Overcoming Chronic Back Pain

Have you dealt with back pain that has lasted months... years... DECADES? Chronic back pain might seem like a life sentence to a painful existence, but the good news is it doesn't have to be that way!

First of all, let's take a look at what chronic back pain actually is. Chronic back pain is generally defined as persistent back pain lasting for three months or longer. It can affect the neck, shoulders, upper, middle and lower back, and even radiate pain down into the buttocks, legs and feet.

But "chronic back pain" itself is not an actual diagnosis. It's merely a symptom of a problem.

Diagnosing chronic back pain

Perhaps no myth about back surgery is so pervasive as the inevitability of spinal surgery for treating recurring or chronic back pain. The good news is nothing could be farther from the truth for the vast majority of patients.

Outside of treatment for a traumatic injury or an operation to remove tumors from the spine, very little scientific evidence shows back surgery as any more effective than much less invasive methods of treating back pain. Some studies suggest as few as 2% of all back pain sufferers would benefit from any form of spinal surgery.

Fortunately for those suffering from back pain, there are numerous effective treatments which require no surgery ranging from physical therapy, to chiropractic care, to muscle balance therapy.

Myth: Herniated discs require corrective back surgery

The simple fact that you've had persistent pain for over three months clearly indicates you have a problem that won't just go away on its own. And certainly any doctor telling you "it's all in your head" or "learn to live with the pain" isn't going to help the problem.

Chronic back pain can result from pulled muscles, herniated discs, arthritis, and many other reasons. Many doctors start with X-rays or other imaging procedures such as an MRI or CT scan when searching for a physical condition behind your pain.

Sometimes those results can be misleading though. In one study of people who have NEVER complained of chronic back pain, nearly half were found to have herniated discs, pinched nerves, cracked vertebrae, or other physical problems that one would expect to cause significant back pain.

This limitation of imaging is why it's important to choose a healthcare practitioner who will use a complete physical assessment to identify problem areas at the heart of your chronic back pain.

Finding the source of chronic back pain

Almost every case of chronic back pain can be traced to one of two root causes: trauma or postural dysfunctions. Let's take a quick look at each.

When your back has received some type of injury, this is known as trauma. This may be caused by a car accident, a slip and fall, or a physical assault. Chronic back pain caused by trauma may be easier to diagnose because there is an obvious injury to a known location from a known incident that can be investigated further.

With trauma, back pain commonly starts as acute (sudden onset) at the time of the trauma, then is labeled chronic as the pain lingers on. On the other hand, chronic back pain from postural dysfunctions can be trickier to diagnose. There usually isn't a single point of reference to begin investigating the cause of pain. This is where a physical assessment becomes especially important.

During a physical assessment, your healthcare provider will examine range of motion, strength, flexibility, and posture. During the examination, specific muscle imbalances will be noted. These muscle imbalances are the real reason behind postural dysfunctions, and the ultimate source of almost all non-trauma related chronic back pain symptoms.

Healing chronic back pain by correcting muscle imbalances

Understanding muscle imbalances is the key to unlocking the secret of healing chronic back pain. That's because in every case of chronic back pain caused by postural dysfunctions, and many caused by trauma, a back weakened from muscle imbalances provided an environment ripe for injury.

But our backs are resilient structures. In fact, our bodies will usually heal themselves given the right conditions. Getting rid of chronic back pain is often a matter of creating those right conditions: by removing the muscle imbalances.

Most people have never heard of muscle imbalances, so let me explain with a brief illustration. On your car are four tires. When the car is in proper alignment, the tires wear evenly and last much longer. Driving while out of alignment causes the tires to wear unevenly and wear out much faster. Do that long enough and you risk having a catastrophic blowout down the road.

Muscle imbalances are very similar. When one set of muscles in your back become stronger than an opposing set, unequal stress is placed on the vertebrae, muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments throughout the affected area. Over time this can cause strained muscles, herniated discs, and even permanent injury if left uncorrected.

Muscle imbalances are caused by poor posture, repetitive motions, and hundreds of other reasons. Fortunately, correcting muscle imbalances only requires two relatively simple steps:

1) accurately identify the muscle imbalances; and
2) use proper stretching and strength building exercises designed to remove the imbalance.

Take care of your muscle imbalances, and most of the time your body will heal itself. See your healthcare provider or visit our website to learn more about how identifying and removing muscle imbalances can help you permanently eliminate your chronic back pain.