What Causes My Lower Back Pain in Monterey

Lower back and what causes it in Monterey??? Wow, that is a biggie of a health question! Lower back pain continues to be the primary reason why most patients set foot inside my office here in Monterey and countless other chiropractic offices around the world.

When I sit down and consult with a patient about their lower back pain I follow a pretty simple approach. My first concern is to listen, making sure I get all the details about their condition. Of course we care about things that have happened in your past that may have caused your current condition, but we tend to focus on the here and now initially. What symptoms you present can give us a pretty darn good idea whether you are in the right office or not.

When it comes to Lower Back Pain we can classify the condition into three basic categories to start. Now, this is general, but hopefully helpful for you to understand your condition better.

Three Lower Back Pain Categories in Monterey

Category 1: "Mechanical"  - This is a pretty all encompassing category, but more specifically here we are dealing with injuries to ligaments, musculature around the spine that typically come from a sprain or strain. This type of condition often presents with some muscle tension or spasm along with some swelling often. This category can also include degenerative disc disease or arthritis of the lower spine which is extremely common as we age. Typically these conditions present with more "localized" pain, meaning we won't often see shooting pain down the leg or numbness into the foot in this category. In most of these cases we have great success at the Back and Neck Pain Center of Monterey alleviating pain due to conditions of a mechanical nature.

Category 2: "Disc/Nerve"  - This is also extremely common. Very often a disc injury or compression upon a spinal nerve root in the lower back is extremely painful. This pain often travels from the lower back or buttocks region down either leg. These symptoms that travel are typically pain, numbness, tingling, burning. This type of pain can be scary because the pain is commonly very intense. Typically the solution to this problem is a simple one and is the same whether you see a Doctor of Chiropractic, an orthopedic surgeon or a physical therapist. The solution simply is to remove pressure from the nerve. The question is at this point is which method is most effective? This will vary from case to case and it is important that you consult with either a doctor of chiropractic here at the Back and Neck Pain Center of Monterey or another healthcare provider of your choosing so that you can best evaluate and understand your options. I will say that just because a disc has been injured or a spinal nerve root is compressed (pinched) does not mean you need surgery. In many cases it can be helped with conservative treatment such as chiropractic care, physical rehabilitation, etc.

Category 3: "The Bad Stuff"  - Thankfully these are rare. Most of the time we are consulting with patients that have conditions in the first two categories and can help many of them. This third category can include potentially life threatening conditions such as cancer, infection, or possibly a fracture. When we meet symptoms that present outside of the first two categories we begin to consider other causes. When we suspect a more ominous diagnosis it is important to refer the patient to a provider that is specialized in handling these cases as they are commonly emergencies. Here at the Back and Neck Pain Center of Monterey we have built a great network of trusted providers that we can lean on in cases like these to get our patients the information and treatment they need.

The important point of emphasis here is that if appropriate even very painful lower back conditions can be successfully treated with conservative chiropractic care. If we can be of service to you in any way please don't hesitate to contact our office to schedule a consultation with us here at the Back and Neck Pain Center of Monterey.

Disclaimer: This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.