Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half of the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing low back pain. The other half had no surgery, even though they had comparable diagnoses. After two years, just 26 percent of those who had surgery returned to work. That’s compared to 67 percent of patients who didn’t have surgery. In what might be the most troubling study finding, researchers determined that there was a 41 percent increase in the use of painkillers, specifically opiates, in those who had surgery.

Researchers reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half of the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing low back pain. The other half had no surgery, even though they had comparable diagnoses.

After two years, just 26 percent of those who had surgery returned to work. That’s compared to 67 percent of patients who didn’t have surgery. In what might be the most troubling study finding, researchers determined that there was a 41 percent increase in the use of painkillers, specifically opiates, in those who had surgery. The study’s lead author, Dr. Trang Nguyen, said that the study provides clear evidence that for many patients, fusion surgeries designed to alleviate pain from degenerating discs don’t work.

I have said it before (many times before), but it bears repeating: Before choosing surgery to get rid of your back pain, call your chiropractor for conservative chiropractic treatment first. Your chiropractor is a spine expert who is committed to helping back pain sufferers get out of pain through natural, non-invasive procedures. Call today. You have nothing to lose but your back pain!

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As a Chiropractor in Camarillo I know the debilitating effects of back pain. Though some people try to “ignore” their back pain in the hopes that it will go away on its own, the majority of individuals know that back pain is difficult, if not impossible, to ignore. Back pain is a constant. It interferes with a person’s ability to work and to enjoy daily life, and it makes it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. In addition, many people know that untreated back pain can cause further musculoskeletal problems. But it will, no doubt, come as a surprise to almost everyone that unaddressed back pain that lingers six months or more has been linked with a loss of brain volume that’s equivalent to 10 to 20 years of normal aging. That’s right!  According to new research at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, back pain can significantly age the brain!  A. Vania Apkarian, Ph.D. and co-author of the study, said that the decline has to do with how the brain adapts to pain, and such decline can damage a person’s ability to assess emotional cues and control emotion.

If you are someone who needed one more reason to make an appointment with your Camarillo chiropractor to get the treatment you need for your back pain, the possibility of significant brain decline might just be the “inspiration” you needed! Be smart (and stay smart) by calling your chiropractor today!

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Back pain is often a mystery to most people who are suffering from it, and chiropractors are skilled in solving their confusion. Most individuals ask: “Why is it that I have not experienced any trauma, accidents, or major injuries before the onset of my pain?” The answer is that the cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, bad work habits, improper lifting, lack of routine exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors create most back pain.

These elements add up over time and produce stresses and imbalances on the spine causing subluxations that can turn into serious back conditions. The process is similar to the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you insist upon driving anyway, there is irregular wear and tear on your tires. If you didn’t get the problem fixed, the situation would worsen until a tire “blew.” When the spine is misaligned, the function of the spine is put at risk. In other words, it’s not only a problem waiting to happen, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as seemingly benign as reaching down to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that generates back injury. When this occurs, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm in order to stabilize the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

Chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors when it comes to knowledge and treatment of the spine. They offer state-of-the-art diagnosis and experienced treatment for all musculoskeletal abnormalities. They not only provide welcomed relief if you are suffering from back pain, but they are knowledgeable about what will assist you in avoiding further back pain. As an adjunct to effective adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your Chiropractor will give you an individual exercise plan and recommend other healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

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Let’s face it. There are going to be consequences when your body is compelled to stop suddenly and unexpectedly. An emergency room attendant may offer you a clean bill of health because you haven’t sustained any broken bones, and you may be given a prescription for medication to relax the muscle spasms that you are undoubtedly experiencing due to the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you sustained from the impact. But, your condition could go from bad to much, much worse unless you’re treated for the injuries you’ve sustained. In fact, quite a few individuals encounter problems years after a car accident as the consequence of their not getting the help they needed in the first place.

Your Camarillo Chiropractor truly understands what your body undergoes during a car accident. Chiropractic therapies include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics abnormalities. And

If you’ve been in a minor auto accident, even if your car may not require much repair, you probably do. Neck and back injuries are not only painful in the places in which they take place, but they can also generate pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and create headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

You can get back on the road to feeling good again with drug-free, natural chiropractic care.  It will assist in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – in the past. Furthermore, because your chiropractor has experience working with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you undergo less physical stress, but less emotional stress, as well!

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Many times back pain is a mystery to many of the people who are afflicted by it, and chiropractors are proficient at solving their puzzlement. They want to know why it is that they have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries before the onset of their pain? The answer is that the cumulative effects of improper sitting posture, bad work habits, improper lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors cause most back pain. These factors add up over time and produce stresses and imbalances on the spine producing subluxations that can lead to serious back problems. The process is not unlike the front end of your car being out of alignment. As you continue to drive, there is irregular wear and tear on your tires. If you ignore the problem, the situation could worsen until a tire “blows.” When the spine is misaligned, the function of the spine is put at risk. In other words, it’s not only a problem waiting to happen, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as easy as reaching down to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that causes back injury. When this happens, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

Chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors when it comes to dysfunctions of the spine. They offer state-of-the-art diagnosis and experienced treatment for all muscular-skeletal dysfunctions. In addition to providing welcomed relief to individuals suffering from back pain, but they know what will assist you in avoiding further back pain. In addition to effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will offer to you a personal exercise strategy and suggest additional healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

Technorati Tags: back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, low back pain

Low back pain is second in prevalence only to the common cold. It affects more than 80% of human being. Although many of us are aware that the common cold is due to a viral infection, back pain is often a mystery to its sufferers. Your Camarillo Chiropractor is an expert at solving that mystery.

