Stop Sciatica & Back Pain

I came across an article recently in a regular newspaper column written by a practising doctor.

It really caught my eye because it confirmed how little is still known about the mechanics of backs and how they operate, what goes wrong with them and how to fix them.

[start article]

The back is susceptible to pain because its mechanics include many pieces imprecisely put together, and it’s loaded with nerves.

[yep , know that]

The players in back pain can be the vertebral bones, the connective tissues, such as ligaments and tendons, the muscles, and, of course the nerves, which must navigate through these muscles and connective tissue.

[true]

The vertebral bones are essentially round with a hole in the middle for the spinal cord to go through, but also flare out in many places to form joints with other vertebrae and to connect to ligaments and muscles.

[yep]

Because of this complexity in the back, only about one-fifth of all cases of back pain have a pinpoint diagnosis.

[interesting !] Only a 20% chance your doctor will know what is wrong with your back?

The generalist physician often suffices with making sure there are no alarming signs suggesting inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture, cancer or significant interference with the spinal cord.

Usually, this strategy works: Most people’s back pain goes away with simple treatments such as pain medicines and exercises.

exercise is what we recommend - especially exercises to strengthen your back so it has less chance of getting injured in the first place>

Back surgeries are not always successful - possibly because, though no fault of the surgeon, the diagnosis was not pinpointed correctly in advance of the surgery.

[Ouch! Only a 20% chance they'll know what they're trying to fix . . . think very carefully about surgery]

Many expectant mothers experience low back pain during their pregnancies, but unfortunately, the majority of them don’t know there are safe and effective, non-drug treatments available.

Pregnant women who experience back pain or sciatica due so partly because of their weight increase; the average expectant mother gains between 25 and 35 pounds.

There are other changes to the pregnant woman’s body. As the baby grows, it can put pressure on the nerves, muscles and ligaments of the mother’s back and pelvis.

Pressure is increased as the baby grows even larger and descends in the uterus, and as the baby grows, the mother-to-be may overcompensate for the extra weight by leaning back.

To try and prevent back pain, pregnant women can exercise, especially if they were active before becoming pregnant. Walking, swimming and other gentle exercises are safe, even for first-timers, but they should check with their obstetrician first.

They also should wear flat shoes, because heels tip the pelvis forward, making pregnant women overcompensate by leaning backward.

Pregnant women are rightly concerned about taking medications, even over-the-counter ones, because they may damage the baby or cause birth defects.

Chiropractic care is an effective, alternative treatment that is safe for both the mother and the baby. A chiropractor can adjust the pregnant woman’s back either manually or with an FDA-approved handheld adjustment tool that delivers a gentle tap without twisting or cracking of the nerves, muscles or ligaments.

It is also worth considering the Webster Technique. This provides a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments.

This technique has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, and allows the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.

In layman’s terms, it’s a safe technique chiropractors can perform that reduces strain on the uterus, letting it return to its normal state and giving the baby a chance to turn naturally.