Dr Ben Weitz, DC, CCSP, CSCS
Back Pain Chiropractor in Santa Monica
Chiropractic care is often very effective for reducing and managing back pain, which is an incredibly common condition. And chiropractic care is considered a safe treatment when appropriately performed by a trained professional, like Dr. Weitz, who has 38 years of experience. Up to 84% of adults report experiencing back pain at some point during their lives, and approximately 39% of U.S. adults report having back pain during any given three-month period. In addition, a substantial percentage of adults experience long-term or chronic low back pain.
Back pain can have many different causes, and in many cases there is not one single anatomical structure responsible for the pain. The intervertebral disc, the nerves, the posterior ligaments, the facet joints, and all the layers of muscles in the back can contribute to pain. The disc can bulge or herniate out and cause pressure on the nerve or the spinal cord, which can also result in pain that radiates down the leg or tingling or numbness. Poor posture, especially prolonged sitting, a sedentary lifestyle, inadequate strength of the abdominal and back muscles, and tightness or restricted mobility of the hamstrings and hip flexors can all contribute to mechanical back pain. Scoliosis or altered alignment of the pelvis can play a role in back pain. Limited mobility or altered movement of the lumbar spine, pelvis, and sacroiliac joints may also contribute to symptoms.
The small joints between the vertebrae, called facet joints, can also become irritated and painful. The facet joints contain a joint capsule and are richly supplied with nerves, making them potential sources of back pain. When a chirpractor manipulates your spine and you hear that clicking sound, this is because your facet joints are being moved and there is a release of carbon dioxide gas as the facet joint capsule is opened and closed allowing the joint to get nutrition and to remove waist. This often improves restricted facet-joint movement and regular adjustments will usually improve this movement pattern better. This generally restores range of movement and reduces pain
Chiropractic manipulation is one of the few evidence-supported conservative treatments for low back pain. Clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews support spinal manipulation as one option for people with acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain, particularly when it is incorporated into a broader treatment program. (https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/american-college-of-physicians-issues-guideline-for-treating-nonradicular-low-back-pain) The goal of chiropractic care is not simply to “put the spine back into alignment.” Rather, chiropractic treatment can help improve joint mobility, reduce pain, improve movement, and restore normal function. A chiropractic adjustment uses a controlled force applied to a joint to improve its mobility. This can affect the mechanical and neurological systems involved in pain and movement. Research suggests that spinal manipulation can produce short-term improvements in pain and function in many patients with low back pain. (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2680417)
Depending on the individual patient and the underlying problem, treatment may include:
This comprehensive approach can be particularly useful when back pain is related to a combination of joint restriction, muscular tension, weakness, poor movement patterns, and inflammation. We consider the soft tissue/massage work that we include to be crucial to the results that we get. Muscles are often the overlooked component of back pain and should be addressed along with the joint movement that we address through manipulation.
Inflammation can play an important role in many painful musculoskeletal conditions. When tissues around the spine, muscles, ligaments, or joints become irritated, inflammatory signaling can contribute to pain and sensitivity. There is also evidence that manual therapy and exercise can influence some of the physiological processes associated with inflammation and pain. However, I would not describe chiropractic manipulation as simply an “anti-inflammatory treatment.” Its benefits are more likely to involve a combination of mechanical, neurological, muscular, and pain-modulating effects. This is one reason why we generally take a broader approach to treating back pain rather than relying on adjustments alone. We often use a combination of both interferential current therapy and ice in our treatment to modulate inflammation. Natural anti-inflammatories can extend the anti-inflammatory benefits.
One of the most frustrating aspects of back pain is that symptoms may improve after treatment only to return weeks or months later. That’s often because treating the painful joint or muscle is only part of the solution. For example, someone who spends eight hours a day sitting, esp. with poor posture, has weak gluteal and abdominal muscles, limited hip mobility, and poor lifting mechanics that may continue to place excessive stress on the lumbar spine even after the original pain has resolved. For these patients, the long-term goal should be to improve the factors that contributed to the problem in the first place. That may include strengthening the core and hips, improving hip, sacroiliac joint, and thoracic mobility, correcting problematic movement patterns, improving sitting and workstation ergonomics, and gradually returning to normal physical activity.
Chiropractic care may be appropriate for many common mechanical causes of back pain, including:
However, not every type of back pain should be treated with chiropractic manipulation. Back pain can occasionally be caused by conditions requiring medical evaluation or a different type of treatment. These can include significant neurological problems, fractures, infection, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and certain abdominal or vascular conditions. That’s why a proper history and physical examination are important before beginning treatment.
It makes sense to see a chiropractor if you have back pain, since your primary care doctor cannot do much more than prescribe some anti-inflammatory or pain relieving medication. You should seek prompt medical evaluation rather than simply treating yourself if back pain is accompanied by symptoms such as progressive weakness, significant numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, saddle anesthesia, unexplained weight loss, fever, significant trauma, or other concerning systemic symptoms. For uncomplicated mechanical back pain, however, conservative treatment is often an appropriate first approach.
At Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition, our approach to back pain combines chiropractic care with soft-tissue therapy, other therapeutic modalities, exercise, and lifestyle recommendations. As a sports chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner, I also look beyond the immediate source of pain when appropriate. Nutrition, body composition, physical activity, sleep, stress, and metabolic health can all influence how well someone recovers from an injury and how successfully they maintain an active lifestyle. The goal isn’t simply to make your back feel better for a few days but to keep it feeling better longer term. This is one reason why getting on a treatment schedule by coming in for a series of treatments till you can make some long term progress. Ideally you should come in for manitenance care to keep your spine tuned up by have a regular appointment every 2-4 weeks. The goal is to help you move better, become stronger, reduce the likelihood of recurrent injury, and get back to the activities you enjoy. If you’re looking for a back pain chiropractor in Santa Monica, we would be happy to evaluate your condition and determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate for you.
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