Causes of Back Pain
The causes of Back and Neck Pain can be many and varied. Although the majority of back and neck pain is due to muscular and skeletal issues.
Pain is rarely due to serious conditions and rarely needs complicated and expensive tests. Unfortunately, back and neck pain is endemic in the population, with somewhere between 50-80% of the population experiencing back or neck pain in their lifetime. The issue has often become complicated by those who wish to protect their turf and benefit economically from it.
A skilled practitioner should be able determine those rare cases where something is more complicated and refer for appropriate testing and management, by the other health professionals. Chiropractors are part of your Health Care Team!
Most commonly back and neck pain is caused by dysfunction or injury of the joints or soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) of the spine.
Dysfunction of the joints causes stress to the joint structures and the supporting tissue, which results in pain, stiffness or restriction of mobility.
Injury to the soft tissues results from either acute/sudden trauma (such as a lifting injury) or from the repetitive micro-trauma of daily activities (poor desk posture etc.).
Chiropractors are one of the professions best equipped to diagnose, treat and/or help you manage your back or neck pain.
Recent research has warned to avoid medication as the first line in management of back and neck pain, prolonged rest has long been shown to be the wrong approach. Heat, spinal manipulation and exercise are the choice for evidence based care, in all good guidelines for management of low back and neck pain.
