Low back pain

Low back pain treatment for Brownsburg and Pittsboro residents

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek chiropractic care. Symptoms may develop suddenly after lifting, bending, or physical activity, or they may gradually worsen over time. While many cases are mechanical in nature, low back pain can originate from several different structures and conditions. An accurate diagnosis is essential for determining the most appropriate treatment approach.

Common Causes of Low Back Pain

Low back pain is a symptom rather than a diagnosis. Several different conditions can produce similar symptoms. Several of the most common musculoskeletal causes are listed below.

Herniated Disc

The tough fibro cartilage wall of the discs between your vertebrae can sometimes tear. This can be with physical trauma or something as simple as bending down to pick a tissue off the floor. The low back pain is typically severe and can cause nerve impingement resulting is sciatica.

SI Joint Dysfunction

SI joint dysfunction typically causes pain in the buttock or buttocks. It is typically worse with walking or getting out of a chair. It can be a result of injury or caused secondarily by a change in gait due to another medical issue. SI issues may mimic disc injuries and sciatica.

Muscle Strain or Ligament Sprain

Muscle ligament injury can be from acute injuries such as improperly lifting a heavy object, slips and falls, or car crash, but they can also be from chronic repetitive use of a muscle or joint. This is one of the most common causes of low back pain.

Degenerative Joint Changes

Joints will degenerate over time after an injury, with chronic overuse, or habitual inactivity. This type of pain is typically noticed to increase gradually over years and is associated with stiffness or loss of motion.

Common Symptoms

  • Local low back pain
  • Stiffness
  • Difficulty standing upright
  • Pain with bending or lifting
  • Muscle spasm
  • Radiating pain into the buttocks or upper leg

Treatment Options

Chiropractic Care Spinal manipulation and mobilization may help improve motion, reduce pain, and restore normal joint function.

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Rehabilitation exercises can improve strength, flexibility, and movement patterns contributing to low back pain.

Laser Therapy Class IV laser therapy may help reduce inflammation and support healing in injured tissues.

Shockwave Therapy Shockwave therapy uses acoustic pressure waves to break up tight or irritated tissue, reduce pain, and improve mobility.

How low back pain is evaluated

Evaluation includes a detailed health history, physical examination, orthopedic testing, neurological assessment, and review of functional limitations. When necessary, imaging studies or laboratory testing may be ordered to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning.

Related Conditions

FAQ

Yes. Chiropractic care is often an appropriate first treatment option for low back pain. Clinical practice guidelines recommend conservative, non-drug treatment approaches for many cases of acute and subacute low back pain, including spinal manipulation. A thorough evaluation can help determine whether your symptoms are mechanical in nature and whether chiropractic treatment is appropriate for your condition.

Many episodes of low back pain improve on their own within a few days to a few weeks. If your pain is mild and appears related to a recent strain or overuse injury, it is reasonable to remain active as tolerated, modify aggravating activities, and use ice or other self-care measures.
Evaluation is recommended when pain is severe, interfering with normal activities, worsening instead of improving, or not resolving as expected. An evaluation may also be appropriate if symptoms are recurring, radiating into the leg, associated with numbness or weakness, or if the cause of the pain is unclear.

Yes. While low back pain itself does not cause numbness, conditions affecting the low back can sometimes affect spinal nerves that travel into the leg. Herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and other nerve-related conditions may cause back pain along with numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain that radiates into the buttock or leg.

Not always. Many cases of low back pain can be accurately evaluated through a detailed history and physical examination and do not require immediate imaging. Imaging studies such as X-rays or MRI scans are typically ordered when examination findings, patient history, or the clinical presentation suggest additional information is needed to establish an accurate diagnosis or guide treatment decisions.
The decision to order imaging is based on the individual patient and condition rather than a routine protocol. Some patients may benefit from imaging early in the evaluation process, while others may improve without it.

Many patients with low back pain cannot identify a single event that caused their symptoms. While some injuries occur during obvious events such as lifting heavy objects, falls, or motor vehicle accidents, many develop gradually over time.
In these cases, the tissues involved may have been subjected to repeated stress from work activities, hobbies, posture, movement patterns, or everyday tasks. Rather than a single injury, the problem develops through the accumulation of small stresses over weeks, months, or years.
As microinjuries progress, a seemingly minor movement such as bending forward, getting out of a chair, tying a shoe, or reaching into a sink may trigger pain. While that movement appears to be the cause, it is often the final stress placed on a tissue that has been under strain for a long time.

If you are experiencing low back pain, our office can help determine the cause of your symptoms and whether chiropractic treatment is an appropriate option.

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