If you have spent the time to read our other two blog posts on lower back pain, you would have heard us discuss some of the main causes of lower back pain, the effects it has on society and why we should address it in its infancy. Hopefully, you would have also followed through on some of our recommendations on how to address it in the workplace and at home and have already started to see some improvement.
This blog post is going to detail how we specifically treat lower back pain at Advanced Health Chiropractic and how we have helped over 7,000 of your south loop and Chicago neighbors effectively deal with a similar issue.
Before treating any condition, the root cause of the issue must be diagnosed and highlighted before any form of treatment is commenced. This must start with a detailed health history so we can piece together the timeline of what may have caused or is causing your lower back pain and how it is affecting your life. We will also focus the consultation on laying down specific goals for us all to work towards.
Following the consultation, a detailed examination will be performed, which consists of assessing the range of motion in your lower back, which will help us diagnose any soft tissue that may be causing your lower back pain. A functional movement exam will also be performed to assess how well or poorly the muscle groups in your lower back are working. These two exams will allow us to figure out key pieces of information that will be imperative when treating your lower back pain. Lastly, we will take some digital x-rays, to evaluate the structure and function of your spine so we can objectively diagnose the root cause of your issue, allowing us to put together a specific plan of action to get your lower back pain corrected.
Once the evaluation has been completed, we will go through our treatment recommendations, with a customized treatment plan put in place to get you working towards your goals.
Our first goal is to improve range of motion within the joint and the tissue. We achieve this through addressing the soft tissue through trigger point therapy, which works on breaking down scar tissue within the muscles. By doing this we can improve the resting length of the tissue. We will then perform both static and dynamic stretching to improve the flexibility in the joint and tissue. We use state of the art vibrational technology via the power plate, which increases muscle fiber recruitment to decrease healing time.
Chiropractic adjustments will be performed to the lower back to improve joint mechanics and take stress and tension off the joint, tissue and nerve. Following this, traction will be performed to the lower back, addressing structural shifts in the spine, allowing for objective and long-term improvement. We practice a specific technique called Chiropractic BioPhysics, which is the most clinically researched and supported form of chiropractic, which offers an objective change in the spine and long-term results.
In phase one, you should expect to see an improvement in both the frequency of the pain and the quality of the pain. Also, we should see an improvement in our daily function. Once we have seen improvement in these three areas we can then start to increase the treatment protocols through some specific soft tissue therapy called myofascial release, which takes the damaged lower back tissue through a range of motion while under tension, allowing us to restore the tissue to its full health. To supplement this, a more dynamic form of physical therapy will be performed to address weaknesses in the core and posterior chain. This is where we will address weak muscles and begin to stabilize them so they can start supporting your lower back, especially when in motion. After this phase, we should see a great improvement in how well the lower back moves, as having better mobility will create less compensation on the lower back. We will also be far more stable and will be able to accommodate functions we were struggling to perform before, such as bending and lifting, working out, or even sitting pain-free at work.
In phase three we really focus on improving movement patterns and global movement as a whole, by stabilizing and strengthening the lower back, pelvic floor, and posterior chain, allowing for long term results. Once we have achieved our goals and we are pain-free, we will provide you with all of the tools and information you need to make sure your lower back pain does not return and you can enjoy life as you should, without limitation and restriction.
Advanced Health Chiropractic separates itself from other clinics as the way we approach and treat lower back pain encompasses all forms of treatment, from chiropractic care to traction to soft tissue therapy and physical therapy. In health care, there is too much of ‘this way is better than your way’, which pigeonholes many clinics and providers in to only practicing a certain way. When a combined approach is used, it utilizes the best pieces from multiple disciplines allowing for a unique form of treatment, which offers unique results.
If you have been suffering with lower back pain for longer than six months, have seen three or more providers and still have not found the results you are looking for, then I encourage you to give us a call. Through a detailed health history, a comprehensive exam, we will be able to pinpoint your issue and provide you with specific steps of how we can get your lower back pain corrected quickly and objectively for the long term. We look forward to seeing you in the clinic so you can start living your life pain-free again.