“My lower back feels stronger now.” This is the statement I heard after I had treated Marianne for her back condition. It is also a statement I’ve heard many times in my 35 years of chiropractic practice. Marianne was a 45-year-old patient who was a hairstylist. Over the past several years she had been experiencing increased back discomfort. She also noted her lower back felt extremely weak and tired after putting in a long day at work.
This article will discuss how chiropractic care can give relief of low back pain and help increase back strength and endurance. We’ll also discuss a recent scientific research study detailing how chiropractic therapy helps with relief of back discomfort and reported subsequent improvement of disability.
Marianne had been to her PCP, orthopedic specialist and physical therapist but her back episodes of pain and tiredness persisted. When I initially examined her, I found that she had misalignments of her spinal bones and pelvis that had been overlooked. We discussed a plan of care that led to her obtaining relief of her back complaints by providing chiropractic manipulations to correct malpositioned and improperly moving spinal vertebrae and pelvic joints. We also worked through a process of providing stretching and strengthening exercises so that she was able to take on the strenuous physical activities of being a hairstylist without fear of having tired back at the end of her workday.
Chiropractic care has been shown, scientifically, to increase strength and endurance of the back. In the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, June 2020 a study was performed where military personnel received chiropractic care. Those receiving treatment reported improved strength and endurance, as well as a reduction in low back pain intensity and disability compared with patients on a waiting list who received no treatment.
I have also seen patients in occupations such as nursing, construction, restaurant workers, employees in the retail business and others experience an ability to perform their occupations not only free of back discomfort, but also able to have the endurance to put in long hours required of their profession.
If one has strength or endurance disability, and pain from a spinal condition it is highly recommended to seek chiropractic care immediately. It could be the difference between relief or pain, or normal function versus disability. It might even be the difference between being able to continue working or be forced into retirement.