Back Pain | Pain Management in St Louis
There are many causes of back pain, some of which are unavoidable. They can occur at any point during your life and it may take years before causing pain or other noticeable symptoms. While traumatic events like accidents and sports injuries can lead to problematic back pain, sometimes even the simplest movements, like picking up a pen from the floor, can have painful results.
As long as your back is healthy and functioning correctly, it can withstand tremendous forces without injury. But, if your back is out of alignment or has weak supporting muscles, something as simple as picking up a small child can cause a back injury. Several common causes for spinal misalignment that are not easily detected, like an acute injury that is more obvious, include:
- Poor posture
- Short leg
- Poor sleeping habits
- Holding a phone to your ear with your shoulder
- Bending forward too long
- A difficult pregnancy
- Difficult birth
- Carrying a heavy purse, briefcase or backpack
- Improper bending, lifting or carrying
- Stress or anxiety
- Environmental toxins that stress the body, like high quantities of caffeine, processed foods, smoking, alcohol
What is a Subluxation?
In simplest terms, a subluxation is when one or more of the bones of your spine, vertebrae, move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves can then cause those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the nerve signals. Your nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions of your body. If you interfere with the signals traveling over nerves, parts of your body will not get the proper nerve messages and will not be able to function at 100% of their natural abilities. In other words, some part of your body will not be working properly. If left untreated, these normally smooth surfaces on which these joints glide become rough, irritated and inflamed causing degeneration of the spine. Many people will have a subluxation long before they notice any symptoms.
Symptoms of Subluxation
The only accurate way to determine if you suffer from subluxations is to receive a chiropractic evaluation. However, a number of signs and symptoms are commonly associated with the vertebral subluxation and include:
- Neck pain, tenderness, soreness and stiffness
- Headaches
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Spinal muscle spasm, tightness or weakness
- Reduced spinal mobility
- Pain, numbness or tingling in the extremities
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Low energy
- Poor overall state of health
Several symptoms could signal nerve damage or other serious medical problems. There are many other conditions that could be causing these problems, but an early and accurate diagnosis is vital for successful treatment. Signs of a serious condition that needs immediate attention are:
- Pain that is worse when you cough and sneeze.
- Pain that awakens you from sleep.
- Difficulty urinating or constipation.
- Pain or numbness that travels down one or both legs or arms.
Subluxation Treatment in St. Louis
Chiropractic is the only health profession trained in the detection, location and correction of subluxations; and is the natural approach to healing the source of your back pain. The procedure used to correct the misaligned bone is called an adjustment. A chiropractic adjustment is the specific and gentle application of force made by hand or with an adjusting instrument to correct a Vertebral Subluxation. Our job, as natural healthcare providers, is to analyze, locate, and remove the subluxation or interference so that the body can undergo natural healing. The muscles connected to subluxated vertebrae get used to their positions and have a tendency to pull the bone back out of place. Therefore, it may take several adjustments before your spine settles into its proper alignment. Many factors affect the length of treatment, including the overall condition of your health, how long you have had your back pain condition, and how well you follow recommendations during treatment.
Are you seeking relief from back pain St. Louis or the surrounding area?
Dr. Sean Branham is well versed in the intricacies and mechanics of backpain. As a chiropractor in St. Louis, he has developed systems to provide you with relief from back pain.