What Kind of Doctor Should You Choose for Your Back Pain?
When people suffer from back problems, they can truly feel out of options. Pain medications and back exercises can end up leaving you feeling as if nothing will work to ease the pain. Many people with back pain will seek an orthopedic surgeon’s opinion to determine if back surgery is right for them in hopes of stopping the pain they are feeling. Unfortunately, if a person opts for back surgery, for many, the pain never goes away (oftentimes they feel worse) and the patients are stuck with screws and plates in their back that limit mobility. A good orthopedist will tell you that surgery is not the only option and definitely should be considered as a last resort.
Back Pain Symptoms
What are some symptoms of back pain? Back pain can be persistent and may cause the back to stiffen. There can also be sharp localized pain in the back with pain radiating down one or both legs (sciatica). The back pain may be exacerbated by standing for long periods of time or even sitting for long periods of time. Some people will feel back spasms that don’t allow them to stand straight.
Regardless of the pain you are feeling, it may be best to see a doctor to determine what the causes could be and if there are things that can help ease the pain you are experiencing. So, what should you do first if you are encountering back pain? The first step is determining where the source of the pain by seeing someone that specializes in back pain. If you seek care from an orthopedic surgeon they may prescribe muscle relaxants and pain medications to see if this helps. In addition, they may send you for physical therapy to begin a course of exercises and other therapies.
Another option, and in my opinion the best option, is to first see a chiropractor to determine if chiropractic care is the appropriate care for you. Why see a chiropractor first? Because you should always try the natural option first. If yours is not a chiropractic problem, then I will refer you to the appropriate specialist. If yours is a chiropractic problem, nothing else is likely to be as effective.
Chiropractors can manually adjust the back (called an adjustment) in a variety of ways. If yours is a disc problem, in my office, we use a Cox table, which is a flexion/distraction type treatment to help open up the disc spaces, improve circulation to the disc and remove nerve pressure. Most of the time, we are able to prevent back surgery with this technique.
Overall, chiropractic care restores normal motion to the bones of the back called vertebrae, which reduces nerve root irritation (pinched nerves) and can decrease muscle spasm and cause an improvement in the pain you are experiencing. Our use of proper alignment to adjust the musculoskeletal structure is highly effective in eases back pain. We may order imaging such as MRI, or x-rays to determine what the best course of treatment will be.
One natural muscle relaxant that we use in my office is called Relax Already, made by Stone Age Wellness. This product contains valerian root, lemon balm, cramp bark, chamomile flower, and passion flower. The product works to relieve muscle tension, anxiety, and stress. This combination is highly effective in giving relief for tension your body is feeling. Another great product we use is CryoDerm, which provides relief from muscle and joint pain. It has peppermint oil, boswella, eucalyptus, ilex, menthol, MSM, and arnica. This product is an amazing way to help as a topical analgesic, which will allow you to reduce the amount of pain medication you may be taking.
Back pain can be an extremely hard condition to live with on a day to day basis. We will do everything we can to help ease your pain. If we feel you are not a candidate for chiropractic care, or if we’ve tried a course of chiropractic care and you have not been helped, we will refer you to the appropriate specialist.
Consider these options prior to going to the extreme and obtaining back surgery. The all-natural products that are recommended in this article can help ease the symptoms you are experiencing and hopefully give you relief while you work on correcting the problem through chiropractic care.
To make an appointment, call my office at 860-583-4346 or fill out our online form here.
Dr David M. Spitz is the founder and clinic director of the Chiropractic Health Center of Bristol, located in Bristol, CT. Since 1982, he has treated thousands of patients for various conditions ranging from neck and back pain, to migraine headaches. He specializes in treating patients who have suffered whiplash injuries and/or back injuries in a motor vehicle accident.
Dr Spitz was a volunteer EMT-I and a lieutenant for several years at the Burlington Volunteer Fire Department. He has lectured throughout CT on various topics including, chiropractic, stress management, headaches and preventing back injury in the workplace.
