Chronic back pain affects people across the globe and is the world’s number one cause of disability. Many try to take their back pain one day at a time and just take an over-the-counter pain reliever as needed. Others who are looking for long-term relief from chronic back problems have turned to steroid injections. However, a recent study revealed that this is not a genuine long-term solution.
The study involved 135 patients with back pain. Each patient’s back pain seemed to be the result of inflammation in the lower spine. Steroid shots were used in an attempt to relieve pain by reducing inflammation. On average, the shot only worked for about a month. Then pain returned at various times and in varying degrees. By the end of one year, patients who received steroid shots showed no difference from patients who had not received them. In other words, there were none of the long-term benefits that many hope this method of back pain treatment will provide.
Some may conclude based on this study that long-term relief from back pain is a mere dream. However, there is a natural solution, and there are no injections involved.
The secret to long-term back pain relief is to root out the underlying problem. For many, this means looking further up the spine. When the top bone of the neck (atlas) becomes misaligned, changes take place all the way down the spine to compensate. This is because the skull is balanced on the atlas. If that balance is thrown off, even slightly, the rest of the spine moves to make up for it. Wherever the greatest compensations occur is where the pain generally presents. This is often in the lower back.
Upper cervical chiropractors use a precise and gentle adjustment (none of the popping or twisting of general chiropractic) to get the atlas back into its proper place. Once this is done, the rest of the spine can begin moving back into a normal position. Maintaining a balanced atlas has proved to be a key to long-term back pain relief for many people. To learn if this is the right option for you, find a local upper cervical chiropractor and schedule a consultation.
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The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
