Back Clinics of Canada - Live a Pain-Free Life

Chronic Back Pain

Why you? Why do you have debilitating, chronic pain (you’ve been suffering for months, maybe even years)?

Lifestyle:
Aspects of your lifestyle may cause or contribute to your back pain. In most cases, lifestyle changes can begin to correct painful back issues and help you avoid surgery.

•Posture: Most people go through life with poor postural habits that over time create stress on discs, joints and muscles of the back. This unnecessary stress speeds up your body’s natural degenerative process of the spine. A mother’s constant loving reminder to her children to “sit up straight” is easily forgotten as we move into adulthood. We get used to carrying heavy items awkwardly, lifting things improperly, hunching over our computers or books. It’s so important to always be aware of and try to maintain good posture.
•Occupation: Many of us are employed in jobs where we spend countless hours at our desks bent over, or we frequently carry heavy loads. Constant awkward positions (think of a dentist hunched over patients all day long), or repetitive strains puts those people at a higher risk for having a low back or neck injury.
•Weight: Carrying around many extra pounds puts tremendous strain on the muscles that support your back. Being overweight can affect how you walk and how you stand.
•Sports: Many activities can contribute to back and neck pain. Sports like running, golf, and rowing can be stressful on the spine due to unique postures or repetitive strains that are involved. Contact sports, like football and rugby, add additional risk of direct injury to your body.
•Stress: Yes, your emotional state directly affects your physical health. Factors such as anxiety, depression, and stressful situations may increase a person’s risk for back pain.
Perhaps you can think of some healthy changes that you can start making in your life today.

Your Anatomy
Different terms may be used to describe what is going on in your spine and causing your pain—herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, bulging disc, sciatica. These diagnoses may be used differently by different doctors. This can be very frustrating to the patient, not to mention confusing.

It`s more useful and helpful to understand the cause of your pain. Let’s look at what exactly is going on in your body. Regardless of your diagnosis, the basic anatomical issues are similar.

You spine is made up of 24 moveable bones called vertebrae. In between each of these is a semi-soft, circular pad called the disc, which is made up of tough fibrous tissue. In the center of the disc is a gel-like substance. The discs in your spine act as spacer pads to keep the individual vertebrae apart. Discs also permit movement of the spine to take place. The disc functions as a shock absorber too. It is designed to withstand compression and pressures that are transmitted through the spine.

Think jelly-donut. When pressure is exerted on the spine, the jelly-like substance in the centre of the disc spreads to the edges to reduce the pressure.

Any impairment in the structure of a disc will compromise its ability to withstand compressive loads and will ultimately cause the disc to fail.

The discs in the cervical (neck) and lumbar spine (lower back) are subjected to greater compressive loads than the other discs of the spine. If the supporting structures that protect the spine become injured or weakened, the pressure in the gel-like center of the disc may become great enough to rupture the fibrous tissues of the disc, and the gel-like center may push out (bulging disc), or may protrude through the fibrous tissue (herniated disc) toward the spinal cord and nerves.

The pressure exerted on the spinal cord or nerves can cause considerable pain.

If left untreated, the affected nerves can potentially affect the different systems and organs of your body. You may have high blood pressure, poor digestion. You can lose strength in your arms and hands, legs. You could even lose control of your bladder.

Non-surgical Spinal Decompression has proven to be extremely successful in the treatment of severe, chronic neck and back pain. Speak to Dr. Nusbaum to learn more.