment intervals typically do not exceed 2 weeks. This is the only type of care that is considered by the insurance industry to be "medically necessary" and potentially covered by any insurance benefits.

Maintenance care is meant to prevent future relapses and maintain the condition after active care has been completed. This is also known as wellness or preventative care. This care requires periodic check-up visits in order to prevent future relapses and/or maintain the health status that was achieved during active care. Maintenance care visits are usually anywhere from 2 weeks intervals to 3 month intervals, although most patients would ideally benefit from monthly chiropractic check-ups to stay in optimal health and wellness. The insurance industry considers maintenance/wellness/preventative chiropractic care to be "not-medically necessary" and therefore does not cover these types of visits - similar to your car insurance not covering oil changes and tune-ups which are required for proper vehicle maintenance.

Steps For Success

This fall, set yourself up for future stability and success by taking steps to improve the strength of your musculoskeletal system:

Move more. Bones, muscles and joints need movement to stay healthy. The U.S. surgeon general recommends adults get at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate physical activity (such as walking, yard work, recreational swimming) or at least 75 minutes of intense weekly activity (jogging, hiking uphill, basketball). 

Eat a balanced diet. Proper nutrition is just as important to musculoskeletal health as it is to overall health. Eat a balanced diet that includes whole fresh foods and try to avoid processed foods. Be sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D for your bones and lean protein to build and maintain strong muscles.

Go outside. The sun helps our bodies produce Vitamin D, which in turn helps us to absorb calcium and strengthen bones.

Do weight-bearing exercises. Walking, jogging and resistance exercises such as weightlifting can improve bone density. Planks and squats can also strengthen core muscles. (Non-weight-bearing exercises such as swimming and biking can benefit the musculoskeletal system as well, especially for people unable to walk or jog while recovering from back, hip or knee pain.)

Stay hydrated. Drinking water makes muscles stronger by carrying oxygen to the cells of the body. It also helps lubricate and cushion joints.

Quit smoking. Smoking contributes not only to cardiovascular disease but also osteoporosis and bone fracture as we age.

Get adequate rest. A good night’s sleep enables your body to repair muscles and joints that are strained or injured during the day.

Don’t drink too much alcohol. Drinking alcohol excessively can lead to osteoporosis and bone fracture.

We can also reduce the risk of pain and injury to our musculoskeletal system by improving our posture and movement techniques as well as the ergonomics of our work and home environments.