Most cases of lower back pain are mechanical in nature.  The mechanism by which they occur are often overuse and repetitive movement.  Whether it be sitting and/or standing at your desk for long periods on the computer, or on a job site, lower back pain comes about through weakness in one’s muscles and overuse of other muscles.  Over time, these become weak and tight developing scar tissue and creating a cycle where the muscle never really heals.  Then, a simple event or movement (ex. bending over to pick up a small item or twisting to reach for an object) can trigger a terrible and painful back episode affecting one’s daily activities.

When one decides to seek out treatment from a chiropractor, a careful evaluation and examination must be performed to determine what spinal tissues are weak and what tissues are strong.  Two of the common muscles involved with lower back pain are the deep postural muscles known as your transversopinales and multifidus muscles that chiropractors identify.  These muscles are responsible for postural control and stability of the lower back and core muscles.  When injured, these muscles can cause deep, sharp, and debilitating lower back pain.   It is important for the chiropractor to teach you how to stretch these muscles and how they can be treated to help eliminate your lower back pain quickly.

Chiropractors certified in Active Release Techniques (ART), can treat these muscles effectively and use chiropractic manipulation, in addition to rehabilitative exercises to help minimize an episode.  ART can help to decrease the scar tissue, improve flexibility in these tissues, and decrease your pain.  These muscles are often overlooked because of their function and how they stabilize the spine and lower back when it comes to movement.  After ART is utilized to help loosen these muscles and one’s pain is stable, rehab exercises are incorporated to strengthen the lower back to avoid future episodes.  Depending on the length of time, or chronicity, of one’s lower back episode, this will greatly influence one’s recovery and one’s susceptibility to additional lower back episodes.

Chiropractors certified in ART can help their patients improve their posture and provide key tips and recommendations to help one recover quicker from a bout of lower back pain.  By doing so, it allows one to resume their normal daily activities and prevent future occurrences by performing home-care exercises.   Recognition and quick response in obtaining treatment will minimize both your wallet and your peace of mind in resolving your lower back pain effectively.

Lincoln Park Chiropractic  Brian Marion, DC, CCSP, ART, CKTP

2202 N. Lincoln Ave Suite 1 Chicago, IL 60614

773) 248-2790  www.lincolnparkchiropractic.com