San Diego Chiropractic Blog

Have you ever had a case of low back pain?

Statistics tell us that approximately 80% of us will suffer from low back pain over the course of our lives.

My San Diego Chiropractic clinic provides treatment for many patients with low back pain. For decades chiropractors have had the reputation of being the “back doctors”. I can’t tell you how many times I have had a patient tell me about a friend with either elbow pain or knee pain or shoulder pain who didn’t come into my office for treatment because they think that all chiropractors treat is back pain.

A recent episode of back pain that I personally experienced renewed my level of empathy for my patients with pain in.low back. Not that I had lost my empathy for my patients, but a little personal experience always helps with my focus.

Despite the reputation of being back doctors, chiropractors are trained to deal with all of the joints whether they are part of the spine or not.

The process that affects the joints in the lower back is the same process that affects other joints in the body. They are irritated by a fall or some other injury. The irritation causes inflammation and the inflammation causes pain, swelling and scar tissue formation. The scar tissue limits the joints range of motion and can become a source of pain itself.

Treatment can be as simple as a few chiropractic adjustments and a few sessions of therapy.

The next time you have a joint that aches, try chiropractic treatment. Most joint problems that cause lower back pain respond well to safe, natural, holistic chiropractic care.

Dr. Jones
San Diego Chiropractor

(619) 280-0554

Lower Back Treatment

Here’s To Your Health

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The patients in my San Diego chiropractors clinic often complain of “hip pain”. When I ask them to point to the pain they almost always point to the area right next to the spine just below their beltline.

That is the difference between a medical definition of the hip and that of a patient. From a medical standpoint, the “hip” is the joint where the femur articulates with the acetabulum. While I do see and provide care for those with pain in this joint, it is much less common to see pain in this “hip” joint versus the “hip” joints that most often trouble my patients.

The joint that my patients point to when they complain of hip pain is usually the sacroiliac joint. The sacroiliac joint is formed from the ileum aka, hip bone and the sacrum which is a triangular shaped fusion of the bottom five vertebra in the spine. The spine (and the weight of your upper body) sit directly on top of the sacroiliac joints making the stability of these joints extremely important.

There is a network of ligaments and muscles that act to stabilize and move the sacroiliac joints. Since the sacroiliac joints have to support some of the greatest forces that our bodies are subjected to, the muscles that act on these joints are some of the strongest in the body. Because of the sacroiliac joints close approximation to the spine and the hip proper, the larger muscles that act on the sacroiliac joint are also movers of the hip and the lower lumbar spine.

Since the sacroiliac joints are large joints that are supported by big muscles and strong ligaments, they are able to withstand much of the stresses that we ask of them. However, they do break down with the constant postural stresses (sitting), poor lifting habits, falls and other injuries leading to pain and stiffness in the lower back.

Because of its size, once the sacroiliac joint is irritated, it can be difficult to treat. Treatment always involves reducing inflammation, mobilizing the joint (restoring normal motion) then stabilizing the joint with stretches and exercises. This is the course of care that I have followed with great results in my chiropractic office in San Diego.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones

San Diego Chiropractic Care
Chiropractor San Diego Blog

While I know that the practice of Yoga is a wonderful method for keeping your muscles stretched and your spine flexible, it is a compliment for chiropractic, not a substitute.

Many of my peers consider my philosophy regarding the management of my chiropractic patients a bit odd. Instead of placing my patients on long term care programs, I prefer to get my patients out of pain as quickly as possible and then give them a combination of stretches and exercises that they can do at home that will help stabilize their area of pain.

Those of you who have not tried Yoga should do so. Yoga is a discipline that constantly challenges your physical being. The positions used in Yoga routines test your body and mind with combinations of stretching, strength training and balance that very few other disciplines can offer.

From a purely physical standpoint, Yoga helps even your muscle tone, improve your balance and coordination, build strength, prevent injury, focus your breathing, improve your posture and elongate muscles. Mentally, Yoga allows to focus on the “now” which helps reduce stress and consequently, reduce muscle spasms among other things.

It is because of all of the benefits of Yoga that I recommend it to most of my friends and patients. Combining the benefits of Chiropractic care’s ability to break down scar tissue and adhesions that limit or alter normal joint motion and Yoga’s benefits as discussed above makes for an exceptional approach to treating neck pain, back pain and many other musculoskeletal conditions that I see in my office.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones San Diego Chiropractor

www.JonesPainRelief.com

Is Chiropractic Care Addictive? I am asked this question on a regular basis.

There are many people who are under the impression that once you begin chiropractic treatment you have to keep going - almost like something bad is going to happen to you if you stop your care.

I understand how some people would come to think that chiropractic care could be addictive, after all, almost all medications that people get from their medical doctors for pain is addictive. I suppose that if you are in pain, are concerned about the addictive nature of the medications that you have taken in the past, and are going to the chiropractic for the first time that you may think that chiropractic care for pain may be addictive as well.

I can assure you that chiropractic care is not addictive but feeling good can be as powerful as an addiction. There are certain people that are more “in tune” with their bodies than others. Restrictions in joint motion and flexibility typically occur slowly over time and are not normally perceptible. Once these people start care they experience full, free range of motion of their joints without neck pain, back pain or headaches - and they like it. After formal care ends, a percentage of these people notice when their joints begin to lose their range of motion. Since they felt better under chiropractic treatment, they like to continue their care simply to feel better.

This is about as addictive as chiropractic care can be. It is really no different from those who exercise and / or diet and feel better and therefore continue with their plan.

In closing, you can receive chiropractic care with no fear of developing a physical or physiological dependency on the treatment. Most chiropractors, myself included, know that chiropractic care is of great benefit to the health of your spine. Keeping your spine well adjusted is akin to keeping your teeth brushed and flossed - but it is not addictive.

Your’s In Good Health

Dr. Jones San Diego Chiropractor

www.JonesPainRelief.com

I have been practicing chiropractic care in San Diego for the last 15 years. In that time I have seen many different types of lower back injuries that all generate some level of back pain or disability. Back pain severity can range anywhere from a mild ache to an intense, severe bout that can cause total disability.

For most of these people, the joint most likely to be involved is the sacroiliac joint. We have two sacroiliac joints. They are located just to the left and right sides of the spine at your beltline. These joints are both the largest and the strongest joints in your spine. They have the largest muscles and the strongest ligaments to provide for their movement and support. These joints also have a close relationship with the bottom two vertebra of your lumbar spine. The sacroiliac joints are attached to the L4 L5 vertebra with ligaments that essentially create a situation in which the health of each of these joints is dependent on the health of the other adjacent joints.

The L4 L5 S1 and sacroiliac joint complex is very durable while allowing a great range of motion. This joint complex, however, is also subjected to incredible levels of stress as a result of poor posture, sitting, sports injuries and improper lifting techniques. Patients who sustain injuries in this area are dumbfounded that they cannot recall any particular injury that “threw their back out”.

Like any other joint in your body, the sacroiliac joints weaken and eventually are injured by ongoing low levels of stress. We often see people who have suffered a severe back injury involving the sacroiliac joints following an activity such as picking a sock up off the floor or some other mundane task. An injury following a task such as this indicates a long standing problem that should be addressed by a competent chiropractor.

Low back injuries that are not promptly addressed with formal therapy can easily become chronic leading to more severe aggravations in the future.

Yours In Good Health

Dr. Jones

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