Many of the phone calls we get and the treatments we do as chiropractors and osteopaths are because of pain, but chiropractic and osteopathy is more than just pain relief!
A lot of people don’t think of contacting us and having anything done unless something hurts, understandably. We examine, diagnose and treat acute issues very effectively and our patients go away happy.
But what if the pain keeps coming back?
There are many reasons why these episodes often return, despite being treated very well. Plenty of patients just want to ring us whenever they have pain and need attention, which is fine, but how about preventing the recurrence in the first place?
Now of course every back is different, so the reasons why problems return can be very specific to each individual.
Here are some of the reasons why the pain episodes often return:
- A big reason for a back ‘weakness’ that recurs, is that invariably the back muscles are far too tight and overworked, and the core muscles are far too weak.
- Sedentary work is another big reason why backs are also very tight and other muscles weak.
- Lifting heavy loads incorrectly will cause injuries (laundry baskets as well as work related lifting!).
- Posture is also really important when it comes to back pain: carrying children on one hip or slouching awkwardly on the sofa all evening can cause back pain.
- Lots of stress also causes muscle tightening.
- And the list could go on…!
Unless someone is exercising their abdominal muscles regularly and stretching their back daily, almost everyone will have some sort of a muscular imbalance. This causes the lower back to be under a lot of pressure and easily strained.
How can you prevent these pain episodes from recurring?
Completely avoiding all of these issues is pretty impossible. However, getting your joints and muscles loosened up from time to time, and keeping your spine functioning correctly, makes a huge difference to the frequency of back pain episodes.
Again, everyone is different, some people need treatment more often than others, but quarterly is very effective and probably our most common ‘maintenance’ visit interval. It also enables us to support you with the right advice regarding exercise and posture.
Is your back in need of chiropractic and osteopathy maintenance care?
If you are interested in knowing more about how you can prevent your pain episodes from being recurrent, or if you are in need of treatment to relieve your back pain and want to know the next steps, head over to our booking system and book a free consultation with our Chiropractor and Osteopath today!
