When it comes to low back pain, you’re not alone. And the good news is, we have answers. Most research shows that around 80% of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. In fact, it is the leading cause of disability in the United States, as well as the leading contributor to missed work days. We often brush off low back pain, but it is a big issue that is frequently misunderstood and under-treated.
Many different tissues can be the cause of low back pain. Many people immediately point to the spinal discs or muscle spasms, both of which are significant contributors; however, issues with the joints themselves, ligaments, and nervous system can result in low back pain as well. The challenging aspect is figuring out which tissues are causing the pain, and then creating a plan to treat these effectively. With low back pain being so common, there are hundreds of ways to treat it, but only a few that are genuinely effective.
Low back pain will often start with minor issues or complaints. These issues are easy to ignore, and leaving them untreated to flare up again can make them worse. Many of us are good at ignoring or putting off the issues we have because we feel we don’t have time, energy, or money to worry about them now. That can be next week or next month’s problem. However, the problem is that these issues will compound upon one another until we can no longer ignore them.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation, exam, doctors report of findings, PosturePro analysis, and first adjustment.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Better
No matter where you start, we can improve together. The first phase focuses on making progress in your current ailments. Typically, this means alleviating pain and helping you return to your daily activities as smoothly and quickly as possible.
2. Stronger
Now that you’ve made progress, how do we KEEP it? We’ve all experienced improvements, only to regress when our focus shifts. This phase empowers your body to sustain the hard-earned progress you’ve worked so diligently to achieve.
3. Healthier
True HEALTHcare! So often, we are only concerned with our sickness and dysfunction, seeking treatment only when we experience symptoms. This is SICKcare. During the healthier phase, we focus on your overall health and maintaining your well-being.
How We Treat Low Back Pain in Fuquay-Varina, NC
Low back pain is a major problem for a lot of people and can really prohibit movement and comfort. Chiropractic care can help pinpoint the issue and make corrections to resolve the back pain completely.
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
Starting with a complete consultation, history, and examination is the key to identifying what is truly causing your low back pain and other symptoms. Our examination includes:
- Digitally tracked range of motion
- Posture and squat analysis
- The most up-to-date orthopedic testing
- Other imaging when needed
These exams narrow it down to figure out what symptoms are causing your pain and keeping you from functioning at your full capacity.
This process in our office is thorough and also includes a full consultation with one of our top-notch doctors. This gives you the time needed to explain what you’re feeling and dig deeper into the history of this issue. Following the first day in our office, the doctors will have everything they need to create a comprehensive plan on not only what is causing your low back pain, but also how exactly we need to treat it.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Fuquay-Varina, NC
When we analyze the spine, we are looking for subluxations. A subluxation is any change in a joint’s ability to move or function freely and fully as it is intended to. These subluxations can also be called segmental joint restrictions, misalignments, and other synonyms. When we find a subluxation in a patient’s spine, we know that it impacts not only that specific joint, but also all the tissues surrounding that area, specifically the nervous system. This subluxation will change the neurofeedback (the communication between your body and brain) from that joint to the brain, contributing to the problem. These subluxations can create a variety of symptoms, such as muscle tension, muscle spasms, or even muscle weakness.
Chiropractors are neuromuscular specialists who locate and identify subluxations. We use a multitude of treatments for low back pain, but the most powerful and effective treatments we have are chiropractic adjustments to correct subluxations and improve nervous system function.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Exercise and joint-specific rehabilitation are crucial to a patient’s long-term health and wellness. Rehabilitation exercises specific to a patient’s condition are a part of every treatment plan. For our lower back, strengthening the musculature around the spine, the core, and the glutes is essential to creating long-term stability. We also need to identify the muscles that are hypertonic (too tight) and find ways to release them in the office and at home.
Each rehabilitation program is uploaded to a HIPPA compliant app and website called HealthComm.io. Patients receive their own login credentials to see the progression of exercises for their diagnosis. Pictures, descriptors, and videos are listed with each video to make sure the patient can understand the form needed for each exercise. Beyond this, HealthComm.io also includes explanations of your diagnosis and other life advice that can make a positive impact on your condition.
