What We Do
Back pain is a very common complaint presenting to chiropractors.
The reason we get problems with our backs is mostly down to our lifestyle. It is not surprising that back pain is on the rise. In general, we sit too much, exercise too little and we often eat the wrong things. When we lift, we often lift the wrong way and we do too much in one go, often commonly causing strain to the mid and lower back. While our spines are a strong and robust structure, they need to be maintained and looked after to reduce the chance of pain and discomfort.
Our spinal column is made of a long chain of joints and cushioning discs that, together, form a protective tube around the spinal cord. The spine is supported by ligaments and muscles. If some of the segments or links in the spine stiffen up through injuries or degenerative changes, other segments move more to compensate causing imbalance, muscle fatigue and ligament sprains.
This may lead to upper or mid-thoracic pain, lumbar pain, a “slipped disc” or disc injury, nerve irritation or even referral of pain to the shoulders, hip or knee. Most injuries are caused by what is called “recurrent micro-trauma”, meaning many small repetitive injuries, until the proverbial ‘last straw’. That is why people often hurt themselves doing very trivial things such as simply bending to put on their shoes. Of course, back injuries can also be caused by more strenuous lifting, sporting injuries, slips and falls.
We attend to a wide variety of back pain presentations, including disc herniations/protrusions/bulges, facet injuries, sacroiliac injuries, and what people often describe as “slipped discs” and “pinched nerves”. With careful examination we utilise the Gonstead Chiropractic approach where clinically indicated. We also like to give you plenty of guidance for you to self manage. Certainly exercise advice but even subtle changes in your movement patterns and routines can make a world of difference when carefully identified.
