Back and Spine Treatment

After headaches, back pain is named as the most frequent cause of pain. Four out of five adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives, often caused by an injury or accident. Back injuries are one of the most common forms of disabling work injuries, and back injuries cost Americans an estimated $40 billion per year in lost wages and insurance claims.

In our practice, we can teach you the techniques that help you avoid recurring back injuries. You'll learn new ways to sit and stand, and these techniques will continue to serve you well as you grow older. For your free consultation, please call.

Even minor damage to one part of this system can cause pain. Your lower back is particularly susceptible to stress from a lack of muscle tone or excess weight. Poor posture while sitting or standing can exaggerate your back's natural curves and cause pain. Imbalance can lead to fatigue and injury. Stress and strain caused by lifting, pulling, leaning, or trauma can lead to a painful backache.

There are several medical conditions that can lead to discomfort in your back or spine:

• Osteoarthritis — Nearly everyone over the age of 60 suffers from osteoarthritis (or simply, arthritis). As you age, the cartilage (protective tissue) that covers your joints deteriorates. Discs between vertebrae wear out, and you may develop bone spurs. Your spine stiffens and loses flexibility, and your vertebral joints rub together and cause pain.
• Sciatica — Your sciatic nerve extends down each leg from your hip to your heel. When that nerve becomes compressed or inflamed, we call it sciatica. One or two people in every 100 may experience sciatica. It's a pain that radiates from your back, through your buttocks, and into your lower leg. It may include tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. Activities that exert pressure on your spine (such as coughing or sneezing) may make it worse. Over time, it can lead to progressive muscle weakness.
• Osteoporosis — As you age, the amount of calcium in your bone decreases. Since your spine is comprised of vertebrae made of bone, the vertebrae may become compressed and undergo structural changes and compression fractures. This is particularly common in women over 50 (one in three experiences it) beginning after menopause, and it can result in the crooked or stooped-shoulder posture called "dowager's hump."
• Herniated disc — Your spinal vertebrae are separated by discs, and normal wear and tear or sudden strain can cause one or more of them to herniate (bulge or rupture). Although the condition is often called a "slipped disc," it's not really a "slip." When a disc herniates, its soft, jelly-like interior protrudes from its normal position between your vertebrae. If that disc places pressure on an adjacent nerve, the result is pain.
• Injuries and accidents — Several factors contribute to being more vulnerable to injuries or accidents, including decreasing muscle tone as you age and shifting in your center of gravity due to increased fat around your abdomen.
• Fibromyalgia — This condition has only recently been identified as a syndrome, and doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnose around 5,000 people a year with it. It's characterized by achy pain, tenderness, and stiffness in muscles and areas where tendons insert into bones. Pain can worsen with inactivity, and you may feel better with more movement.

One of the chief benefits of chiropractic care is that it can reduce the risk of a fall. Fall injuries can be quite detrimental, especially among the elderly. The CDC reports that falls are responsible for 90% of the 850,000 bone fractures that occur annually in Americans over the age of 65.

At Caldwell Chiropractic Center PC, we can use specific chiropractic adjustive techniques in the cervical spine to normalize cervical joint receptors that provide your brain with important balance and coordination information. Improved balance can reduce your chance of a fall.

We also utilize stretching and exercise programs to increase your strength, flexibility, mobility, balance, and coordination. We can provide you with diet and nutritional counseling that improves your nutritional status, increase energy levels and increase the sense of well-being.