Deep Tissue Laser
Deep Tissue Laser uses infrared light to penetrate 2-3 inches deep within the body to expedite the healing process. This light works on a cellular level and increases mitochondrial production, the powerhouse of the cell. This creates more ATP (AdenosineTriPhosphate), which is the measure of energy within our cells. It also increases oxygenation and circulation to the targeted tissues. This laser supercharges your body’s natural healing process, especially in areas that have naturally poor healing properties and blood flow. Areas like discs, ligaments, and nerves respond well to laser therapy.
Deep Tissue Laser feels warm from the inside out. Although most see improvement with 3-4 treatments, some patients start feeling better on day 1. Depending upon the treatment, the session can be as short as 3-4 minutes, but some treatments are longer at 10-12 minutes.
Shockwave
Shockwave therapy uses both pressure and sound to create a pulsing pressure that penetrates through your soft tissue. These shockwaves break up scar tissue and reduce inflammation, promoting blood flow and healing in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the area.
Shockwave feels like a mixture of a massage gun and TENS unit. When using this modality, patients often notice immediate results like decreased pain and increased range of motion. Treatments are very quick, usually taking just 5 minutes, but they energize the body to work through the healing process for the next 3-5 days. Significant changes from just a few minutes of treatment!
Common Causes of Low Back Pain in Fuquay-Varina, NC
There are many reasons you might experience low back pain. Some of the most common causes include:
Bulged Lumbar Discs
- Your spinal discs are made up primarily of two parts:
- The nucleus is the center of the disc, a fluid-based, gelatin-like substance.
The annular fibrosus is the outer layer of fibrous tissue that contains the nucleus.
A disc bulge occurs when the annular fibrosis starts to weaken, and the nucleus pushes against the exterior wall, traumatizing the tissues behind the disc, like the spinal cord and nerves. This can cause pain in the lower back at that level, but can also radiate up and down from this area.
Herniated Lumbar Discs
A herniated disc and disc bulge are very similar, but result in differing degrees of damage to the annular fibrosis. With a bulge, the entire disc expands backwards, but is still contained by the annulus fibrosus. With a herniation, a crack or tear in the annular fibrosus allows the nucleus to escape the disc. When a piece of the disc pushes past the annulus fibrosus, it can create a large amount of inflammation around a nerve root, creating shooting nerve pain or sciatica.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Disc Disease happens as our discs age. But time isn’t the only factor that determines a disc’s “age”. The amount of wear and tear we put on our discs plays a more significant role in disc health than time itself.
Our discs are 70-80% water. As we stress our discs throughout the day, the fluid squishes out of the disc. Once we rest and remove pressure from the disc, it starts to reabsorb the fluid. If this process continues for a prolonged period, the disc will eventually start to wear out or degenerate and struggle to reabsorb all of the fluid properly.
Muscle Strain
A muscle strain is when a muscle is over-pulled or stretched, causing damage to some of the muscle fibers. Muscle strains can occasionally heal on their own, but if they heal incorrectly, they can create long-term issues like changes in range of motion or chronic pain. Treating muscle strains includes treating the muscle itself with soft tissue mobilization techniques, strengthening exercises, and joint mobilization, as well as treating the surrounding tissues. Each muscle is a piece of the kinetic chain, and even small muscles make a big difference when looking at the big picture, like squatting or walking.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SI Joint Pain)
The Sacroiliac joints are two of the three joints in the pelvis. They are responsible for translating motion from the lower extremities into the thorax and upper body. The SI joints both move with each step, allowing one leg to swing forward while the other swings backward. Although each SI only moves 2-3 millimeters, they play a big role in being able to transmit force while walking, running, and more. Instability in these joints can create big issues. With such small mobility in this joint, being able to stabilize it correctly is crucial to the treatment of SI Joint Dysfunction.
Facet Joint Dysfunction
The Facet joints are on the back side of the vertebral column, and are the areas where each vertebra connects to the one above and below. The biggest joint between vertebrae is with the disc, but these two joints are where the two bones directly touch (no disc in between). This pain can often mimic what many would think of as sciatica, due to its ability to refer pain down the back. Pain will usually feel sharp or like a stabbing sensation, and is reproduced with specific movements. Chiropractic care is the best treatment for facet joints due to the ability to restore proper motion through these joints, followed by stabilizing the surrounding ligaments and musculature.
