Pain On My Road Trip

On a road trip with my family to North Carolina last year, I was suddenly awakened by dull moans and sighs coming from the back seat of our minivan. I looked behind me to discover my aunt lying back in her seat with both of her legs in the air. Each leg was straddled over the right and left headrests of the two captain’s chairs. My aunt was moaning and groaning because she was experiencing excruciating back pain. We had been traveling for over five hours by this time, and my aunt was forced to choose this position in a desperate attempt to alleviate her severe back pain. By the time we finally arrived in North Carolina, my aunt’s knees were buckled and she could not stand up straight or barely walk.

My aunt’s back pain was the result of an accident that occurred months earlier when she fell off a ladder. Her symptoms worsened, but naively, my aunt assumed that her back pain would eventually subside. My mother convinced my aunt to seek the services of a chiropractor. I accompanied my aunt to the chiropractor early the next morning. The chiropractor performed an hour long consultation which included x-rays, a thorough examination, manual manipulation, and acupuncture. A pulled ligament was my aunt’s diagnosis. My aunt was apprehensive at first—but her apprehension turned to joy when she stood upright and walked happily out of the chiropractor’s office. The chiropractor in North Carolina referred my aunt to a chiropractor in our town. My aunt’s back pain has improved tremendously with regular chiropractic treatments.

My aunt developed back problems when she fell from a ladder. Accidents, incorrect posture positions, and improper lifting practices are three common ways people develop back pain. Many people suffer back injuries from accidental falls, household and work accidents, and leisure activities such as sports and rock climbing. Active individuals are likely to experience future chronic pain if they do not properly stretch and condition the body before strenuous exercise or activity. Individuals should be careful while completing household tasks and performing job duties because not paying attention can cause serious injury. Many people have suffered back injuries by simply bending over incorrectly to pick up something off the floor or tripping and falling over objects on the ground. Ensuring that chronic back pain does not develop in the future involves preventing freak accidents from happening due to carelessness.

Sitting slumped over peering at a computer screen for eight hours, slouching while walking and sitting, or driving hunched over are other common ways individuals develop back problems. Incorrect posture positions for extended periods of time can lead to misalignment of the spine, disc problems, and muscle pain. Preventing poor posture is something that every individual has complete control over unless a medical condition is a contributing factor. We all remember our parents telling us to stand up straight, pull back those shoulders, stick out that chest, and tuck in your stomach. These simple techniques ensure proper alignment of the spine which decreases the chances of developing chronic back pain in the future. Individuals should also refrain from sitting at a computer screen, watching television, or driving for prolonged periods of time. Taking breaks from these activities every so often by standing, stretching muscles, or walking around is the optimal course of action. Adopting healthy routines to support and maintain good posture is a surefire way to eliminate the chances of experiencing chronic back pain in the future.

Lifting heavy objects and lifting with your back is the third common cause of back problems. Straining back muscles and ligaments from heavy lifting and improper lifting practices is a common complaint from many individuals. Everyone at one time or another has underestimated the weight of an object and felt the pain minutes or days after lifting the heavy item. Individuals should test how light or heavy an object is by first picking up on one side of an item. If lifting one side of an item is a struggle, individuals should not attempt to lift the object by themselves. Kneeling down, keeping the back straight and lifting from the knees is the proper way to lift any object. Back injuries stem from people lifting items with their back muscles. Keeping the spine in alignment and refraining from lifting heavy objects reduces the chance of muscle and ligament strains and also ensures that individuals will not experience chronic back pain in the future.

Mishaps are bound to happen in the usual course of our everyday lives. Seeking medical attention immediately after experiencing back pain is the best line of defense to treat back problems. Chiropractors are trained to treat musculoskeletal disorders involving muscles, ligaments, joints, and bones. The treatment of back pain is also a specialty of chiropractors. Three methods chiropractors use when treating back pain are manual manipulation, electrical stimulation, and acupuncture. Manual manipulation is when chiropractors use hands to gently manipulate areas of the back to adjust or correct spinal, joint, or muscle disorders in order to relieve pain, tightness, or inflammation. When chiropractors align the spine using manual manipulation, many back pain issues can be corrected and healed. Electrical stimulation is a procedure that involves placing adhesive pads on the back to apply heat therapy consisting of sound waves. These electric waves naturally relieve soft tissue pain deep within muscles and ligaments in the body. Electrical impulses gently massage the damaged tissue while improving blood flow and speeding up the healing process.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique whereby tiny needles are inserted into specific points on the back to open up the flow of energy called Qi (pronounced chee). The Chinese believe that opening up the flow of energy or Qi is essential for optimal health and well-being. Chiropractors use acupuncture to loosen up muscles and alleviate back pain. Incorporating these three methods, as well as other techniques, into a chiropractic treatment program helps chiropractors treat and heal back problems.