Back Pain - West Midlands, 22 3D Back Pain animated educational videos are available to view at this West Midlands Back Pain Clinic for Back Pain and related spinal conditions, diseases, pains and injuries, which can be found listed under ” Pain Management,” “Orthopaedics” and “Complementary Medicine” in our Videos Library section. Also in this library there are a further 100 3D animated videos covering other conditions /complaints under the same headings. To view the Videos Library, click in the top right hand corner. Also available are 3D animated educational videos for various Back Pain , injuries and conditions such as (1) Sciatica (2) Degenerative disc (3) Herniated disc (4) Facet Joints (5) Scoliosis (6) Kyphosis Posture (7) Back Neck and Pain Decompression (they can be found under the listing ”Types of Pain” in our “Back Pain” Section).
For the management of Back Pain, here at Central Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Clinic, we use the latest Low Level Lasers which accelerate the recovery and healing process, leading to a significant reduction in pain inflammation. A 5 star rating has been awarded to Low Level Laser Therapy, our laser section can be found listed under ”Pain Relief”, please also view our ”Low level Laser Testimonial Video”.
Back Pain
Mid-Back Pain
Chest & Ribs.
Put your hands alongside your chest and sides and you can easily feel your bony ribs. In the front they attach to your breastbone or sternum and in the back they attach to your spinal bones or vertebrae. Ancient anatomists thought your ribs looked like the bars of a cage so they called them, with their attachments, your “rib cage.”
What is in that cage? Some very important organs are protected there: your heart, lungs, major blood vessels, diaphragm and other structures. It’s important to keep this “cage” in alignment and balanced. A misaligned rib cage can put unnatural pressure on its vital inhabitants affecting their proper functioning.
Thoracic Subluxations
Thoracic subluxations can affect the heart, lungs and other organs in your chest cavity, preventing the proper draining of lymphatic fluids from your head, brain, throat, chest, abdomen and legs. Subluxations can also restrict your breathing, and can also affect your sympathetic nerves which influence the function of your internal organs, senses and brain itself. Two types of thoracic subluxations have a special name: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and T4 Syndrome.
Thoradc Outlet Syndrome (TGS) affects your brachial plexus, a collection of nerves that go from your spine to your arms, hands and shoulders. TGS is characterized by pain in the head, neck or upper extremities, paresthesia (strange nerve pains) and other symptoms.
Symptoms of T4 Syndrome, caused by a vertebral subluxation of the 4th thoracic vertebra, may include heaviness and swelling in one or both upper extremities; “creepy crawly” feelings of the shoulders, arms or hands; feelings of a tight band around the upper arm and feelings of heat or cold in one or both hands. Because the sympathetic system can be involved, patients with these syndromes may feel heart-like pain in the chest and left upper extremity and think they are having a heart attack. These conditions can also be confused with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Are You Subluxated?
The ribs may get subluxated from trauma-sports, accidents, injuries and even birth stress. However, the thoracic spine moves differently from the neck (cervical) and lower back (lumbar) areas since it is attached to the ribs.
Special spinal adjustment techniques have been developed for this area. When a thoracic vertebra becomes subluxated, the ribs and the sternum (breastbone) are affected. Some chiropractors adjust the ribs and sternum directly while others adjust the vertebrae so the connecting structures will then realign. Why not ask your chiropractor how he/she addresses this?
When your chiropractor releases subluxations or spinal nerve pressure in this area the benefits can be both physically and psychologically profound. Everyone should see a chiropractor for checkups to ensure their mid-back; ribs and the rest of their body are in proper alignment and balance.
Thoracic Vertebrae
The thoracic spine contains 12 medium sized vertebrae all of which form articulations (joints) with 2 opposing ribs. Like the other spinal vertebrae, the thoracic vertebrae act as attachments for muscles and ligaments in the mid spine and also encase and protect the median aspect of the spinal cord and thoracic nerve roots.
Because the thoracic vertebrae form relatively strong articulations with the ribs, the mobility of the thoracic spine is less than that of the cervical and lumbar spines. However, this same characteristic also protects the thoracic spinal discs and facet joints from the wear and tear experienced by these structures in the other areas of the spine.
Common vertebral problems in the thoracic spine include vertebral subluxations, a condition where the vertebrae of the thoracic spine become statically misaligned and/or function abnormally resulting in pain, muscle spasm, and sometime nerve malfunction.
Rib Articulation
The thoracic spine is unique in that each of its vertebrae attaches to a pair of ribs. There are 12 thoracic vertebrae and thus, 24 ribs (12 ribs on the left and 12 ribs on the right). Just like adjacent connecting vertebrae can misalign and biomechanically malfunction, so too can the thoracic vertebrae and their adjacent ribs. When ribs “go out” or misalign in relation to their connecting vertebrae, the individual will often experience sharp pains in the area of the misaligned rib head, especially on twisting movements of the torso.
As with vertebral subluxations, chiropractors can successfully treat rib misalignments with the chiropractic spinal adjustment. The adjustment repositions the rib to it correct position and normalizes impaired motion patterns.
Thoracic Intervertebral Discs
The intervertebral discs in the thoracic spine are located between adjacent vertebrae. They function as spacers to provide clearance for exiting spinal nerves, as connectors to link adjacent vertebrae together and allow for movement, and also as spinal shock absorbers.
The discs of the thoracic spine are less likely to become injured compared to those of the cervical and lumbar spines, making up only 2% of intervertebral disc herniations. This is because of the rib articulations made by the vertebra which significantly increases the stability of the thoracic spine. This does not mean that the discs of the thoracic are immune from damage, rather, statistically less likely to become injured.
