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Chiropractic treatment for Back Pain and injuries. Cold Laser Therapy for pain relief, for back injuries such as Bulging, Prolapsed, Herniated or Slipped discs. Disc Degeneration. Spinal Stenosis. Spondylolysis Spondylolisthesis. Sacroiliac joint. Facet Joints. Muscles. Ligaments. Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Causes of back pain Muscles/Ligaments
Among the many causes of back pain, the most common by far is a sprain or strain of muscles or ligaments. Muscle spasm can occur after twisting or bending awkwardly, or from a simple sneeze or cough. The majority of muscle spasms tend to get better over time. Severe cases of muscle spasms are treated with medication, physical therapy, also cold laser therapy, see our cold laser therapy section under “Treatments”.
Discs. Disc Degeneration
Disc problems are common causes of back pain. After an injury, or as we age, discs lose fluid content and deteriorate in a process called disc
The earliest form of injury to a disc is in the form of tears or fissures in the annulus fibrosis (outer portion) of the disc. The annulus fibrosis is very much is like a large round ligament that prevents the nucleus pulposus (inner gel-like portion) of the disc from protruding outward. Tears in the annulus heal by scar formation weakening the tissue. The repetitive annular tears degeneration.which heal by scar formation lead to a disc that begins to degenerate.
As degeneration progresses the disc becomes stiff, narrow, and losses its ability to act as a shock absorber. Loss of shock absorbing capacity of the disc leads to increased stress being put on the bones of the spine causing formation of bone sours or osteophytes. If bone spurs get large enough, they may cause pressure on nerves in the spinal canal which would present as numbness and weakness in the arms or legs depending on the spinal level being affected. The combination of disc degeneration and bone spur formation in the spine is called spondylosis. Any narrowing within the spinal canal, from bone spur formation or from any other cause such as disc prolapsed of thickening of the ligaments of the spine is called spinal stenosis. Spondylosis or spinal stenosis can occur at any region in the spine: cervical, thoracic, or lumbar.
Bulging Disc, Protruding Disc, Prolapsed Disc, Herniated Disc, Extruded disc, Slipped Disc.
The above terms generally describe a disc that is displaced beyond the limits of the intervertebral disc space i.e. the borders of annulus fibrous (the outer fibrous part of the disc)
Disc prolapse or herniation is the protrusion of the central portion of the disc through a tear in the outer annular wall of the disc. If disc prolapsed results in the compression (direct or indirect) of the nerve root it would cause symptoms of pain, numbness, or weakness. In some individuals however, disc protrusions will not cause any symptoms. A disc extrusion is a severe version of a disc protrusion in which a large portion of the nucleus pulposus is displaced through the wall of the disc. A disc extrusion is almost always would result in the symptoms of nerve root compression.
Facet Joints
Facet joints irritation is another cause of back pain. Facet joints are small pairs of joints on the back of the spinal column where the vertebrae meet. Facet joints provide stability to the spine by interlocking two adjacent vertebrae. Facet joints also allow the spine to bend forward (flexion), bend backward (extension), and twist.
Inflammation of facet joints can occur from injuries, excessive stress put on the spine or a form of arthritis. Facet joint problems are functional problems and would not be visualised on the x-rays of the MRI scan.
Spinal Stenosis
The term stenosis describes any narrowing of the spinal canal. Among many causes of spinal stenosis the most common one is degenerative changes or oseoarthritis of the spine, which occurs almost inevitably as a part of the aging process.
Canal stenosis can be caused by many factors such as enlargement of the facet joints due to degenerative changes; hypertrophy (enlargement) of the ligamentum flavum – the main ligament of the spinal canal; the protrusion or herniation of intervertebral discs into the canal and forward slippage of vertebrae in a condition called spondylolisthesis – all contribute into narrowing of spinal canal on their own or in conjunction with each other.
