Back Pain…

one of the worst common pains around.  Most people say it is  second only to headaches and that is because most people even in severe pain can at least get themselves into a position that lessons the pain at least for a bit whereas severe headaches are much more difficult to placate.

However that doesn’t minimize how disruptive back pain is to a normal life.  When you have back pain the activities you can do are extremely limited and pain reliever success is minimal especially when you look long term.
I started to specialize in back pain years ago.  And over that time we have amassed a great number of tools to combat this lifestyle killer.  Each year we continue to refine the methods we use and have an incredible track record in helping people with this pain.

Tool #1  NSA

When most people think of chiropractic, they think of being popped or placed in a pretzel shape and cracked.  This type of work helps millions of people each week, but when it comes to severe back pain, this type of work can actually make you worse.  It has to do with the disc between the vertebrae.  If work is done which irritates the disc, the pain you suffer from could get worse or worse yet migrate to a different space in your body with more pain.  NSA work is extremely gentle but very effective.  It actually provides a mechanism which can take the tension out of the spinal cord, in many cases this is causing the chord to be pulled onto the budging disc.  Taking the pressure off the chord can remove or greatly decrease the pressure on the nerves allowing the nerves to generate more healing around the area.

Tool #2  Decompression.

A majority of the severe back pain cases we see are present because of past trauma which has resulted in a bulging disc.  The pressure on the nerves has the potential to stop or slow the healing of the area (because the pressure keeps the nerves from talking to the brain and telling it where the problem is).  By decompressing the disc and thus taking the pressure off the nerves, they are free to carry the information to the brain about the problem and allow the brain to coordinate the necessary processes for healing. Decompression can ultimately decrease or even remove the bulging of the disc which will remove the pressure from the nerves.  .

Tool #3 Cold Laser.

This technology is truly amazing.  The laser sends high energy photons in specific wavelengths that penetrate the body and interact with the cells of the muscles, tendons and ligaments.  These photons stimulate the mitochondria of the cells and cause them to work harder and generate more energy which the cells uses the individually heal at a greater rate.

Tool #4 Acupuncture.

This is an art that has been around for more than 3,000 years.  Think about it.  How many things we do today in medicine have been around for 100 years?  How many things that we do today will still be around in 100 years from now?  This healing art is 3,000 years old.  This should be some indication f how powerful it can be.  Does it work on everyone? Absolutely not, but it has its place in this office and has been of great use to our patients over the years.
By themselves, none of these will be amazing, but working with each other, the results speak for themselves.  Also, we do a lot of work each visit tweaking the settings for the best possible outcomes.  This is one reason that experience can really come in handy.