Back Pain

What is back pain?

Back pain is a symptom that can come from a number of different injuries and health conditions, not all of which originate in your back. Regardless of its cause, pain in your back can make it difficult or impossible to attend school, work, or events. Severe back pain can leave you unable to stand up or move around.

There are many bones, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and muscles throughout your back that can be damaged and lead to back pain. Thankfully, most back pain is manageable without surgery. At Charlotte Chiropractic and Rehab, Dr. Maul assesses your back pain and treats it with a holistic, multimodal approach.

What causes back pain?

There are nearly endless possible causes of back pain. In many cases, back pain appears suddenly after an injury, and it’s easy to find the injury that caused it. In other cases, back pain seems to appear out of nowhere, and a diagnosis isn’t as easy to find. Here are some common back pain causes:

• Muscle strains or tension
  
• Ruptured or bulging discs
  
• Arthritis
  
• Osteoporosis
  
• Sciatica
  
• Scoliosis
  
• Kidney infection
  
• Spinal tumors

You’re at a higher risk for back pain if you have poor posture, stand or sit for prolonged periods of time, are obese, or smoke. Aging also makes you more prone to injuries and conditions that cause back pain.

What are my options for back pain relief?

At Charlotte Chiropractic and Rehab, Dr. Maul offers numerous supplemental back pain treatments that can help you achieve relief. After evaluating your back pain, he might recommend:

Chiropractic care

Chiropractic care helps you realign your spine to find balance. Dr. Maul gently adjusts your vertebrae to relieve muscle tension and improve your musculoskeletal functioning.

Acupuncture or dry needling

Acupuncture and dry needling are both treatments that use needles to help you find pain relief. Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into your tissues at specific points along meridian lines to restore your body’s flow of energy. During dry needling, needles go into trigger points to relieve muscle tension.

Massage therapy

Massages don’t just feel good and help you relax in the moment; they can help you find long-term relief for back pain and other symptoms, too. A massage therapist at Charlotte Chiropractic and Rehab manipulates your muscles and tissues to relieve muscle tension and support healing.

Cold laser therapy

Cold laser therapy uses low-level laser light to penetrate deep into your tissues and stimulate healing.

Physical rehabilitation

Physical rehabilitation involves specific stretches and movements to relieve back pain and tightness.

Dr. Maul can also provide myofascial release therapy to target and relieve trigger points in your back with hands-on manipulation, or instrument-assisted soft tissue manipulation (IASTM) to manipulate your tissues with the help of specialized steel tools.

If your back pain doesn’t go away with time or home care, call Charlotte Chiropractic and Rehab or request a consultation online today.