Are you looking for back pain treatment in the Chicago area? If you’re over 35, there is every chance that you’ve suffered from lower back pain at least once in a while. Back pain is actually the most common disorder after headache. 80 percent of adults experience it at some point in their life.

Did you know that back pain is the most common reason for people to seek disability benefits from the government? A majority of health insurance claims relate to back pain. But the problem with this is back pain is not easy to quantify, so not everyone is able to get these benefits.

Back pain usually occurs in the lower back, as that’s the region that bears most of our weight. So from the medical point of view, back pain happens when the muscle, cartilage, bones and spinal cords of the back are out of place or affected in some way.

What Causes Back Pain?

Back pain is caused by a number of factors such as hard physical labor, repetitive work, heavy bending, twisting, pushing, shoving, lifting, being in a static position for longer than you should, and vibrations. There are psychological factors that cause back pain too, such as stress, job dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction. Back pain, once it occurs, can get worse every time you cough and sneeze or make even the slightest movement. You will experience a certain numbness and a tingling sensation in your arms and legs, which doesn’t go away.

Everything You Wanted to Know about Back Pain Symptoms

Most adults over the age of 35 experience back pain at some point. The symptoms of the back pain depend on the area of the back that is affected by it. Here are the most common back pain symptoms.

Back Pain Symptoms in the Lower Back

Most people who suffer from back pain get the pain in the lower back region. That’s because the lower back bears the brunt of the body’s weight. Most of the pain is concentrated in the lower back, but it can hurt the front and back of the legs as well. Lower back pain occurs because of following the wrong posture. It can appear all too suddenly, when you are least prepared for it, because of heavy lifting or twisting. After a point of time, lower back pain can become unbearable. The pain is particularly bad at night, and makes it impossible to get a good night’s sleep.

Back Pain Symptoms in the Upper or Middle Back

When back pain hits the upper or middle back, it is concentrated in the thoracic spine and extends from the base of the neck to the lower part of the rib cage. The back pain appears as a shooting or burning pain. Upper back pain is generally caused by damaged nerves and is found in the arms, legs and the chest as well,

Sciatica

Sciatica refers to a severe pain in the lower back, which affects the buttocks and legs as well.

Slipped Disc

Slipped disc is a severe form of back pain which occurs due to the rupturing of the spine. When the spine ruptures, it causes the gel inside the disc to leak out. This causes a great deal of irritation to the sciatic nerve, and results in an unbearable pain that runs from from the lower back area to the front and back of the legs.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is one of the most severe back pain symptoms. Patients with Ankylosing spondylitis experience a severe pain in the lower back, buttocks, neck and in the sacroiliac joint, which connects the pelvis to the spine.

Back Pain Treatment in Chicago

There are a number of simple remedies for back pain which you can try at home. But when the pain is severe, you must get it treated by a trained professional. Back pain relief involves the application of methods such as cold compresses, anti-inflammatory medications and a lot of rest. Chiropractic care is one of the most effective treatments for your back pain. Physical therapy for back pain works together with chiropractic care. Other treatments for back pain in Chicago include ultrasound therapy, use of electorodes on the back muscles, spinal decompression and pain injections.

Book a free consultation at American Back Center and we can work with you to find the most effective and fastest treatment to relieve your back pain.

Here is what you should know

At the American Back Center, we offer a holistic treatment for back pain using Chiropractic Care, Acupuncture, Massage, Functional Medicine & Nutrition and Spinal Decompression (also called as VAX-D).

Lower Back Pain is a really serious problem and if you want to avoid back pain it is recommended to get at least 30 to 45 minutes of physical exercise every day, have a regular sleeping pattern, have an active lifestyle, move as much as possible, watch what you eat and try to limit your time watching TV.

Here are a few quick facts on back pain…

• Low back pain is the #1 cause of disability in the United States and across the world.
• As many as 31 million Americans suffer from back pain at any point of time.
• Back pain is the second most common reason for people to visit a doctor in America and one of the most common reasons for people to miss work.
• Over 50 percent of working age Americans have back pain at least some point in their lives.
• Americans spend over $50 billion a year on various treatments for back pain.

What’s the best treatment for back pain?

Back surgery or spinal surgery for back pain is not the best treatment for back pain as it has a low success rate. Recovery from the surgery can be slow and painful and extremely frustrating. Doctors recommend surgery as a last resort, when everything else fails.

