Chronic Low Back pain is more than annoying. It is an absolute impediment to being able to enjoy your life and participate in the activities you love. Low back pain longer than 3 months in duration or pain that comes and goes falls into the category of chronic. 

The longer your pain exists in general the more difficult it is to correct the problem and dramatically reduce or eliminate the pain. 

According to the Health Policy Institute at least 8% of US adults experience chronic persistent lower back pain that limits their daily activities.  And, the NIH chronic low back pain accounts for the largest number of years lived with disability in the US.

Low back pain is a problem! And, it’s not a problem that our traditional healthcare system has a very good solution for. When you look for a solution to something like lower back pain the solution has to match the problem. 

The vast majority of lower back pain is mechanical in nature. That means in order to solve the problem you need a mechanical solution. Medications don’t provide a mechanical solution. Injections don’t provide a mechanical solution. The vast majority of surgeries don’t provide a mechanical solution. 

Let the Solution Match the Problem

As mentioned above the majority of chronic low back pain has a mechanical source. What does that mean? What are the elements in the low back back that are mechanical and a source of pain? 

Let’s look at that….

The Hip Joints: the joint where your leg joins the pelvis is the true hip joint. If these joints become restricted they can cause pain but more commonly they create changes in how the joints of the pelvis and lower lumbar spine work. 

The Pelvic or Sacroiliac Joints: these pelvic joints must be able to move with every step you take. When they lose proper mobility they can become painful and also cause problems in the joints of the lumbar spine above them. 

The Lumbar Spine: the joints of the lower lumbar spine area must be able to move freely with sitting, standing, walking and bending. When these joints lose proper mobility it starts the process of degenerative arthritis and causes pain from the joints. 

The Lumbar Discs: the discs are pads or shock absorbers between vertebrae. If the vertebrae lose mobility it causes problems in the discs. These discs can swell up and put pressure on nerves that leave the spine and go into the hips and legs. If the lower lumbar discs herniate they can put pressure on the sciatic nerve and cause pain, numbness, and weakness into the legs. 

The Lumbar Vertebral Joints: the vertebrae in the lower back are extremely vulnerable. Sitting and bending puts a lot of pressure on these joints. The joints get inflamed and cause pain. Prolonged irritation leads to the development of degenerative arthritis. 

The Postural Muscles: our modern life has us sitting many hours a day. This causes a weakening of the prime muscles of posture, the posterior chain. When these muscles weaken it puts more stress on all of the elements discussed above. 

We Know the Problem….Now the Solution

Identifying the problem is half the solution. In fact this is where most of healthcare gets messed up. The medical profession uses medications to address a mechanical issue. Physical Therapy treats everything like it is a muscle problem. I can’t tell you about acupuncture other than it cannot correct a mechanical issue. 

At Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley we use a corrective approach to chronic low back pain. What does that mean? It’s pretty easy to give someone short term relief from low back pain. You can do that with medicine, stretching, or even acupuncture. 

But, correcting the problem is the only approach that offers long term relief. 

Here is the Corrective Approach we use at Life Chiropractic:

#1  Restore Balance: the pelvis, shoulders and head should be level. Any imbalance, especially at the pelvis will create additional stress and imbalances.

#2 Restore Alignment: in order for healthy joint biomechanics the joints of the pelvis and spine must be in proper alignment. 

#3 Restore Proper Joint Mobility: the longer joints have lost proper motion the more they develop tightening of the tissues around the joints. This is why adjustments after balance and alignment have such a profound effect. 

#4  Activate the Posterior Chain Postural Muscles: only after we have balance, alignment, and some improved mobility do we want to work on these muscles. Otherwise we risk reinforcing the same imbalances that caused the problem. 

#5  Maintain Healthy Joint Mobility: This is the place for something like Yoga. Once the joints have good mobility it is much easier to maintain it. In my office, Life Chiropractic, we use a simple system that I created called Spinal Joint Flossing as a short, simple, daily reinforcement of spinal joint mobility. 

About Dr. Berkowitz  

Bringing more than 3 decades of practice experience, Dr. Bill Berkowitz focuses on balancing and corrective care, applying his expertise to provide patients with predictable, repeatable and measurable results.

Dr. Bill consistently strives to enhance the well-being of his patients by addressing the root imbalances of their problems and promoting optimal balance, alignment, and function of the spine and nervous system.  

Bill’s wealth of knowledge and experience has allowed him to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its intricate connections. With each adjustment, he supports the body in returning to a state of balance that goes beyond mere symptom relief, focusing instead on long-term correction for his patients’ well-being. 

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