Back pain is the number two reason for visits to the doctor’s office, second only to coughs and upper respiratory infections. The cost of this epidemic is over 100 billion dollars annually in medical bills, disability and lost productivity at work. Other than the obvious causes such as automobile accidents and other types of trauma to the back, most lower back pain is caused by stress placed on the muscles and tissues of the spine due to being overweight and sedentary lifestyles. In fact, for each pound of extra weight that is carried an extra 10 pounds of stress is placed on the lower back once you stand up in the morning. Couple this with the poor condition of the abdominal musculature, lower back musculature, and daily stresses we place on our spines, and you have the reason that legions of people suffer from this condition. Statistics show that about 80% of Americans will suffer back related pain at some point in their life. With all these statistics medical science still has no perfect answer to deal with this condition. Surgery has been shown to be expensive, and extremely invasive, and in many instances outcomes are poor, however sometimes this is the only option left at the end of standard medical protocols.

Back pain can be broken down into 3 categories. Of all back pain, 80% is neuromuscular (pinched nerves/muscle spasms) in origin, 5% is related to disc problems, and 15% is related to organic causes such as cancer, prostate, or kidney problems.

If left untreated the lower back pain may subside, however the underlying cause of the problem rarely goes away. The usual progression of the condition is more frequent episodes or “flare ups” with increasing levels of pain and disability each time. Eventually, the misalignment of the spine causes degeneration of discs, narrowing of openings surrounding nerve tissue and permanent loss of function.

At Northwest Wellness Center we are trained and experienced to deal with back pain. Our first goal is to accurately diagnose the cause of the pain. Once determined that your back pain falls into the 85% category of conditions that we can treat, you will be placed on a program of using the best combination of therapies (physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, stretching and strengthening exercises) to get you better in the least amount of time. Our aim is to eliminate your pain, retrain your muscles, and fix the underlying functional imbalances which created your problem. Our program is thorough, our staff is caring and concerned, and our outcomes are excellent. If you fall into the 15% category that is not neuromuscular in nature you will be provided with referral options to the appropriate specialist.