Chiropractic Care for Back Pain

Back pain is pain or stiffness felt along the spine, most often in the lower (lumbar) back, and it usually comes from the joints, discs, muscles, ligaments or nerves of the back. It is one of the most common health complaints worldwide, affecting most adults at some point in their lives, and ranges from a dull, persistent ache to a sudden, sharp pain that makes moving difficult. The lumbar spine bears most of the body's weight and is the most frequently affected region, though mid-back and neck pain are also widespread. Back pain often keeps returning when the mechanical contributors, such as posture, sitting habits or how particular spinal joints move, are never looked at. At Bewell's Novena clinic, opening soon, a Gonstead chiropractor assesses your spine and pelvis by hand, segment by segment: observing your posture, checking for temperature differences along the spine with an instrument, and feeling how each level sits and moves. Adjustments are made by hand, only at the segments the findings point to. Back pain that follows a fall or injury, or comes with fever, unexplained weight loss, numbness in the groin or saddle area, or changes in bladder or bowel control, should be checked by a registered doctor first.