Welcome to the complete beginner’s guide to finding the best resources to overcome chronic pain challenges….we’re talking Low Back Pain but also…

….things like low back pain, sciatica, neck pain, arm pain and numbness, headaches, chronic stress and anxiety.

Today, we’re going to tackle how to think about what will work and what to look for in professional support.

You and I know back pain can seem vast and complicated. However, I will do my best to make the approach accessible and doable.

In this step-by-step guide, I’m going to show you how to approach treating your back pain (or neck pain or headaches, etc.) in a way that is completely doable, without getting confusing so you can follow through all the way.

Once you’re done with this guide, you will be able to know how to treat your back pain so you can start getting back to all the activities you are limited in now. 

Overview and Definition Time: Defeating Low Back Pain

What is Low Back Pain exactly?

Seems pretty obvious until you realize that some call their pain “hip pain” while others call theirs “low back pain”.

For the sake of this discussion let’s consider anything in the curve of the low back as well as your pelvis and hips. And, let’s throw in any sciatic pain down the legs. 

You’ve come to the right place because I’m about to break things down so they’re clear and understandable.

In the most basic terms, defeating low back pain is pretty straightforward once we know what the cause is. Got it so far?

Let’s kick that up a slight notch; the low back pain we are talking about here is pain of a mechanical origin. This rules out those more unusual causes of pain like cancer or a tumor. If you’ve been to your MD this has been ruled out. If your pain comes and goes, the unusual typically goes out the window. 

Still with me? Let’s move on to the steps that will get you on your way.

5 Beginner Steps to Defeating Low Back Pain Success

The definition of low back pain showed you where you’re going, but now it’s time to get out the map and point you in the right direction.

Step #1. What is Causing the Pain?

An essential first step in overcoming low back pain is to figure out what is causing the pain. You know where the pain is, the low back. But, you don’t know what is causing it. You really can’t correct something without knowing what is wrong. 

This is because you can’t correct something if you don’t know there is something off.

Without finding the cause, you are in danger of spending a lot of unnecessary time and money fixing things that don’t need fixing.

I’ve previously discussed a client at Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley, Mary.  Her experience perfectly underscores the importance of this step. Mary is a woman in her 50s who was experiencing chronic R hip pain when she first came to see me about 6-7 months ago. 

She had been to her primary care MD who diagnosed hip arthritis and referred her to an orthopedic surgeon who ordered an MRI and offered to give her a cortisone injection in her hip. She decided to come to Life Chiropractic. 

Her story and her x-rays didn’t add up to a simple hip problem. Examination showed weakness in her leg coming from her lower back. X-rays confirmed more of a problem in her lower lumbar spine than her hip. 

We were able to put together a plan to address both her lower lumbar spine and her hip. At this time she comes in every 2 to 3 weeks and is back running, something she hadn’t been able to do in years. 

That’s the power of identifying the Cause of the problem!

Some key things that will help you with identifying the problem:

• The VAST majority of low back pain is of mechanical origin causing neurological irritation.
• Muscle tightness and spasm are rarely the cause of the problem and almost always the effect.
• Chronic pain is always accompanied by imbalances that need to be corrected.

Do you know the importance of identifying the cause now? Time to pat yourself on the back; you’re on your way to overcoming your pain!

You will need some expertise in identifying the cause but at least you have a better idea of what you want a practitioner to do. 

Step #2.  X-rays and Other Imaging

Everything feels easier after your first step because you have a better sense of what you are doing and where you are going. 

Next up, you have to get a map of what’s going on. If you have suffered with chronic or recurrent pain it’s time to take a look under the hood so to speak. 

Medical imaging tests like x-rays and MRIs give a visual image of what is going on. While they can’t tell you what is causing your pain, they can point in the right direction.

For example: Just this afternoon a new patient came in with sciatic pain radiating down his left leg to his calf. Just a few weeks ago he had experienced pain in his right leg. I discussed with him the importance of getting some x-rays to see what his lower lumbar spine looks like. 

Your primary care should be more than willing to order x-rays. If you are going to see a chiropractor – something you should seriously consider – you want to make sure any x-rays taken are done with you standing. 

Step #3.  Mechanical Solution

At this point in discussing a solution to your back pain, you have an idea about how it is extremely likely that the pain is mechanical in origin. What’s left for you to do? 

I know you’re probably tired of the pain and want it gone yesterday. 

I completely understand but there are still a few more steps, and you want to go all the way so hang in there with me. 

The next step is to find a mechanical solution to your mechanical problem. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a role of the muscles but in order to solve your mechanical problem you need a mechanical solution. We’ll get to the muscles next. 

There’s an old adage…”If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

This is so appropriate to low back pain. Outside of the rare instance of a severe disease, the vast majority of low back pain is mechanical and neurological. Solve the mechanical problem and you solve the neurological problem. 

But, that’s not what most providers do. 

• Medical Doctors apply medications and injections for a mechanical problem. That doesn’t work.
• Surgeons operate. While that might be appropriate in extreme circumstances it should be a last resort. 
• Physical Therapy puts all its focus on the muscles. The problem is that the muscles are rarely if ever the primary problem.

Here’s how to do find the mechanical solution for your low back pain:

• Step #1 My recommendation is to find a local corrective care chiropractor. This is a smaller subset of traditional chiropractic. Corrective chiropractic focuses on restoring balance, alignment, and motion. 
• Step #2 FInding a corrective care chiropractor will take a bit of work. Go online. Look at websites. There will be language that indicates they offer a corrective solution. Talk to friends, family, coworkers.
• Step #3 One distinguishing aspect of corrective care is that the chiropractor does an analysis each and every visit. Your visits should vary from visit to visit and should differ from other’s treatment. 

Traditional chiropractic can be effective in offering short term pain relief. But, unless you correct the underlying imbalance you will experience ongoing damage to your joints. This is where the progression of osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis comes from.

Step #4. Activate the Posterior Chain

If you have had low back pain for months or have experienced recurrent pain all the muscles of the lower back and spine have adapted to the altered and loss of joint motion. 

Unless you turn back on the muscles of posture there is a good chance of your problem recurring. 

These muscles are called the posterior chain. They consist of a series of muscles up the back of the legs, hips, pelvis and spine. These muscles are essential to help you move through your day without pain. 

In my office, Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley, once we have restored balance and some motion I get people activating their posterior chain. These are simple but challenging movements that do not  

Case Study: A gentleman in his late 50’s came in to see me  about 6 months ago with sciatic pain radiating into his leg to his foot for almost a year. I determined that his problem was coming from a misalignment in his lower lumbar spine. By adjusting it very specifically and then combining the adjustments with posterior chain activation he has been able to return to all his activities. Now the pain is a fraction of what it was and only goes into his hip intermittently. 

Key Takeaways 

I hope this complete beginner’s guide to Defeating Low Back Pain will allow you to skip trawling the internet for hours to get all the critical information you need.

You now have all the info in one place and can get back to it quickly.

As you saw here, there are a few crucial steps that can make or break your pain relief efforts, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up or go to some high end expensive clinic.

From here on in, you can follow this guide to help you find the most appropriate practitioner to help you.

I created Life Chiropractic of Grass Valley as a resource for people in Nevada County suffering from back pain and other ailments. And I’ve been able to help thousands using the principles you can find in this beginner’s guide.

Do you want some help in overcoming your low back pain (or neck pain or headaches)?

Schedule your Initial Consultation and Examination with me at Life Chiropractic here: Schedule Here

You can also find me on Facebook. Check out my posts about balance and correction.