Back Pain is the #1 cause of disability in the United States. 85% of Americans will experience back pain of
some sort in their lifetime. The fact is, there are over 30 million Americans that are experiencing back
pain at this moment. Chiropractors are at the forefront in treating back pain.
The causes for low back pain are injuries, accidents, repetitive stressful movements, heavy lifting, and
chronic misalignments of the spine and pelvis. These causes lead to pain from injury to muscles and
their tendons, ligaments, discs, the cartilage that lines the joints and the capsules that hold our joints
together.
Common causes for low back pain

Disc bulges or herniations – Perhaps the most common and certainly the most painful cause of low back
pain is a disc bulge or herniation. Most patients in my practice will have lumbar disc degeneration, a
bulging of the disc, or a herniation of the disc. Often times they have all three.
The discs will wear out because the vertebrae are not aligned properly (much like the tires of your car
being out of alignment and wearing out prematurely). As the disc wears out, it will start to narrow and
bulge out. As they bulge, the fibers on the outside of the disc can rupture, spilling their contents onto
the nerves and spinal cord, creating intense and severe pain.

Left uncorrected, the central part of the disc will herniate outside the disc frequently causing direct
compression of the spinal nerve, the spinal cord, or both. The pain for all of these conditions can be
severe with pain radiating either up the spine, across the pelvis, or down the leg towards the foot. It is
not possible to put the herniation back into the disc. But by correcting the alignment of the spine, the
pressure on the nerve and the symptoms created decrease, allowing my patients to return to normal
activities. More importantly is that chiropractic has been shown to prevent further herniation and
wearing out of the discs as well as the associated pain.
If you feel you have a problem with a disc, contact the Family Chiropractic Center and let Dr. Staley help
get you back on your feet.

Lumbar Joint Pain (facet syndrome) – As discs wear out and narrow and the vertebrae are rotated or
tilted out of position, that will create wear and tear of the joints of the lumbar spine (facet joints). Facet
joints when injured create intense pain throughout the middle and low back. Symptoms include pain
with walking, standing or sitting that is relieved by bending forward or lying down. As the cartilage
wears out, it does not grow back. Therefore, it is imperative that the structure and function of the spine
is addressed regularly to not only treat the original pain, but to prevent degeneration and the return of
pain. If you feel you have injured joints in your low back, contact the Family Chiropractic Center.
Chiropractic subluxations – Chiropractic subluxations occur when two vertebrae of the spine are not
aligned properly. This is the most frequent cause of pain that is rarely talked about. These subluxations
decrease normal movement, increase muscle spasm, and create a compression on the spinal nerve
which will decrease the function of our large intestine, bladder, uterus, prostate and other organs. If
you have chronic back pain or problems with you digestive or reproductive organs, contact the Family
Chiropractic Center.

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Lumbar sprains and strains – Lumbar sprains are the injury to the ligaments which hold the bones of our
spines together while strains are injury to the muscles or their tendons. Sprains and strains can arise
from mild trauma such as repetitive light lifting or standing in a slightly flexed posture, i.e. brushing your
teeth or washing dishes. Mild repetitive moments also include running, walking, elliptical, biking,
gardening and swimming that if overdone or done improperly, can lead to sprains and strains. These
pains develop slowly with a gradual onset of pain that increases until it disrupts your life.
The most common cause of sprain/strain injuries is lifting something heavy frequently coupled with
twisting, reaching and leaning. The pain is immediate and debilitating. As an expert in both soft tissues
and the bones of your spine, Dr. Staley can help with that acute pain, correcting structural problems,
modifying activities that are hurting you. Call the Family Chiropractic Center and see how Dr. Staley can
get you back into life.