At any given time, more than 30 million Americans are suffering from the single leading cause of disability worldwide: lower back pain. Nearly 80% of American adults agonize with back pain each year. If your backache causes you to miss work or interferes with your daily routine, call or make an appointment online today with Dr. Sarah Merritt at Merritt Chiropractic in San Ramon, California.

 

Lower Back Pain Q & A

What causes lower back pain?

Your back is a complicated structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. It’s responsible for providing structure and support for your entire body, so it’s very easy to strain a muscle or ligament, irritate a joint, or even rupture a disc, all of which can cause significant lower back pain.

Sports injuries and accidents including improper sitting, lifting, and reaching also contribute to back pain. Other causes include:

• Arthritis

• Poor posture

• Obesity

• Psychological stress

• Kidney stones and infections

• Blood clots

• Bone loss

Regardless of the cause, Dr. Merritt provides chiropractic care to help alleviate your symptoms.

How do chiropractors treat lower back pain?

Dr. Merritt offers nonsurgical treatment of issues that affect both your nervous and musculoskeletal systems. She diagnoses your condition and takes conservative steps to correct any problems using spinal adjustments, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and other natural tools.

Like most chiropractors, Dr. Merritt focuses her practice on spinal manipulation. However, Dr. Merritt’s care also includes a wide variety of other treatments, including:

• Manual or manipulative therapies

• Postural and exercise education

• Ergonomic training, including how to walk, sit, and stand properly

• Nutritional consultation

• Ultrasound and laser therapies

As part of her work, Dr. Merritt uses the Activator Protocol, an instrument-based technique that enables her to apply the least amount of effective force by using tools to identify and treat areas of pain.

The tools cannot always break up collagen cross bridges; in these cases, Dr. Merritt uses manual treatments.

How do you avoid lower back pain?

While it may seem like lower back pain is just a fact of life, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce your pain and improve your quality of life. To prevent lower back pain, you should:

• Maintain a healthy weight and activity level

• Warm up or stretch before exercising

• Maintain proper posture

• Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes

• Lift with your knees and do not twist when lifting

Before rummaging through the medicine cabinet for temporary relief from lower back pain, call or make an appointment online with Dr. Merritt at Merritt Chiropractic in San Ramon, California, for a more permanent solution