Back pain can take on many qualities. It can be a dull ache that comes on slowly, or it can be a sharp pain that only happens with certain movements. No matter how you experience it, back pain can get in the way of going about your day-to-day activities. There are certain factors that might put you at an increased risk of developing back pain, including:
- Poor level of physical fitness
- Aging – back pain becomes more common the older you get
- Your job – jobs that require heavy lifting, pushing or pulling, or jobs that require a lot of seated desk work might make you more susceptible to back pain
- Being overweight – excess weight can put additional strain and stress on the back and spine
The typical management of back pain involves rest, some rehabilitation measures, and medications, perhaps including painkillers or anti-inflammatories. While these options might provide some needed relief, oftentimes the root cause of the issue is never addressed, so the pain ultimately returns.
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Addressing the Root Cause of Back Pain
When looking to address the cause of back pain, the fact is that normal neck alignment plays a crucial role in the overall alignment of the rest of the spine. Your spine is designed to protect the spinal cord, which sends signals to and from the brain. When the uppermost vertebra in the spine, your atlas, misaligns, it creates tension on the spinal cord. This tension distorts the normal brain-body signals which results in pain, muscle spasms, and imbalances in posture. So it’s easy to see how an atlas misalignment may not cause neck pain only. It can truly create problems for the entire back.
The goal of upper cervical chiropractic is to restore normal atlas alignment so that any compensations can clear up. If the atlas has misaligned and it’s causing abnormal posture, pain, and muscle spasms, then in order for those compensations to go away, the atlas alignment needs to be corrected. Using a very precise and gentle adjustment, normal atlas alignment can be restored, resulting in less spinal cord tension and less pain and discomfort.
References:
http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/back_pain/back_pain_ff.asp
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