Thoracic Facet Joints
The facet joints in the thoracic spine allow for considerable amounts of flexion and extension. The facet joints can become injured with excessive amounts of rotation and extension. Golfers are prime candidates for facet joint injury due to their repetitive twisting motions as they swing their golf clubs. When injured, pain is often sharp and localized to the area of the affected facet joint.
Thoracic Spinal Nerves
The thoracic spinal nerve roots exit openings formed between adjacent thoracic vertebrae termed the intervertebral foramina or IVF. The spinal nerves from the thoracic spine innervate the many muscles of the back as well as the many visceral organs and tissues of the chest and abdominal regions.
Spinal nerve root irritation or compression in the thoracic region commonly leads to intercostal pain (between the ribs). Sharp shooting pains are often experienced along the path of the ribs. Additionally, an increased susceptibility to herpes zoster or “shingles” in some individuals (generally the elderly or immune compromised) is thought to occur when the thoracic spinal nerves are irritated or compressed. Herpes zoster involves infection to an area of the nerve root, the dorsal root ganglion, with the herpes virus.
Thoracic Spinal Musculature
The paraspinal muscles of the thoracic spine are numerous. They are responsible for the majority of movements of the trunk as well as a number of upper extremity movements and are a common source of injury and pain.
Over exertion of the muscles from lifting and pulling and poor posture are the major contributors in mid back strains. Pain originating from these muscles characteristically produces a dull generalized ache.
Muscle Spasms and Trigger Points
The Body is made up of over 60% nerve, muscle and bone, it should come as no surprise that chronic pain, strain, spasm, irritation, inflammation, trigger points or other neuro-musculoskeletal (nerve-muscle-bone) conditions are so common. In fact, many of the millions of people who visit their doctors of chiropractic do so because of these problems.
Do Injections and Physical Therapy Work?
For standard medicine, how to best deal with the symptoms of muscle spasm, trigger points and similar problems is a mystery. Medical treatments such as novocaine, procaine and xylocaine injections; cooling sprays; muscle relaxant drugs; cortisone injections; and other drugs have been tried with mixed results. Heat, massage and other modalities have had limited success.
The Cause
The cause of this mystery illness, may, at least in part, be spinal trauma. In one study, adults with neck injuries had a 16 % increase of neuromuscular pain and fibromyalgia within one year of their injury. Others have found similar associations.
The Chiropractic Approach
Those suffering from muscle spasm, trigger points, neuromuscular pain and problems, fibromyalgia and similar symptoms are seeing chiropractors in record numbers because they are getting results. For example, in one study 10 men and 20 women, aged 13 to 70 with chronic fatigue syndrome, trigger point pain and fibromyalgia, who had been suffering for years began chiropractic care. After a series of spinal adjustments, every patient was able to resume normal activities including full time work and maintained their improvements one year later at follow-up. The authors of the study write:
“Improvement in symptoms was achieved in both these syndromes”
In another study of trigger points, muscle pain and fibromyalgia experienced moderate to greater improvement under Chiropractic care while anti-depressant medication benefited only around 30% and exercise helped 25% In another study, 55% of patients had at least a 45% reduction in pain symptoms with chiropractic. Similar results were found with those suffering from fibromyalgia with tender trigger points, numbness, tingling and pain.
Trigger Points
How do you feel in the morning?
Do your muscles feel “tight,” especially in the morning? Do you always need to stretch with constant aches and pains in your neck, low back and hips? Do you feel old and stiff with morning fatigue, sleeping problems and many tender spots (trigger points)?
Trigger Points
Trigger points are tender, sensitive areas that when pressed, stuck, heated or cooled can be exquisitely painful. You may first discover trigger points when you are surprised by someone pressing a seemingly pain-free area. Trigger point pain may also be referred to other areas of the body. Trigger points are common in chronic muscle spasm, myalgia, myositis, fibrositis, strain and sprain, and other muscle and joint problems.
Vertebral Subluxations
Chiropractors locate and correct vertebral subluxations, a spinal condition that damages nerves, muscles, fascia, meninges and other tissues. Subluxations can alter the concentration of enzymes and other chemicals necessary for skeletal muscle health which may play a role in muscle diseases. Compression of a nerve interferes with impulse transmission, causing muscle paralysis, vasodilation and trophic ulcers.
Chronic hyperactivity of sympathetic nerves is detrimental to the tissues and organs which they innervate and musculoskeletal dysfunction in the spinal area.
Vertebral subluxations cause joints to “freeze” or lose normal movement, causing damage to the involved area. Movement is essential for the prevention of contracture and adhesion formation within the joint.
Conclusion
Doctors of chiropractic spend thousands of hours and many years learning how to correct vertebral subluxations using the art of the chiropractic spinal adjustment. The adjustment removes severe stress from the spine as well as related nerve and other tissues including the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments and other soft tissues. This permits your body to work better, under the direction of your inner healer (your innate healing ability) thus permitting you to better heal yourself. After your spine is adjusted your head is more balanced in relationship with gravity, your hips and shoulders are more level and stress is taken off the joints and muscles throughout your body. Because less of your energy goes into supporting an unbalanced spine and skeleton, you may immediately discover more energy, greater ease in movement and improved relaxation.
A recent book review on muscle spasm, trigger points, pain and fibromyalgia in the journal of the American Medical Association carried this shocking admission by the reviewer:
Anyone with the above conditions or with any health problem should see a doctor of chiropractic to make sure that their spine is free from vertebral subluxations.
Back to Top
