Back pain is a broad term for pain or discomfort in the back. Back pain is incredibly common in the population. In fact, RIVM figures show that one in five people suffer from chronic back pain. Back pain can cause a lot of pain and therefore often causes discomfort in performing daily activities.
Chiropractic care can help you reduce back pain. Are you curious about what causes back pain and how the chiropractor goes about treating it? You can read more about this in this article
How is the back constructed?
The back is a composite of many structures, including vertebrae, intervertebral discs, joints and muscles. The base of the back is formed by the spine, an accumulation of 33 vertebrae. The spinal column provides a lot of firmness to the body and allows the back to move.
Between the vertebrae in the spine are intervertebral discs. These cartilage-like discs are a kind of shock absorbers. They reduce the forces on the vertebrae in the spine.
In addition, the bones in the spine do not make direct contact through these discs, reducing wear and tear. Finally, the intervertebral discs make the spine flexible.
The third important function of the spine is to provide strength to the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs through the spine. Nerves to and from the brain run through the spinal cord. Nerves play a crucial role in transmitting signals between different structures in the body.
Nerves exit the spine at various points to perform their functions, such as receiving signals from the skin or sending signals to the muscles.
The origins of back pain
Back pain may have developed either acutely or slowly. We speak of acute back pain when the symptoms arose suddenly. Acute back pain is usually caused by trauma. Back pain can also slowly worsen. This type of back pain is usually caused by repetitive strain.
The causes of back pain can be divided into specific and nonspecific back pain. We speak of specific back pain when a clear cause can be identified for the back pain, such as a herniated disc. However, most forms of back pain are aspecific. In the case of nonspecific back pain, no obvious cause can be found for the symptoms.
Causes of specific back pain
Common causes of specific back pain include a herniated disc, an accident or a disorder. A herniated disc involves a bulging of the intervertebral disc. This bulge can cause pressure on the nerve. As a result, the nerve can no longer perform its function properly and symptoms arise.
Back pain may also have occurred as a result of an accident. For example, whiplash is common after an accident. In the case of whiplash, the neck muscle strains due to the violent back-and-forth movement of the head from a shock or blow.
Finally, there are certain conditions that can cause back pain to develop. For example, a tumor causes other structures in the back to become compressed
Causes of nonspecific back pain
In many cases, nonspecific back pain occurs gradually. Common causes are stress, overexertion and incorrect posture. Stress leads to tension in the muscles. In the short term, this won’t do much harm.
However, in the case of prolonged stress, it can cause the muscles to be overworked. This causes back pain.
Another cause of nonspecific back pain is putting too much strain on the back without giving it enough time to recover. Complaints often get progressively worse in the case of overuse.
However, overuse can also occur suddenly. When the load on the structures exceeds what they can handle, one or more structures may be damaged.
Improper posture also creates an impaired load on the back, which can overload it. Therefore, adopting the and good posture is important in preventing back pain
Chiropractic care for back pain
Chiropractic is a treatment method in which communication disorders between the nervous system and joints are resolved. Because the back is a complex composition of many joints and nerves, this treatment method can do a lot for you when you suffer from back pain.
Before treatment is initiated, an introductory meeting will be held. During the consultation, the chiropractor will ask questions about the location and severity of the symptoms you are experiencing. In addition, the practitioner will perform a physical examination to learn more about the possible causes of the back pain.
Based on the information gained by the chiropractor during the introductory interview and physical examination, a targeted treatment plan can be formulated. Treatment consists of applying short pressure techniques, also called manipulations.
These manipulations are aimed at creating more space for a nerve, for example, to reduce symptoms. Applying a manipulation can cause a creaking sound and is therefore known as cracking.
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