The most common reason people visit my office is low back pain. The odds are you are one of them – and you are not alone. Below are the causes and consequences of low back pain (LBP).
Low Back Pain: Causes and Consequences
LBP affects 540 million people globally, yet despite numerous studies, the condition remains complex and specific causes of LBP often can’t be identified, so researchers label most cases “nonspecific LBP”. The rare exceptions can urgently require treatment, like fractures, inflammatory disorders, malignancy, infections, and abdominal causes. However, a recent study in The Lancet found such diagnoses in less than one percent of cases.
The Lancet researchers examined widely held beliefs regarding disc and facet degeneration and LBP and found them largely wanting. But the role of genetic predisposition, local social beliefs, and marketing messaging was supported.
So what is the cause of 99% of all LBP cases if it’s “nonspecific”? That’s the $80-billion question.
Study after study has shown hands-on chiropractic to be an affordable treatment for LBP. Chiropractic science has proven that altered relationships between vertebrae can cause a host of problems – with pain being one of them. If you have a structural issue, it needs to be addressed physically – not chemically.
The study also recommends:
- Avoiding opioids (painkillers, aka narcotics)
- Less imaging, medication, and surgery
- More self-care
- Changing belief and behaviors.
I’m here when you need me.