Anatomy

To understand back pain, it is important to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back consist of posterior joints called facets that join vertebrae to one another and serve to guide the movement of the spine. Inter-vertebral discs, composed of strong cartilage, link the bodies of the vertebrae. This dense cartilage covers the nucleus, a soft material in the center of the inter-vertebral discs. The principal function of the disc is as a shock absorber and spacer between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also join the vertebrae. The sacrum is a wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine. It is attached to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. The spinal cord is positioned between the facets of the vertebrae. The spinal nerves go out from the spine between the vertebrae.

Causes of Back Pain

A large number of back pain victims have not experienced any trauma, accidents or major injuries prior to the onset of their problem. The cumulative effects of unhealthy sitting posture, bad work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other poor lifestyle-related factors cause most back pain.  All of these factors produce stresses and imbalances on the spine and eventually generate pain. This is why people can often injure their back simply by bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The spine was already compromised and just the simple act of bending was enough to set off the problem. When this comes about, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Camarillo Chiropractor can help you to get out of pain quickly.

Disc Problems & Sciatica

Prolonged sitting, particularly in a unsuitable position creates increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles around the spine. Eventually the lower spine loses its customary function and no longer is prepared for the normal day-to-day stresses in ones life. Ultimately, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, allowing the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. If the disc pushes on sensitive tissues, it produces the pain that is often referred to as a slipped disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, one can develop sciatica, which is defined as pain, tingling, numbness, and on occasion weakness in the lower extremities. On occasion if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition is not managed correctly, surgery is necessary to remove the herniated disc material. With chiropractic adjustments and care, which often includes postural exercises, most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be mended. If you are experiencing any of the conditions defined above, it is very important for you to seek chiropractic assistance.

Spondylosis

Repetitive assault to the discs, facet joints, and surrounding ligaments may cause increased wearing away and weight-bearing stress on the spine. This stress can adversely affect the cartilage around the joints and cause calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae, forming bone spurs. These spurs can compress adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This condition – known as Spondylosis – is a kind of arthritis that appears to affect almost everyone at some point in life, as it is a common part of the aging process of the spine as well. However, determinants such as previous trauma, unhealthy lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influence the time of onset in life. Regular chiropractic treatment and overall chiropractic management is very effective in slowing the aging process of the spine, as well as assisting Spondylosis sufferers in managing their condition. Your Camarillo Chiropractor has helped many Spondylosis sufferers.

Sacroiliac Problems

The sacroiliac joints are a common area of dysfunction or injury in the low back. These weight-bearing joints link the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are usually very strong and stable. However with disturbances such as falls, sports injuries, or lifting heavy objects, the joints can become unstable and relocate to an abnormal position.  This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. Pregnancy can also cause this condition. Sacroiliac subluxation creates imbalances in the lower extremities giving a person a functional long and short leg. Pain occurs particularly with prolonged standing and walking, or during and after physical activity, and the individual may experience a lack of energy and exhaustion.  Frequently this imbalance can affect structures further up the spine and individuals can develop neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches. Chiropractic adjustments establish the proper alignment of the joints and are extremely affective in ameliorating sacroiliac problems. Ask your Camarillo chiropractor how you can experience effective pain relief.

Spinal Subluxation

Subluxated or misaligned facets joints are a prevalent disorder of the lower back, as well as the entire spine. Subluxations can happen on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and Spondylosis. They not only produce pain, but they can also imparel the spinal nerves as they exit the foramen or spaces between the vertebrae, and create nerve compression, known as paraethesia. Paraesthesia is a variation of sensation described as a tingling, burning or “funny feeling.” Paraesthesia in the upper extremities oftenoriginates from nerve problems in the neck, while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is very often associated with nerve dysfunctionin the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also becorrelated with, or complicated by, spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best corrected by chiropractic adjustments.

Trauma

Trauma such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury can produce over-stretching or tearing of the tissues of the spine and lower back and create extensive pain and immobility. Corrective chiropractic care at the onset of symptoms is very important in order to escape long term disability and the development of any of the above conditions. If you experience a trauma, call your chiropractor as soon as possible.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is often associated with low back pain. Chiropractic care offers exceptional pain relief.

When it comes to the spine, chiropractors have more education and training than medical doctors. I can provides state of the art diagnosis and expert treatment for any of the above-mentioned problems of the spine and lower back.

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