Chronic Pain

Chronic lower back pain remains one of the leading causes of disability globally, with up to 80% of people experiencing lower back pain at some point during their lifetime1. In recent decades there has been an exponential increase in medications, injections and surgery in the management of lower back pain2. This has been an attempt to target underlying spinal structures, however, recent evidence has shown that only 8-15% of lower back pain is due to a specific underlying cause3.

Typically involving the lower lumbar spine or the sacro-iliac joints of the pelvis, people tend to experience more pain and stiffness in the morning that can feel locked or ‘give-way’. These symptoms can improve as the day progresses, especially with movement and heat application

Intervertebral discs are the cartilaginous structures separating adjacent vertebrae in the spine. These discs can cause underlying pain and symptoms when irritating the nearby nerve root. Symptoms may be local to the lower back region, or radiate into the hip, leg and foot regions. Patients may have associated neurological findings upon assessment.

Lumbar facet injuries can occur with repetitive extension or loading of the spine, where the posterior joints of the spine, the facet joints, are susceptible to injury and irritation

Some symptoms and signs we may see include:

• Pain and symptoms more local to the lower back
• Pain relief with hip and spinal flexed positions
• No leg symptom referral

Chiropractic care and management may include spinal manipulative techniques, soft tissue therapies, exercise and rehabilitation, along with lifestyle guidance. Chiropractic care is focused on reducing inflammation within the joint, improving movement and function to prevent future irritation

Spinal stenosis is described as the narrowing of the spinal canal, most notably in the lower back and neck regions. The narrowing of the canal can put pressure on the nerves as they travel through the spine. Some people with spinal stenosis may not experience symptoms. These structural narrowing are often attributed to age-related changes.