| Low back pain is a common healthcare and social | | | | patients who had failed to respond to previous |
| problem associated with disability and absence | | | | conservative or surgical treatment. The |
| from work. One 2005 medical study of chronic | | | | researchers stated that anything less than two |
| spinal pain stated that the lifetime prevalence of | | | | weeks of daily manipulation is inadequate for |
| spinal pain has been reported as 54% to 80%, | | | | chronic back pain patients. |
| with as many as 60% of patients continuing to | | | | Postural Stabilization |
| have chronic pain five years or longer after the | | | | A significant factor in reducing excessive |
| initial episode. The long-term and disabling | | | | biomechanical forces on the lumbar spine is |
| conditions of chronic and recurrent low-back | | | | frequently overlooked by practitioners - the use |
| problems are of major concern, from both costs | | | | of external supports to decrease external forces. |
| and morbidity aspects. | | | | Positioning aids such as sitting postural supports |
| Chiropractic care has been shown to compare | | | | (examples are postural back rests or ischial lifts |
| favorably to medical care with respect to | | | | for chairs and car seats), standing postural |
| long-term pain and disability outcomes in many | | | | supports (such as foot orthotics and heel lifts), |
| cases, but the chiropractor should carefully | | | | and sleeping postural supports (such as |
| consider the optimum treatment plan for each | | | | mattresses and pillows) can all greatly assist in the |
| patient on an individual basis. For most cases of | | | | long-term management of painful lumbar spine |
| chronic low-back pain, I recommend a three-step | | | | conditions. |
| program of spinal adjustments, postural | | | | Rehabilitative Exercises |
| stabilization, and rehabilitative exercise. Combining | | | | Corrective exercises done at home to strengthen |
| these three elements can make the difference | | | | supporting muscles are recommended as an |
| between a successful care program and a | | | | adjunct to chiropractic adjustments and postural |
| lingering, recurring low back condition. | | | | stabilization. Active involvement of the chronic low |
| Spinal Adjustments | | | | back patient in an appropriate exercise program |
| As far back as 1985, medical research was | | | | has been found to be very beneficial, even for |
| reporting that a two to three week regimen of | | | | patients with herniated discs. Flexibility and |
| daily spinal manipulations by an experienced | | | | strength exercises can bring about rapid |
| chiropractor brought significant improvement in | | | | improvements in lumbar spinal function as well as |
| 81% of totally disabled patients with chronic low | | | | decreases in pain levels. Activity should focus on |
| back and referred leg pain. The patients in the | | | | developing strength in the abdominals and |
| study were from a university back pain clinic for | | | | supporting pelvic and low-back muscles. |