Main symptoms of spinal stenosis in lumbar spine is pain in the back and legs aggravated by standing and walking and relieved by sitting or stooping forward. Legs pain induced by walking is known as neurogenic claudication (from the Latin claudico, to limp). Neurogenic claudication must be distinguished from is vascular claudication, or leg pain on walking caused by insufficient blood flow to the legs. The features which help to distinguish neurogenic from vascular claudication are the following:
In neurogenic claudication pain occurs after varying amounts of exercise, with standing, or with coughing. Vascular claudication is reliably produced with a fixed amount of exercise, such as walking a certain number of blocks, and is rare at rest. The main distinguishing feature of neurogenic claudication and vascular claudication is the pain relief with sitting and stooping in cases of neurogenic claudication while vascular claudication pain is usually quickly relieved by resting in a standing position. Sensory loss of neurological claudication is in a nerve root distribution, while with vascular insufficiency it is in a stocking-glove distribution. Signs of vascular insufficiency should be absent in neurogenic claudication: diminished pulses, foot pallor on elevation, and decreased temperature of the feet.
Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolysis and Spondylolistheses are the most common causes of lower back pain in adolescents. Spondylolysis is a fracture in one or both pedicles of the vertebrae that make up the spinal column. It usually affects either the fourth or the fifth lumbar vertebra in the lower back. The fracture site is called a pars defect.
If the bone is unable to maintain its proper position, the top vertebrae can shift forward on top of the bottom vertebrae. This condition is called spondylolisthesis.
For adults, a spondylolisthesis is normally caused from degenerative changes in the spine. When too much movement or slippage occurs, the bones may begin to press on nerves and surgery may become necessary to correct the condition.
Causes such as genetic, overuse or degenerative changes can contribute to development of spondylolisthesis.
Sacroiliac Joints
Another very common cause of lower back pain is a dysfunction of sacro-iliac joints. The sacroiliac joint connects the sacrum (the triangular bone at the bottom of the spine) with the pelvis (iliac crest).
The inflammation of sacroiliac joint can result from an acute injury or from chronic postural abnormalities such as undue stress on the joint following lower back fusion surgery, degenerative changes of the hip and knee joint as well as from fallen arches of the foot. Pain distribution from sacroiliac joint abnormalities is in the low back, buttock/hip, abdomen, groin, or legs.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the spine. With ankylosing spondylitis, the joints and ligaments that normally permit the spine to move become inflamed and stiff. with time the bones of the spine may fuse together, causing the spine to become rigid and inflexible.
Other rare causes of back pain include:
Benign or malignant tumors of the spine or spinal cord Problems of the digestive tract, genitourinary or gynaecological problems can cause referred low back pain Infections.
Cold laser Therapy/Treatment
The lasers used at Central Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Clinic are certified as Cold Laser. For the past 30 years the technology of Cold Laser Therapy (also known as Low Level Laser Therapy) has been formally accepted in North America and in many other parts of the world such as Europe, Russia and Japan. In all this time there have been no recorded long-term adverse effects from low level laser therapy. It is considered to be non-invasive, painless and safe.
Cold Laser Therapy uses laser light energy to stimulate cells to function optimally. In the body, light sensitive chromophores and other elements within the cell absorb energy, initiating a series of important photochemical changes such as increased production of ATP. The mitochondria and Kreb’s Cycle stimulation initiates the production of ATP, providing the cell with the extra energy needed to accelerate the healing process and positively influence pain. These activities can occur in all types of cells and includes ligament, nerves, cartilage and muscle.
Low Level Cold Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a Handheld, non-invasive, light-emitting medical device which is used over different areas of the body. It provides an unmatched advantage in the treatment of conditions such as;
Back pain, lower back pain
Slipped disc, Prolapsed disc, Herniated disc, Bulging disc.
Trapped nerve.
Hip Pain Sacroiliac joint inflammation
Athletic InjuriesLower Back Pain
Knee and Foot Pain
Shoulder Injury
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Arthritic Pain relief, Muscle Spasm
Relief of Muscle and Joint Pain
Skin infections.
Wound Management including Skin Ulcers, Pressure Sores and Burn
Soft Tissue Injuries including Ligaments. Tendons. Sprains. Ruptured Ligaments.
Sprains and Strains, Tendonitis and Haematomas.
Joint Disorders including Arthritic pain relief and Tenosynovitis.
Chronic pain such as Trigeminal Neuralgia and Chronic Neck and Back pain.
Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) “Whiplash” injury Neck Pain and injuries.
For further in depth information on Back Pain, Sciatica, Lower Back Pain, please go to top left corner under “Pain” or “Conditions”.