While prescription drugs or opiods offer instant pain relief in some cases, they don’t actually treat the pain and don’t make the pain go away. Worse, opiod use often leads to addiction and overdose.

Chiropractic treatment, or non-drug, non-invasive therapies for low-back pain are considered to be far more effective than prescription opioids. Non-surgical treatments for back pain such as spinal decompression or VAX-D, which is performed by highly qualified chiropractors, have a very good success rate.

Visit us at the American Back Center for the best and the most holistic treatment for back pain in Chicago. Call (855) 962-3621 or click here to book an appointment with Dr. Chris Edginton DC, the leading chiropractor in Chicago and his team of highly skilled specialists.

If you are looking for back pain treatment in Chicago, American Back Center has a solid track record in healing your ailment. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for people to seek medical attention. If you have a coworker on sick leave, there is every chance that they are suffering from back pain. Low Back pain is one of the biggest causes of disability around the world. It is normal for people to have back pain once they cross the age of 35.

In this article, we discuss the various treatments for back pain. There are several different methods that offer instant relief from back pain. They take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to heal the back. Normally, you don’t need surgery to treat back pain, and should use it only as the last resort.

Let’s quickly look at the Risk Factors of back pain, before telling you about the treatments…

Risk Factors for Back Pain

Age – Back pain normally occurs as you get older, in a lot of cases it starts at the age 30 or 35.

Lack of Physical Activity – When you are not physically active and don’t exercise your back muscles enough, that can lead to back pain.

Carrying Excessive Weight – Carrying more weight than you should, puts a lot of stress on your back.

Disease – Arthritis and cancer are some of the diseases that cause back pain.

Not Lifting in the Right Way – When you use your back to lift heavy stuff instead of your legs, this can result in back pain.

Psychological Factors – Stress, anxiety and depression and anxiety are some of the psychological factors that are known to cause back pain.

Smoking – Smoking affects the oxygen supply to the muscles in the back, which causes back pain.

Back Pain Treatment in Chicago

Home treatment for Back Pain

Home treatment, over the counter tablets such as aspirin, use of heat and ice, and sleep can heal most cases of back pain. However, it is important that you should stay active, and carry on with your daily activities such as house cleaning, cooking and so on, in spite of the back pain. Walking is recommended. You should walk at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. If home treatment fails, visit our back pain specialists at American Back Center.

Medications for Back Pain

Some of the common medications for back pain include Acetaminophen such as Tylenol, naproxen sodium such as Aleve, ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil, Motrin IB and other over-the-counter medications as directed by your doctor. It is important that you don’t take these medications in excess, as that could lead to severe side effects.

Muscle relaxants are recommended if the over-the-counter medications for back pain do not work. However, they can make you dizzy and sleepy. Topical pain relievers such as creams and ointments that you rub into the back where the pain is at its worst are also useful.

If the pain is really quite bad, you can try narcotics such as codeine or hydrocodone, as directed by your doctor.

Antidepressants such as amitriptyline are known to relieve some types of chronic back pain. You can take these drugs for back pain, even if you don’t have depression, but only under the direction of your doctor.

Injections such as cortisone, which is an anti-inflammatory medication, are very effective at numbing the pain around the spinal cord. They decrease the inflammation around the sensitive areas, and provide instant pain relief which lasts for a few months at a time.

Spinal Decompression is an FDA approved method that has a solid track record of relieving back pain over a short span of sessions. Check out American Back Centers online video or book a free back pain consulation for more information about this.

Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Physical therapy is a very effective treatment for back pain as medications for back pain are not always effective. Physical therapy for back pain includes heat therapy, cold compress, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, spinal decompression, massage therapy and other techniques.

Your therapist would put you through a series of exercises to improve your flexibility and posture and to strengthen the back muscles. Physical therapy, unlike medications for back pain, ensures that the pain never comes back and hence is considered to be a better treatment.

Surgery for Back Pain

Surgery is recommended as the last resort for back pain if none of the other treatments are found to work. Surgery for back pain is performed when the patient has structural problems such as spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spine) or a herniated disk. We first like to consult with our patients to see if they qualify for sessions of Spinal Decompression to ensure that surgery is the last resort. If surgery is the final solution, we can help recommend a surgeon in the Chicago area that can help you with this proceedure.