According to the American Chiropractic Association, low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, with millions of reported cases every year.

What treatment should you seek if you experience pain in your lower back? Pain is not a symptom that should be overlooked. It is your bodies way of alerting you that there is a problem. Yes, it can be helped with things like over the counter meds and ice, but often, this is only a temporary fix for an often-bigger problem. It is always advised to get your back looked at by a health care professional to help avoid any long-term damage to your spine and surrounding tissues.

One of the most popular and effective treatment options is chiropractic care.

Why? 

First of all, chiropractic care doesn’t focus solely on the pain, but helps remove the interference to the nervous system to allow the body to heal itself. Chiropractors understand the bones, muscles, discs, and nerves in the back, and are able to figure out the reason for the pain.

From there, they can create a customized treatment plan that will most likely involve chiropractic manipulation as well as other modalities catered to the individual diagnosis to help the body to heal and prevent further damage. reduces the pain.

Second, it’s a drug-free solution.

Because of its healing, restorative approach, chiropractic treatment tends to the source of the problem, instead of simply dulling it. Throughout the course of these treatments, spinal alignment begins to balance the other parts of a person’s back and helps correct the issue causing the pain, not just treating the symptoms. In addition, spinal manipulation helps improve mobility and function in many cases, whereas drugs alone do not.

Finally, chiropractic care for lower back pain also helps to prevent future problems.

Patients who experience lower back pain obviously never want to deal with it again, but if not managed properly, it can flare up periodically. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, roughly 20% of those who suffer from low back pain will eventually deal with it chronically. This can cause frustration, especially when it affects mobility.

Before you run screaming in horror to the medicine cabinet, one of the best reasons to seek chiropractic care is that it helps reduce the chance of a recurrence. By working on the total body and getting it in the best shape possible, the patient is stronger and more balanced to handle their workload and other strenuous activities. Chiropractors also impart advice on how to minimize the chances of re-aggravating the lower back.

If you haven’t tried chiropractic care for your back pain, you may be happy that you did instead of reaching for over the counter meds and ice the next time you have a flare-up. It’s time to make an appointment for a consultation with a licensed chiropractor. You will be happy you did.