20% more likely risk in getting back pain

  Not to fret – there are ways to ensure that we do not experience chronic back problems in the future. These measures include maintaining a healthy weight, maintaining proper posture and stretching before strenuous activities.  Maintaining a healthy weight is very important in keeping a healthy back. Michael F. Roizen, MD states in a recent article that “more weight equals more pain.” Sadly, this is true. Just being overweight results in a 20% more likely risk in getting back pain, while being obese triples the risk. Carrying extra weight only increases the weight and pressure being put on the spine. When too much pressure is put on the spine, a disease called degenerative disc disease (DDD) forms. After much research, I learned DDD is the breakdown of the spinal discs. These discs are heavily impacted and degenerate causing other long-term problems such as osteoarthritis, herniated discs and even nerve destruction.  Activity as simple as walking and eating fewer unhealthy foods reduces the risk of back-related diseases. Another way we can safeguard the health of our back is to simply sit up strait. Good posture is the key to a good back. Like they say, nothing good comes easy and that’s true in this case. While it is easier to slouch, sitting up strait comes with more pros and can positively affect ones life. Practicing good posture as in sitting up strait, standing tall and lying down on our backs or stomachs, we can reduce the risks of chronic back pain. Being active and avoiding a pull of a muscle means stretching. It is important to stretch before strenuous activities. By stretching and warming up our muscles in our body, the chances of tensing up is much less reducing the risk of dislocating or pulling a ligament or muscle in our back. 

     The interventions a chiropractor uses while treating back pain include spinal mobilization, the activator method and the spinal traction method. After researching these three methods, I realized chiropractic care comes with much hands-on work. Fist, spinal manipulation has many approaches - one being the diversified technique also known as “high velocity, low amplitude thrust.”  While this technique is a more forceful approach, it aims to improve and restore the damaged joint function. Chiropractors use only their hands in order to apply a certain force to a specific joint in a certain way resulting in a popping noise. A more technical form of the diversified technique is the activator method - a more gentle method that uses a device called an Activator Adjusting Instrument. This handheld device is small and mobile. The function of the tool is to deliver a gentle impulse force to the spine. By doing this, a patient should be able to restore the damaged area. Another common method is the spinal traction method. This is used to reduce pain in the spine, properly align the spine and give a proper stretching for the bones in the area.  According to Heathline.com, Heaven Stubblefield states “Many patients find great success with spinal traction. Some patients only need spinal traction therapy for a short period of time. Others need it throughout their lives.” So the work done by Chiropractors is crucial to the result of a “pain free” life. While some back problem situations are a quick fix, others are a persistent case that requires focused attention. Without the help of Chiropractors, athletes and people with chronic back pain would not be able to continue with their everyday lives.