At any point in time in the United States, as many as 31 million people experience some form of back pain. The human back is a complex structure with muscles, ligaments, joints, and bones all working together to provide support to the body. If any of those components is compromised, back pain can result. Chiropractor Pasadena, or the Joint Chiropractic – Pasadena East, has some insight on back pain and its effect on society.
What Causes Back Pain?
Poor lifestyle habits, excess weight, injury, and stress can all be the cause of back pain. Traditionally, people experiencing back pain would resort to a variety of treatment options, including the use of prescription painkillers. In recent years, chiropractic care has risen to the forefront, offering pain relief without the use of dangerous prescription drugs.
Here are some facts about back pain:
- Pain in the lower back is the leading cause of disability around the world, according to a study published in The Lancet.
- Back pain is the primary culprit behind missed days at work.
- Back pain is the second-most common reason for visits to the doctor.
- Estimates suggest that up to 80% of all people in the U.S. will experience back pain or a back problem at some point in their lives.
- Costs to treat back pain exceed $50 billion every year in the U.S. alone.
- Most causes of back pain are not the result of serious medical conditions; rather, they are generally the result of mechanical motions such as straining to pick up heavy objects, bending over or stooping, and poor posture.
Chiropractic Care for Back Pain
Recent trends to provide cost-effective medical treatment and the rise of addiction rates by patients who were prescribed opioid pain medications have led to chiropractic care receiving more attention by the medical community. Several major studies have shown that chiropractic spinal manipulation can be as effective as or even more effective than pharmaceutical treatments like prescription anti-inflammatory medications. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a patient information article in 2013 that strongly suggested patients seek chiropractic care for chronic back pain before resorting to dangerous medications or surgery.
Because of the effectiveness in reducing or eliminating back pain, chiropractic care represents a safe non-drug treatment strategy, helping millions of patients each year by allowing them to lead healthier, happier, more pain-free lives.