By Dr. David Packer
Lots of us suffer from lower back pain. You might tell yourself it’s just part of getting older or maybe you overdid it last weekend. Maybe if you take a few pain pills and rest, the problem will take care of itself. Unfortunately, not addressing lower back pain may lead to more serious issues later. It might be something relatively minor, but left untreated it could become worse.
But where do you turn for answers? When it comes to lower back pain, everyone has an opinion. Should you see your primary care physician, an orthopedic surgeon, a neurologist, a chiropractor? If you ask five people, you’ll probably get six answers and still not know where to start.
Know the Questions to Ask?
- Has the low back pain been there for years, or is it relatively new?
- Are there certain activities that aggravate my back pain?
- Is it preventing me from doing my job or things I enjoy?
- Can anything be done about my back pain?
- Where do I go for an accurate diagnosis?
This article will address some of the most common questions about lower back pain. It will also help you decide if you should seek a healthcare professional to investigate the pain. The short answer is: It depends…
When it comes to back pain, the most important piece of the puzzle is getting an accurate diagnosis from a primary spine care doctor who can work with you and your other healthcare providers to get you the answers you need
Precision Spinal Care follows very specific AMA guidelines to diagnose and document your pain, prescribe a treatment plan, and reevaluate that plan every 30 days to track your progress.
Why should I worry about lower back pain?
Before you take your next steps, it is always best to educate yourself. Back pain is the number one reason for disability, work absenteeism, lost productivity and the opioid crisis.
Sometimes back pain can be relieved with self remedies such as rest, ice, heat or over-the-counter medications. However, if the pain persists or worsens, it is advisable to seek answers from a primary spine care doctor who can evaluate and diagnose your pain and set you on the right path to improve your condition.
Evaluation and Diagnosis of Back Pain
The only way to know the correct treatment for your back pain is to first know the cause.
Back pain is typically caused by anatomical or mechanical factors. Only a thorough orthopedic, neurological and biomechanical spine exam can help the doctor differentiate the cause of your pain.
Proper imaging may also reveal the most appropriate course of action. Before you move forward with any treatment plan, it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis to see what exactly is causing your lower back pain.
The problem could be from an anatomical source, such as a tumor, fracture or herniated disc. MRIs, CTs and static x-rays are best for identifying anatomical causes of pain. If it is determined that your pain is anatomical, we will refer you to an orthopedic surgeon or other spine specialist to further investigate.
The second source of pain is usually mechanical. Mechanical pain is best shown by static and/or motion x-rays. The American Medical Association (AMA) provides very specific guidelines for assessing and diagnosing mechanical sources of pain. At Precision Spinal Care, we follow these well-documented, evidence-based AMA guidelines to identify mechanical sources of pain.
Treatment Plan
If we determine chiropractic is the most appropriate form of care for your situation, we will recommend a specific treatment plan in order to correct the mechanical issues with your spine.
Re-evaluation
Any valid form of spinal care should be re-evaluated for results every 30 days. We will thoroughly re-examine you and compare not just how you feel but your objective exams to track your progress and if your spine is truly healing.
We work with you to come up with a treatment plan that is reasonable and works for you. Our goal is to optimize your outcomes and get you feeling better so you can enjoy your normal active lifestyle.
Chiropractic Treatment for Lower Back Pain
You have lots of choices when it comes to taking care of your lower back pain. Knowing which way to turn can be really confusing.
The first order of business is to find out what is causing the pain. Once we determine the cause of your pain we benchmark where you are so we can quantifiably reevaluate you every 30 days to make sure you are making progress.
Know the proper steps!
- Thorough evaluation to determine the cause of your back pain
- Document and benchmark your current condition.
- Come up with an appropriate treatment plan.
- Reevaluate your condition every 30 days to make sure you are making progress.
We understand that you need to explore all your options when you look for expert chiropractic care. At Precision Spinal Care we are happy to help you determine the best way to address your specific needs.
Call our office at (757) 382-5555 to speak to the doctor or set up a consultation. You can also set up an appointment through our website.
