Research suggests that 50% of Americans will suffer from low back pain during their lifetime, with 35% of you suffering at any given moment. Low back pain is a significant expense to Americans, with over $50 billion spent each year on surgeries, medicines, and therapies to help manage the pain. When you start looking at indirect costs, like loss of productivity in the workplace due to pain, that number doubles to over $100 billion spent each year. This is called presenteeism – employees show up for work but often do not perform their best due to their pain or being under the influence of pain medication.
Turning to medication is often the strategy in the traditional medical model. Low back pain is one of the most significant catalysts for our current opioid epidemic as medical doctors scramble to treat the pain instead of getting to the root cause of the problem. We all know the cost of the opioid epidemic if addiction settles in, not only the toll it takes on bank accounts but also on relationships and quality of life. We’d like to help as many people as possible avoid that at all costs.
Another way people often deal with low back pain is through surgery. Research shows that when you first begin to suffer from acute low back pain, and your first stop is a medical doctor, about 20% of you will end up having surgery. Often surgeries are unsuccessful, leaving you frustrated and back at square one. On the other hand, if you seek out a chiropractor first, less than 5% of you will end up in surgery. In my 20+ years of practice, I’ve only had three patients end up having surgery. That’s less than 1%. In all three cases, they had been suffering for decades before they sought treatment. And all three of those people continued their chiropractic care after surgery to help prevent further surgeries because they now understand the importance of taking care of their spine.
Most folks understand that when you have problems in the spine or a pinched nerve, or what we call a subluxation in the spine, they always assume they will be able to feel that. And in some cases, they can, but that’s not always true. Less than 10% of the nerves in your body are sensory and contain pain receptors. That means the other 90% of your nerves are not sensory and don’t send pain signals but rather control the systems and organs in your body. That is called the autonomic nervous system. That system regulates involuntary processes, including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and the reproductive system.
$77 Complete Health Screening For Low Back Pain
$77 for a complete low back pain health screening including a consultation, exam, x-rays, computer scans, thermography, EMG, and a report of findings.
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How Our Low Back Pain Care Works
1. Feel Better
The first weeks of intensive care will have you feeling better as we address problems and stop further damage.
2. Get Stronger
Your body will grow stronger as we realign the body and train the spine to hold and support a healthier position.
3. Be Healthier
A healthier spinal structure will unlock your true health potential, while regular checkups will maintain optimal health.
How We Treat Low Back Pain in Mt. Pleasant, TX
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
We like to get to the root cause of your low back pain. We do a thorough exam, including x-rays, body scans, and foot scans, to find out exactly what is going on so we can start treating you from a whole-body perspective. We use the latest technology and techniques for the most gentle and effective treatment available. It’s crucial that we have a way to measure the function of all your nerves, not just the ones that can communicate pain to you.
We use two different types of scans to check nerve function.
Thermography Scan – A test that uses an infrared camera rolled down the spine to detect heat patterns and blood flow in body tissues. If there’s inflammation, it will be picked up by the thermography scan to pinpoint the location of the problem.
Surface EMG Scan – This is a diagnostic procedure to assess the health of muscles and the nerves that control them. EMG results can reveal nerve dysfunction, muscle dysfunction, or problems with the nerve-to-muscle signals.
In addition, we also do orthopedic, neurological, and posture exams so that we can get a clear picture of your unique situation and tailor a care plan just for you.
X-Rays
In addition to the scans, we also do a complete set of X-rays. There are a few reasons why we x-ray almost every patient we see. First, it shows us whether or not you have a subluxation (spine out of alignment) and helps us determine whether we can help. Also, x-rays are vital in determining how long you’ve been injured, giving us insight as we develop a care plan for you. Lastly, it provides us with a baseline to compare future x-rays. About every four months, we take a new set of x-rays to check your progress. It’s rewarding for the patient and doctor to see all the time and effort you have put into your healing pay off when you see the old and new x-rays side by side. X-rays are also helpful in deciding future care and mapping out a plan to get you back to health.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Mt. Pleasant, TX
Low back pain is a spine problem and, in most cases, a nerve problem. The brain controls every function in the body by sending signals through the spinal cord. For all your cells and organs to truly be healthy, we need a clear pathway from the brain to send signals down. The reverse is also true. Every system and organ needs a clear path to the brain to send messages about the environment around them.
Chiropractic adjustments can help relieve low back pain by addressing underlying mechanical problems in the spine. When the joints in the spine are not moving correctly, it can cause tension and inflammation in the surrounding muscles and tissues, leading to pain and discomfort.
Adjustments restore proper movement and alignment to reduce tension and inflammation in the surrounding tissues, which can help alleviate pain and discomfort in the low back. They also improve nerve function in the low back. When the joints in the spine are not moving correctly, they can compress or irritate the nerves that run through the spinal column. By restoring proper joint movement and alignment, chiropractic adjustments can help to reduce nerve irritation and improve nerve function, which can help to further reduce pain and improve overall function in the low back.
Chiropractic adjustments are a safe and effective way to address mechanical problems in the spine and alleviate low back pain without using drugs or surgery. If you’re suffering from low back pain, we’d love to get you in so that we can do a thorough examination and see how we can help you get back to doing the things you need to do, want to do, and love to do.
