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April Newsletter: Is Your Back Ready for Spring? Visit a Chiropractor!

Young woman feels back pain while gardening.

Is Your Back Ready for Spring? Visit a Chiropractor

Humans may not hibernate, but we certainly become less active during the winter. Now that spring is here, you probably have plenty of things you'd like to do. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to jump back into sports or start your weekly yardwork routine if your back is stiff and sore. A visit to the chiropractor can relieve stiffness and pain and help you accomplish everything on your spring to-do list.

Got an Aching Back?

About 80% of Americans experience backaches at some point in their lives, according to MedlinePlus. That's not surprising, since your back helps supports the weight of your body, makes it possible to bend and turn, and absorbs shock when you walk, run, and jump.

If you've been a couch potato during the winter, or your job involves plenty of sitting, you may notice that your back feels a little stiff and achy. Reaching for a glass on a high shelf may send pain shooting through your back muscles, or you may notice that it's harder to extend your arm fully. Knots or muscle spasms only make the problem worse.

Poor posture, falls (even minor ones), stress, or tight muscles could lead to subluxations. Subluxations occur when the vertebrae that make up your spine move out of their normal position. If this happens, the misaligned vertebrae may press on nerves causing pain and inflammation. Subluxations don't just affect the vertebrae but may also cause nearby tissues to tighten painfully. Increased nerve pressure from tight tissues could also be a factor in your back pain.

You might only make your back pain worse if you become more active without addressing the source of your pain. Unfortunately, tight muscles tend to become sprained or strained more easily. Both subluxations and tight tissues can affect your balance, making it more likely that you'll fall when you're reaching to trim the hedges or return the ball during a game of tennis.

Luckily, your chiropractor can treat the source of your pain, relieve aches, and improve your flexibility and mobility.

6 Chiropractic Treatments That Can Relieve Your Back Pain

During your visit to the chiropractor, you'll receive a thorough examination, which may involve a few X-rays of your back or other tests. Based on these results, your doctor will create a treatment plan designed to ease your back pain and keep it from returning. One or more of these therapies may be included in your treatment plan:

  • Spinal Manipulation. Commonly referred to as "cracking" the back, there's actually no cracking involved in this chiropractic treatment. During the treatment, your chiropractor moves the vertebrae into alignment using hands-on pressure or an activator. The cracking sound occurs when gas bubbles are released during the adjustment. Spinal manipulation relieves back pain, eases muscle tightness, increases circulation, and reduces inflammation.
  • Hot and Cold Therapy. Before your treatments begin, your chiropractor may place hot and/or cold packs on your back. Heat relaxes tight tissues and improves flexibility and blood circulation, while ice relieves inflammation and pain.
  • Massage. This soft tissue therapy loosens tight tissues and feels pretty good too. Massage improves blood circulation, which helps strained or injured muscles heal more quickly. Treatments also flood your body with endorphins and serotonin, hormones that help you relax. Massage and spinal manipulation are two of the treatments recommended by the American College of Physicians for non-radicular low back pain (pain that doesn't spread to other parts of the body).
  • Flexion-Distraction. Flexion-distraction might be recommended if your back pain is due to bulging spinal discs. The treatment, conducted on a segmented, moving table, decompresses and stretches your vertebrae, easing painful pressure on the discs.
  • Spinal Mobilization. Slow, gentle movements improve joint function and flexibility while decreasing muscle tension.
  • Ultrasound. Ultrasound waves heat the deep tissues in your back. The therapy decreases inflammation, relaxes tight tissues, improves circulation, breaks down scar tissue, and relieves pain.

Your chiropractor may also recommend a few exercises that will help you maintain the results of your treatments in between visits.

Need a little help getting your back in shape this spring? Give our office a call to make an appointment with the chiropractor.

Sources:

MedlinePlus: Back Pain, 10/21/2016

https://medlineplus.gov/backpain.html

SPINE-Health: Chiropractic Treatment for Lower Back Pain

https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-treatments-lower-back-pain

American College of Physicians: American College of Physicians Issues Guideline for Treating Non-Radicular Low Back Pain, 2/14/2017

https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-treatments-lower-back-pain

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Testimonials

Reviews By Our Satisfied Patients

  • "I love it there so polite and right to the point never pushy or rude vet respectful. I wouldn’t go anyplace else. Love them all!!"
    Kandice Desalvo V.
  • "Dr. Ho and Dr. Q are caring and compassionate doctors. Their goal is to make you feel great. They take the time to listen to your concerns and address them. I would definitely recommend these doctors!"
    Sandra E.
  • "I got refer from a Dear good friend Jennifer which ive been having problems with my neck n knees. I would definitely recommend Pinnacle Wellness they have a great friendly staff n Doctors are great! I've learned a lot about our bodies n etc. I will continue seeing them again !!! My adjustments are great!"
    Cynthia T.
  • "We have been going to Pinnacle Wellness for over 3 months now, back pain has stopped 100%. We are still blown away by how amazing Dr. Q and Dr. Ho are. We are blessed they came into our lives and have truly added so much to our knowledge about our bodies and even personal growth and development. Pinnacle Wellness is nothing short of a breath of fresh air. Isabelle at the front desk always makes our day. If you are looking for a chiropractor that truly cares for your well being, my family would definitely recommend you to look no further and make Pinnacle Wellness your destination. I had just learned to live with and accept my daily back pain. Thanks to Pinnacle Wellness our lives have been forever changed and look forward to seeing the happy faces of the staff and will be enjoying a pain free life thanks to our journey with Pinnacle Wellness."
    Cara C.
  • "If you have back and/or neck trouble and have never been to a chiropractor before, then this is the place for you. I was referred here by my wife who has been seeing the doctors for several years. Since starting my adjustments I sleep better and feel better all around, and no it doesn't hurt. Currently I am recovering from tennis elbow and bursitis which the doctors are helping me recover by using a massager on my arm when I visit, even my physical therapist was glad they were helping out."
    Royce S.
  • "I have been a patient of Pinnacle Wellness for many years. They have a great, friendly staff and Doctors who truly care about there patients. I would recommend this place to anyone with back or neck pain."
    James S.
  • "The staff is extremely friendly and personable when you enter the facility. They make you feel like you are a part of the family. Our kiddos get adjusted too and for our infant it helped him to crawl properly when he was having difficulties or crawling abnormally. It is a vital part of our healthiness and we would recommend them to everyone!"
    Jennifer C.