4 Causes of Chronic Back Pain

Throughout your life, injuries are likely to occur, especially in your back. In most cases, your pain gets better after a few days of rest and home care. However, if your pain persists for weeks to months, something more could be going on that's causing you to experience chronic back pain.

Not to worry though, our team at Pinnacle Health Chiropractic is here to help you battle your pain. Our staff is led by Dr. Jason Ablett, our experienced chiropractor. He helps you identify the cause of your back pain, so he is able to formulate a treatment plan to get you back on your feet.

What causes back pain?

Back pain is a nuisance, and can be caused by simply sleeping in the wrong position, or from an acute injury like a pulled muscle. However, in most cases, back pain goes away on its own after rest and other conservative treatments. 

There are more serious causes of back pain that lead to chronic pain. Even with conservative treatments, your pain could persist and even get worse. Here are four of the most common conditions that cause chronic back pain:

1. Disc problems

Disc problems, such as a herniated disc or a bulging disc, leads to pain that can be very severe at times. Disc issues usually cause pain because the injured part of the disc puts pressure on the nerves in your spine. 

2. Injuries

Back injuries are very common, and can be the result of bending over to pick up something, or twisting the wrong way during a workout. Injuries involve strained muscles or ligaments, and in severe cases, fractures. Injuries also can lead to muscle spasms, which are very painful and uncomfortable.

3. Sciatica

Your sciatic nerve is a large nerve that runs from your back down your legs. A herniated disc can put pressure on this nerve, leading to not only back pain, but pain and tingling down one or both of your legs.

4. Structural problems

One of the most common structural problems in your spine is scoliosis. Scoliosis is caused by an abnormal curvature in your spine. This puts strain on your ligaments and muscles, which leads to chronic pain if you don’t get the problem corrected.

These are only a few of the problems that cause chronic pain in your back. Less common causes include infection, arthritis, and osteoporosis. However, if you have severe pain that comes on suddenly or have changes with your bowel or bladder habits, make sure to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Treatments to ease your pain

The type of treatment you need for your back pain depends on what’s causing the pain and the severity of the problem. In most cases, your pain can be managed with conservative treatments. These may include:

• Rest
• Ice or heat
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Activity modifications
• Stretching

Although these treatments may help your pain after a few days to weeks, Dr. Ablett can help to speed your recovery through myofascial release techniques. He uses specialized instruments and tools to work deep into the tissues in your back that are tight and causing pain.

Your fascia is connective tissue in your body that holds everything from your muscles to your organs in place. Along with giving structure to the different parts of your body, the layer of fascia also contains nerves, making it very sensitive to injury. 

To help ease your pain, Dr. Ablett uses different techniques to help relax the layers of fascia in your back. He does this by gently stretching the affected area, and using the tools to get deep down into the tight areas of tissue.

You may feel some relief after your very first session with Dr. Ablett; however, you’ll most likely need to come back for several sessions to completely release the tissue that’s causing your pain.

If you’ve been dealing with back pain that just won’t quit, book an appointment online with Dr. Ablett, or you can call Pinnacle Health Chiropractic today.