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A Jones2023-10-23Very knowledgable and kind staff.Kim Howard2023-10-18Durrum has made a believer out of me! They have fixed things I didn’t know were messed up! We feel 100 times better than we did before.Clinton Winkworth2023-10-05Everything was explained thoroughly. Dr.Durrum made sure I fully understood what was going on with my case and how we were going to approach correcting it.Terry Terhune2023-09-27Best chiropractor care bu far with even better people. These folks love their patients.K Graham2023-09-19I have finally found a place and a doctor that is going to give me my life back! Love Dr Courtney and the staff! A positive place to be!Lindsay Frederick2023-09-12I was in so much pain and couldn’t walk or stand up for long periods of time. And after 2 months of seeing them and doing my exercises I can stand and walk for a good length of time.Glenda Brooks2023-09-11Great adjustment today. Feel better already
Common Causes of Low Back Pain
Strains and Sprains
A strain and a sprain are two types of soft tissue injuries that can occur in the back and cause low back pain.
- Strain: an injury to a muscle or tendon in the back, often caused by overuse. Symptoms of a strain may include pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion.
- Sprain: an injury to a ligament in the back, which is the tissue that connects bones to each other. Sprains can occur when the ligaments are stretched or torn due to sudden movements or trauma. Symptoms of a sprain may include pain, swelling, and bruising.
Both strains and sprains can cause low back pain by putting pressure on the muscles and nerves in the area. The pain may be felt in the lower back, but it can also radiate to other parts of the body, such as the buttocks, legs, and feet.
Herniated Disc
Our spinal discs are shock absorbers to our spine and provide space for our nerves to exit the spinal cord and service the body. A herniated disc is when the soft gel-like center of a spinal disc protrudes through a tear in the disc’s outer layer. This can cause pressure on the nearby nerves and lead to pain, numbness and tingling, muscle weakness and spasm, inflammation, and restricted movement.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a condition characterized by inflammation and stiffness in the joints. There are many types of arthritis, but two of the most common types that can cause low back pain are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the joints wears down over time. When this happens in the joints of the lower back, it can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Osteoarthritis can be caused by aging, obesity, or previous injuries to the lower back.
Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints, leading to inflammation and damage. When this happens in the joints of the lower back, it can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause other symptoms, such as fatigue and fever.
In addition to causing pain and stiffness in the lower back, arthritis can lead to other complications, such as nerve compression and spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), which can cause additional pain and discomfort.
Subluxation
Subluxation is a misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine that may affect the normal function of the nervous system. Many factors, such as poor posture, repetitive stress, or trauma, can cause the misalignment.
When a subluxation occurs in the lower back, it can cause pressure on the spinal nerves, leading to low back pain, nerve irritation, restricted movement, muscle tension, and postural issues. It can also affect communication between the brain and the body resulting in the dysfunction of cells, organs, tissues, or entire body systems.
Chiropractic care can help correct subluxations and restore the normal function of the nervous system, reducing pain and other symptoms. Treatment may include spinal adjustments, therapeutic exercises, and other techniques to improve posture and reduce stress on the lower back.
Poor Posture
Posture is critical to the spine’s structural integrity and, therefore, our overall health. Poor posture can contribute to low back pain by putting additional stress and pressure on the muscles, ligaments, and joints in the lower back. Poor posture results in muscle imbalances, spinal misalignments, disc pressure, and poor circulation, leading to low back pain.
To help prevent low back pain caused by poor posture, it’s essential to maintain good posture throughout the day, including when sitting, standing, and walking. This may involve changing your work environment, such as adjusting your chair and computer screen or incorporating regular breaks to stretch and move around. Regular exercise and stretching can also help to improve posture and reduce low back pain.
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1318 S Jefferson Ave, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I be worried about lower back pain?
Pain may be common, but it is not normal. Pain is the body’s way of alerting us to a problem. Lower back pain may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition, so it’s important to get assessed as soon as you begin to feel discomfort.
Can chiropractic care help with low back pain?
Yes, chiropractic care can be effective for treating low back pain. Chiropractors use hands-on manipulation of the spine to improve mobility and reduce pain. They may also use other techniques such as massage, exercise, and stretching to help relieve pain and improve function.
What causes low back pain?
Lower back pain can have many causes, including muscle or ligament strain, disc problems, arthritis, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, or subluxation. There are many other potential causes of lower back pain, so it’s important to consult your chiropractor to determine the underlying cause of your symptoms.
Why won’t my low back pain go away?
Merely addressing the symptom of pain will only provide temporary relief. You must address the underlying cause of the problem to get long-term relief from low back pain. This could be a subluxation, poor posture or ergonomics, muscle imbalances and weakness, stress, lack of exercise, etc. At Durrum Chiropractic, we’ll get to the root cause of the problem.
How can you tell if your spine is out of alignment?
It can be challenging to tell if your spine is out of alignment without a proper evaluation by a chiropractor since only 10% of our nerves deal with pain and the other 90% with function. However, some common signs and symptoms that may indicate your spine is out of alignment are pain or discomfort, limited range of motion, structural imbalances in the shoulders or hips, headaches, numbness or tingling, and dysfunction in the body. A chiropractor can thoroughly evaluate your spine and develop a customized treatment plan to address any alignment issues.
$77 Complete Health Screening For Low Back Pain
$77 for a complete low back pain health screening including a consultation, exam, x-rays, computer scans, thermography, EMG, and a report of findings.