Check Out Our Location Near You
609 Attain St #141, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Frequently Asked Questions About Low Back Pain
When should I be worried about lower back pain?
Pain is your body’s way of communicating that something is wrong. The time to be truly concerned is if you lose control of bowel and bladder movement. If this is the case, head to the emergency room immediately. You are at risk for Cauda Equina Syndrome, which can create long-term, irreversible symptoms if not treated quickly.
What can I do to relieve my lower back pain in Fuquay-Varina, NC?
Chiropractic care is the best way to treat low back pain. Unlike going to a new PCP, it won’t take you months to get an appointment. We strive to get every new patient in ASAP. Not only do we treat low back pain with chiropractic adjustments, but we mix in a multitude of other treatment styles, dependent upon that specific patient’s needs. We use dry needling, deep tissue laser therapy, shockwave therapy, rehabilitation exercises, and intersegmental traction. Finding the perfect mix of these modalities is our specialty.
How do I know if my back pain is serious?
All low back pain is serious. Although some pain may be easy to ignore or self treat with over the counter medications, masking symptoms allows the problem to fester for a long period, creating a more severe issue in the future.
How should I sleep with lower back pain?
Sleep is crucial when recovering from an injury. A good position to try is on your back, with a pillow underneath your knees so your lower back is supported against the mattress.
How does a slipped disc feel?
A slipped disc will often leave you feeling “stuck”. You may find a “catch” with certain ranges of motion, and struggle to move once you hit that “stuck” point.
Why won’t my lower back pain go away?
Your lower back pain probably won’t go away because you aren’t treating it correctly. Each case is different, and it is crucial to get to the specifics of your cause. Things like muscle relaxers and pain medications often just mask the symptoms. Mechanical issues (like low back pain) respond well to mechanical treatments (adjustments), not chemical solutions (medications).
Can a Chiropractor in Fuquay-Varina, NC help with lower back pain?
Low back pain is the most common complaint with chiropractors across the country, and that holds true in our office as well. Chiropractors spend hundreds of hours in graduate-level classes studying the spine. I am confident that we can treat your low back pain, and if we cannot, we will know where to send you.
What is better for lower back pain: a chiropractor or a massage?
Although massage feels great, it isn’t usually the best answer for treating low back pain. Massage is fantastic at treating tight muscles, but doesn’t treat the underlying issues of why that muscle got tight in the first place. Chiropractic gets to the root cause, finding the area in the nervous system that is controlling that muscle group and contributing to the muscle tension.
When should I see a Chiropractor in Fuquay Varina, NC, for lower back pain?
The sooner the better. The quicker we can begin treatment, the faster you can see results. Letting a problem like low back pain continue to progress and fester often leads to weeks or months more of treatment to see similar results as a patient who is having little to no pain.
How can you tell if your spine is out of alignment?
Only 20% of an individual nerve carries pain; the other 80% carries other signals, like motor function or function to vital organs. Knowing when you have a misalignment becomes almost impossible because the misalignment usually begins long before pain is present. Just like dental cavities present before dental pain does. This is why it is so important to go to a chiropractor, who is trained in assessing and treating the spine and central nervous system.
If you’re experiencing low back pain, you might assume the best course of action is to take ibuprofen or use heat packs. While these methods provide temporary relief, they don’t address the root cause of your pain.
The most effective way to ease chronic low back pain is through active chiropractic care that can help restore spinal function and mobility. At Pinecrest Chiropractic in Fuquay-Varina, we’ll perform a complete health assessment so we can determine which areas need treatment first. Once our doctor identifies your issue, they’ll create an individualized treatment plan for you with long-term goals in mind.
You don’t have to live with low back pain. Give us a call today and schedule your Chiropractic appointment and get on the path to a pain-free life.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation, exam, doctors report of findings, PosturePro analysis, and first adjustment.
