Back Pain
Back Pain Chiropractor
Dr. Tyler Meier and his staff are experts in relieving mild to severe back pain through advanced chiropractic care.
One of the most pervasive and chronic forms of discomfort is back pain. Whether caused by an injury, poor posture, genetics or birth-related trauma, back pain takes a toll on the physical body and, over time, can even begin to wear on mental health. Here’s the back pain information compiled by the best back pain chiropractor in Newport Beach.
While it is extremely common for those of us with busy lives to resolve back pain temporarily with medication aimed at pain relief, unfortunately this often serves as a band-aid on the underlying problem. Back pain typically has deeper roots, and its origin is often as unique as the individual who is experiencing the discomfort.
Acute vs. Chronic
Acute back pain is usually the result of a sudden injury to either the upper, lower, or mid-back. The injury can be to the surrounding muscles, joints, ligaments, or bone, and often results in inflammation and noticeable pain. Acute back pain can originate quickly after lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects, experiencing a car accident or other impact injury, or falling. When back pain is acute, it has usually been present for a duration under three months, indicating that it is likely the direct result of a specific event.
Chronic back pain can also be the direct result of a specific event, and often occurs when what was once acute pain has gone untreated for a longer duration of time (over three months). Chronic back pain can also appear very slowly over time, with what was once hardly noticeable discomfort steadily transforming into severe pain. Chronic pain can be extremely frustrating, particularly if the origin cannot be pinpointed to a specific event. With regard to chronic back pain, it’s easy to believe that it has “always been this way” or that you simply have “a bad back.” These phrases are often used by those suffering with chronic back pain, many of whom find that they have to rely on over-the-counter pain medications in order to carry out their daily activities.
Relieving Pain with Medication
Although it is tempting to turn to pain medication to seek relief from back pain, unfortunately this doesn’t resolve discomfort at its origin point. Many over-the-counter medications work by simply blocking the brain from being able to feel pain sensations, but they don’t prevent the body from experiencing further damage as the result of an injury or imbalance in the back.
Other pain medications may work to reduce inflammation, and while this may reduce pain, it is rarely able to facilitate complete resolution to the root cause of your back pain. Relying on pain medication to block back pain can be become a way of life, but chiropractic care offers a long-term solution to back pain that may eliminate the need for pain medication altogether.
Types of Back Pain
Low-Back Pain
Low back pain originates near the lumbar region of the spine, and is one of the most common types of back pain and discomfort. Low back pain often feels like an aching or shooting pain, and because of its unique position in the back, can be difficult to relieve mechanically. The causes of low back pain are numerous, and as with all back pain can originate genetically, as the result of injury, or as a result of poor posture over time.
If you have experienced low back pain chronically since youth, it may be the result of a genetic condition like scoliosis, in which the spine is experiencing an abnormal curve.
If your lower back pain is acute and seems to have originated as the result of a specific event or timeframe, it may be the result of an injury. Acute injuries to the low back include sprains, strains, spasms, and compression. It is possible for injuries of the low back to occur even if they have not yet been diagnosed professionally, and back pain as the result of an injury can persist chronically under the assumption that it will, at some point, disappear.
If your lower back pain seems to be connected to age, it is possible that it is the result of degeneration to the spine. This can take the form of disc degeneration, in which the discs naturally lose their ability to provide cushioning to the segments of the spine. Natural wear and tear to the spine over time can also create degeneration in the joints and bones, which can be exacerbated by arthritis and other inflammatory diseases that appear with age.
Mid-Back Pain
Middle back pain originates in the thoracic area of the spine, which is located between the neck and along the back of the rib cage. Middle back pain may manifest in this area as a dull ache or pain, stiffness or tightness, a shooting or burning sensation, or in some severe instances, chest and arm pain.
Mid-back pain occurs in both acute and chronic forms, either as the result of an injury or often as the result of age-related degeneration. Mid-back pain can also occur as a product of muscle weakness in the back area, or an overdevelopment of muscles in the chest area producing strain on the muscles of the back.
Common causes of mid-back pain are muscle and ligament strain, arthritis and osteoporosis-related degeneration, and injury-related bulging or ruptured disks. Athletes and individuals who engage in heavy physical activity may find that they are more prone to mid-back pain, as this area of the back is laden with connective tissue connecting to surrounding muscles.
If your back pain is acute, consider that it may originate from an injury or physical muscle training. If your back pain is chronic, it may be related to degeneration or muscle weakness. Keep in mind that it is also possible for lower back-pain related conditions to radiate upward and create sensations in the middle back, even if the root cause is located below the middle back area.
Upper-Back Pain
Like middle-back pain, upper back pain originates in the thoracic area of the spine. The term “upper back pain” is often used to describe the upper portion of the mid-back, although they both inhabit the same area of the back.
Similarly to middle-back pain, upper back pain can be both chronic and acute, and is often the result of muscle strain, degeneration, or injury. Overusing or overtraining nearby muscles without properly training muscles in the upper back can lead to upper back pain, and prolonged stretching of tendons, ligaments, and muscles in the area can eventually cause the shape of the spine to change.
Upper back pain can be just as frustrating as lower and middle back pain, and due to its proximity to the neck can often cause discomfort to radiate upwards into the shoulders and neck. Like middle and lower back pain, long-term pain relief is possible with expert chiropractic care.
Resolving Back Pain Utilizing Chiropractic BioPhysics
If you’re experiencing lower, middle, or upper back pain (or any combination of the three), chiropractic care can help. Dr. Tyler Meier of Newport Beach, CA has helped to relieve the pain of thousands of individuals in the Newport Beach area, using a combination of Chiropractic BioPhysics and traditional chiropractic adjustments to achieve long-term results and relief.
Lower, middle, and upper back pain can occur as the result of genetic conditions, injury, poor posture, and degeneration. In every instance, chiropractic care has a positive application toward reducing or even eliminating pain by addressing imbalances at the source.
Scoliosis and abnormal curvature of the spine
In instances where the spine is curved abnormally, often creating chronic back pain, Dr. Tyler Meier’s Newport Beach office employs Chiropractic BioPhysics to aid in shifting the spine toward its optimal curve. With an array of interventions and resources at the ready (such as the ScoliBrace and Advanced Digital Imaging Technology), Dr. Tyler Meier is equipped to address conditions that you may have previously thought were untreatable—all without the need for surgery.
Injury and poor posture
Injury often produces inflammation, and in severe instances, can even create damage to the spine and surrounding ligaments, muscles, and tendons. As with scoliosis and abnormal spine curvature, Dr. Tyler Meier works with his Newport Beach office to employ cutting-edge chiropractic care which can help relieve inflammation, reduce muscle tightness, ease joints back into their natural alignment, and help diminish chronic and acute back pain. In the same way, poor posture can be rectified with a series of customized exercises, a custom treatment plan based on individual x-rays, and regular adjustments and traction.
Degeneration
Chiropractor Newport Beach – Dr. Tyler Meier’s office utilizes a unique form of chiropractic care referred to as “traction,” which is similar to orthodontia and is a branch under the umbrella of Chiropractic BioPhysics. Like wearing braces to straighten teeth, Dr. Tyler’s Newport Beach office is one of the few chiropractor care centers in Southern California to employ a technique that allows for the movement of joints and bones that may not be moved by standard chiropractic adjustments. For any back pain originating from a condition involving “stuck” or “stagnant” bones structure, Dr. Tyler Meier can help. Book your appointment today.
Conditions Successfully Treated!
Utilizing the latest advancements in corrective care chiropractic and the CBP technique, corrective chiropractic care has helped thousands of our patients with the following conditions.
