How many Billions of Dollars did Americans spend treating lower back pain?

The lower back is the region that connects the upper body to the lower body. Since it supports the majority of the body’s weight, lower back pain is a lot more common than you might think. It is not that difficult to hurt yourself by lifting a heavy object or reaching for something. In fact, the majority of people will experience some form of lower back pain at some point in their lives. Americans spend almost $50 billion each year to treat lower back pain, which is the most common cause of missed work days and job related injury or stress.

$50 Billion Annually spent to treat lower back pain

There are many causes of lower back pain, which include, but are not limited to:

Overuse, strain, or injury
Aging
Herniated disc
Arthritis
Compression fractures
Illness
Spinal problems you were born with

Acute back pain tends to fade within a few weeks. However, if left untreated, lower back pain can become chronic, especially if you are under a lot of stress or undergoing depression.

Depending on the cause of pain, symptoms can vary from:

Dull pain
Sharp pain
Pain occurs over a small area
Pain occurs over a wide area
Muscle spasms
Leg symptoms (pain, numbness, tingling)

Walking and rest are perhaps the simplest treatments for lower back pain. However, if your pain persists for a few weeks, further treatment (such as massage, spinal manipulation, and muscle strengthening exercises), may be needed.

Chiropractic treatment is a very effective way to treat lower back pain. Chiropractors will use hands-on spinal manipulation, aligning the body’s musculoskeletal structure so the body can heal itself. Applying heat or cold may also be used to alleviate any pain felt as a result of the lower back pain.

Tennis stars slip and fall at Wimbledon

People who have had lower back pain are very likely to have it again. In order to avoid further pain you can practice the following things

Practice good posture
Stretching and low impact exercise, such as walking, swimming, or riding a stationary bike
Wearing low heeled shoes
Sleeping on your side
If you sit for long periods at work, make sure your chair has good back support and take regular breaks to walk around
If you lift heavy things for work, talk to your human resources department to see there are other ways to do your work.
Do not depend on a lifting belt to protect your back.

If you are still suffering from lower back pain, make an appointment with us, Injury Clinic of Dallas, at 972-644-5555. One of our staff members will help you set up a time to come in for your free consultation and direct you to our office in Richardson, Texas and visit with our Chiropractor.

Do I have Tendinitis?

Last week we talked about bursitis, a condition directly linked to the inflammation of the bursa, one that is both restrictive and painful. To keep with the inflammation discussion, this week we’re going to take a look at another similar condition that also occurs due to inflammation; tendinitis.

Tendinitis is the swelling, inflammation and irritation of the tendon. The tendon is a fibrous structure that connects the muscle to the bone, as can be seen in the following image:

A view of the Achilles Tendon, courtesy of wikipedia.org

Tendinitis may be caused by overuse of the tendon, usually due to repetitive motion (jumper’s or runner’s knee). It can also occur as a result of injury or aging (tendons loose elasticity with time as they are used).

Tendinitis is generally diagnosed by the area it affects (typically knee, elbow, shoulder, wrist) and may feature specific symptoms for the area in question. However, universal signs of the condition may be listed as follows

Pain/Tenderness along a tendon
Pain that worsens with activity
Pain next to a joint (may also be bursitis)

Untreated, tendinitis may become chronic or lead to further injury of the affected area. Thus, it is important to diagnose and treat tendinitis as soon as it occurs. Failure to do so may lead to loss of range of motion, stiffness, weakness and recurring pain. In some cases, loss of function may also occur.

If you believe that you may be experiencing a form of tendinitis, call or come by the Injury Clinic of Dallas office in Richardson.

Do You Have Wrist Pain? It Could be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Blog Post, Chiropractic, Work Injury - Auto Accident, Carpel Tunnel, Chiropractor, Dallas, Doctor, Personal Injury, Physical Therapy, Richardson, Texas, Work Injury, Wrist Pain - 06/29/2012

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS as it’s commonly abbreviated is a condition that affects the median nerve of the wrist. The median nerve (nervus medianus) is the nerve responsible for providing motor control and feeling to the thumb side of the hand. That is, it controls the palm, the thumb and the index and middle fingers. When this nerve becomes pinched, or worse damaged, motor control of the hand decreases and the feeling of numbness of the hand becomes prevalent.

CTS is a rather common condition, as the carpal tunnel of the wrist is inherently narrow. Any inflammation or swelling will essentially guarantee a pinching of the median nerve. The swelling of this tunnel is typically a result of repetative motions of the hand/wrist, such as typing on a keyboard for prolongued period of time or working with small hand tools. The very task of typing that lead to the creation of this blog and website can potentially serve as a source of CTS for the author.

CTS, in most cases, is an easily treatable condition if detected early. However, if CTS is left untreated, it can lead to serious complications or even permanent damage of the muscle tissue. In some of the more serious cases, patients have been known to lose feeling or motor control within the thumb side of their hand altogether.

Numbness/Tingling in the palm of the hand
Weak Hand Grip
Weak ability to squeeze/make a fist
Shooting pain from wrist up to shoulder
Tapping on the median nerve leads to pain
A sense of swelling in the fingers with no visible sign of swelling
Painful, nighttime tingling

If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms or experiencing them on a frequent basis, it is time for a checkup. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if detected and properly treated is unlikely to cause any long term complications. In fact, CTS treatment in chiropractic is quite common and as some studies show, equally effective if not better than the conservative medical alternative. It is why we recommend for you to call us, The Injury Clinic of Dallas, today at 972-644-5555 or come by our office in Richardson, TX for a free consultation today!

Make an Appointment

Doctor

How many Billions of Dollars did Americans spend treating lower back pain?

Do I have Tendinitis?

Do You Have Wrist Pain? It Could be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Recent Articles

Recent Comments

Schedule an Appointment

Call us today at 972.644.5555 or use the form below to send us a message.

Free Doctor Evaluation!

Been in a car accident? We can help! Call 972.644.5555 to schedule your appointment today!