Back Pain FAQ

Back pain affects about 80 percent of the US population. While it is common, you should seek medical care if it becomes sever and debilitating. A variety of reasons can cause back pain such as disc degeneration that occurs with age and can be congenital like with scoliosis. However, most back pain is caused by muscle strain, trauma or injury. Certain physical body changes can cause back pain like pregnancy, excessive weight and poor posture.

Your Houston Chiropractor, Dr. Johnson, will first perform a thorough medical history check. Typically for back pain, there are no tests needed but if Dr. Johnson feels like diagnostic images such as MRIs and CT scans are necessary, he will inform you. Tests may not be able to detect your back pain and it is best to consult with Dr. Johnson first.

Back pain can be treated in many different ways depending on how severe your pain is. Most commonly, a patient with back pain will go through Home Mirror Image Exercises, massages and chiropractic care. Pain medication can be taken to briefly relieve pain and discomfort. Typically, back pain can be controlled with Home Mirror Image Exercises and chiropractic care. Dr. Johnson believes in a holistic approach with chiropractic care before extreme treatments such as surgery should be considered.

The goal of Chiropractic treatment is to relieve symptoms, prevent complications and to better manage the underlying factors that are triggering these health problems in the first place. Your Houston Chiropractor works closely with each patient to create a custom treatment plan that combines Chiropractic adjustments with lifestyle counseling. Chiropractic adjustments also make it easier for our patients to engage in regular physical activity, which is important for maintaining a healthy weight, a primary risk factor associated with back pain.

Maintaining proper spinal alignment and posture is important when controlling back pain. Speak with Dr. Johnson about your nutrition and diet as these are also factors in back pain. Dr. Johnson may also recommend some exercises and stretches for you to do at home in between visitations. In addition, do not sit or stand for long periods of time without getting up and always sit or stand with the right posture to ensure optimal pain relief.