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Lower Back Pain Treatment

Lower Back Pain Symptoms

Sometimes lower back pain affects more than just your back. Depending on what’s causing your lower back pain, it may be accompanied by a wide variety of symptoms, including:

  • Incontinence
  • Numbness or tingling in the legs
  • Worsening pain when walking
  • Weakness or atrophy of leg muscles
  • Fever
  • Rash
  • Chills
  • Abdominal pain
  • Weight loss
  • Dizziness
  • Burning feeling when urinating
  • Fatigue
  • Joint pain

Lower Back Pain Causes

A wide variety of factors can lead to lower back pain from repetitive motion to illness to injury and many things in between. Here are some of the more common causes of lower back pain:

  • Lumbar strain is a stretch injury involving the tendons, ligaments, or muscles of the lower back.
  • Nerve irritation can be caused by anything from disease to a nerve being pinched between two bones (such as two vertebrae).
  • Bony encroachment, where the growth or movement of the spinal column reduces the amount of space the spinal cord and nerves have.
  • Bone and joint conditions caused by wear and tear, injury, inflammation (arthritis), or a genetic problem.
  • Kidney problems like infections, stones, or bleeding can cause pain in the lower to middle back.
  • Pregnancy can put a massive strain on a pregnant woman’s body. Hormone changes associated with pregnancy can also lead to back pain.
  • Ovary problems like endometriosis, ovarian cysts, or uterine fibroids can cause pain that affects the lower back.
  • Tumors on or near the spine or spinal cord can cause pain, sometimes accompanied by loss of muscle or nerve function.

Less common causes of lower back pain include:

  • Paget’s disease usually occurs in people over the age of 50 and can lead to weakened or deformed bones and localized bone pain.
  • Pelvic bleeding or infection usually happens in people taking blood thinners and can become life-threatening.
  • An aorta aneurysm is typically found in elderly people and is caused by a weakening of the blood vessel walls which can lead to a bulging of the aorta.
  • Infection of the spine cartilage or bone is rare but serious and usually requires a long course of antibiotics to treat.
  • Shingles are caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It usually only affects one side of the torso and is accompanied by small blisters.

Risk Factors for Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain can strike anybody. However, there are some risk factors that make a person more susceptible to lower back pain, including:

  • Heavy lifting or throwing
  • Athletic activity
  • Traumatic injury
  • Pregnancy
  • Kidney infection
  • Older age
  • Osteoporosis
Lower Back Pain Treatment by Southside Chiropractic & Car Injury Clinic

Diagnosing Lower Back Pain

Since the treatment for lower back pain may vary depending on what’s causing it, it’s important for a doctor or chiropractor to diagnose the cause of the back pain. Some types of lower back pain can be diagnosed with a physical exam and discussion of the symptoms, while other types of lower back pain may require additional testing to confirm a diagnosis, such as urine or blood tests, x-rays, bone scans, MRI scans, CT scans, and nerve tests like electromyograms (EMG) and nerve conduction velocities (NCV).

Lower Back Pain Treatments

Treatment for lower back pain will vary widely depending on what’s causing it. A few lower back pain treatments include:

  • Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve)
  • Ice (to reduce swelling) or heat (to manage pain)
  • Rest, or avoid activities that aggravate lower back pain
  • Topical pain-relieving creams or ointments
  • Prescription medications such as pain relievers or steroids
  • Exercise or stretching
  • Physical therapy
  • Ultrasound
  • Traction
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
  • Acupuncture
  • Surgery
  • Chiropractic care

Chiropractic Treatment for Lower Back Pain

Chiropractic care involves spinal manipulation and other techniques to relieve lower back pain involving your joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage.  A chiropractor may also suggest exercises you can do at home to strengthen your back muscles or relieve your lower back pain.

Herniated Discs/Lower Back Pain FAQs

What is the Difference Between Low Back Pain and a Herniated Disc?

Having back pain is never fun. There are so many causes of low back pain that it can be hard to determine why you are hurting. So, what is the difference between regular low back pain and a herniated disc?

Low back pain is any pain that occurs in your low back. It has a lot of causes. These include muscle strains or ligament sprains, degenerative disc diseases, joint dysfunction, osteoarthritis, and more.

Herniated discs are a cause of low back pain. They occur when there is an injury to the discs that cushion each vertebra in our spines. These discs have two layers, an inner and an outer. When the inner layer is pushed through a tear in the outer layer, the disc is said to be herniated. 

What Are the Symptoms of a Herniated Disc?

Herniated discs can be asymptomatic or extremely painful. If you have symptoms of a lower back herniated disc they will include the following.

  • Pain in your buttocks, thigh, calf, and foot.
  • Numbness or tingling in your lower body.
  • Muscle weakness in your lower body.

Make sure to visit a chiropractor if you begin having any or all of the symptoms listed above. You will need to begin treatment for a herniated disc immediately. In Jacksonville, FL, your source for the best-herniated disc care is Southside Chiropractic Car Injury Clinic. 

What Are the Symptoms of Low Back Pain?

Low back pain symptoms may seem to be fairly straightforward. The description is even in the name. You will likely feel pain in your lower back. However, the severity and type of low back pain can vary significantly. Here are a few of the most common signs to watch out for.

  • A dull ache in your lower back.
  • Sharp, piercing pain in your lower back.
  • Pain that travels from your buttocks to your legs and feet.
  • Pain increases when you sit for an extended period.
  • Pain that reduces as you move around.

Low back pain can also come on suddenly, come and go, and develop slowly over time. The type of low back pain you have depends on the underlying condition causing the pain.

What Are the Treatments for Herniated Discs and Low Back Pain?

There are many treatments available for herniated discs and low back pain. Here are the common solutions to both problems.

Low Back Pain

  • NSAIDs
  • Heating Pad
  • Gentle Exercise
  • Massage
  • Physical Therapy
  • Steroid Injection
  • Nerve Stimulation
  • Chiropractic Care

Herniated Discs

  • Surgery
  • Bed rest
  • NSAIDs
  • Physical Therapy
  • Massage
  • Steroid Injections
  • Chiropractic Care

How Can a Chiropractor Help Herniated Discs and Low Back Pain?

Chiropractors can reduce all types of low back pain, including pain from herniated discs. First, they will determine the cause of your low back pain. Second, they will set out a treatment plan based on your diagnosis.

Most low back pain treatment plans, including those for herniated discs, include spinal manipulations and lifestyle changes. Your chiropractor may also recommend massage therapy. By manipulating and strengthening your spine, the chiropractor can ease your low back pain and herniate disc symptoms as well as address the underlying causes of the pain.

Contact Southside Chiropractic to learn more about our low back pain and herniated disc treatment plans.

About a third of all people who visit a chiropractor are searching for relief from back pain, including lower back pain. If you’re suffering from lower back pain, click here or call Southside Chiropractic Car Injury Clinic today at 904-497-0823 to schedule a consultation to see if we can help relieve your lower back pain.

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