Do Chiropractors Really Work?

Lisa said, "All I did was bend over to pick my baby girl up from the floor. Immediately I felt a spike of lower back pain. It was so bad that I couldn't even stand up straight. I just wanted to cry!"

I too have been suffering from lower back pain for quite some time now. It is because of this lower back pain that I started to learn about my options. I live in Owings Mills, Maryland so I have plenty of options when it comes to Chiropractors in my area. A quick Google search for 'Baltimore chiropractic', 'Owings Mills chiropractic', or 'Pikesville chiropractor' reveals lots of chiropractic clinics in the area.

Baltimore Maryland Chiropractors and chiropractors all over the world hear stories just like Lisa's and mine. Sudden back pain brings lots of people every day into Chiropractic clinics across the world.

Why is it that trained weight lifters are able to pick up hundreds of pounds and not experience any lower back pain, yet without any previous signs of problems, someone like Lisa has a sudden onset of pain from just bending over?

If the lower back muscles have weakened or the spine is out of alignment, something as simple as picking up you baby, reaching for laundry, or bending down to feed the cat can cause a lower back injury.

Chiropractic clinics don't just work with sports injuries, and victims of auto accidents. People from all walks of life who suffer with back pain from everyday common events are flocking to Chiropractic centers for Spinal Adjustments and relief from back pain. Many techniques are used including Spinal decompression to stabilize the spine and reduce nerve pressure from joint degeneration and disc injuries.

The medical term for the most common and widespread cause of mechanical lower back pain is subluxation. I spoke with an Owings Mills Chiropractor who defined subluxation as "a condition where adjacent spinal bones are out of alignment with each other." Nerve fibers run between each of the vertebrae. A subluxation can cause a pinched nerve producing pain and reduced function of our bodies.

What causes subluxation to occur? In one word, the answer is stress. This could be emotional stress, physical stress, or chemical stress. Sometimes the stress is physical as in an injury or trauma. Often however, the stress is a result of everyday bending, lifting or stooping. Poor posture, poor support when sitting at work, and other daily activities can cause subluxation. Even emotional stress and tension and cause the muscles to pull on the vertebra.

Your local Baltimore Maryland Chiropractic Center can teach you more about the causes of lower back pain and how to avoid them in the future.

So anyways, back to my own back pain. What I learned from talking to local family chiropractors is that I should have what is called a chiropractic adjustment. This is also known as a spinal adjustment. This is exactly what it sounds like. The chiropractor uses various techniques, depending on the patient, to adjust the spine. Typically it is a gentle force or thrusting movement that moves the spine or joint within its normal range of motion. This will increase the range of motion and help to ease the pain.

I will soon be contacting my local Baltimore Maryland Chiropractor to set up an appointment. I will be sure to write a follow-up article telling you how it goes. From what I am learning a Chiropractor is just what I need to get rid of this annoying lower back pain.