As a chiropractor I get asked one question very often. A question that everyone wants to know the answer to, or at least those with low back pain. That question is: Can a chiropractor help with low back pain in Pittsburgh? Well, I am here to tell you that YES, a chiropractor can definitely help with low back pain. The key is to find the right chiropractor. I have discussed some of the keys to finding a good chiropractor on the other pages of my website, but on this page I want to go into how you should go about finding a chiropractor to help with low back pain.
THE COMMON CHIROPRACTOR
When the common person thinks of a chiropractor they think about the one treatment they are most known for: spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation can be effective for low back pain, but it is not always effective. That is why it is important to go to the right chiropractor. Many chiropractors simply manipulate their patients and send them on their way. I do not want to get into this too much, as I could rant about this forever, but doing this is a great disservice to the patients that the chiropractor sees.
HOW THE COMMON CHIROPRACTOR “HELPS” WITH LOW BACK PAIN
A common chiropractor might do a brief history and exam. The exam will generally consist of just palpating (feeling) the spine and the associated musculature. They may or may not be one of those chiropractors who takes x-rays on every patient. They will then tell you that you need spinal manipulation to cure your low back pain. They will use spinal manipulation as the only treatment or one of the only treatments on every patient with low back pain, regardless of the type of low back pain. They will help some people with low back pain, but others will not be helped.
HOW THE GOOD CHIROPRACTOR CAN HELP WITH LOW BACK PAIN
From your thorough history and examination a treatment plan at Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation can be arranged. This treatment plan will then use a combination of interventions to treat your low back pain. These interventions commonly range from McKenzie exercises, neurodynamic exercises, core stabilization exercises, other therapeutic exercises, stretches, soft tissue work, and even some spinal manipulation. These interventions often need to be used in combination, and one common theme you may have noticed is the word exercise. Exercise needs to be part of the treatment plan. You will be taken through a trial of care on this treatment plan. The trial of care will generally be about 6 visits. It will be determine after the 6 visits if the current treatment plan is working or if things need to be changed. You will then go through another trial of care for around 6 visits. At this point you will either be ready to take care of the low back pain on your own, or you will need to explore further avenues, possibly a referral to a different practitioner.
SO CAN A CHIROPRACTOR HELP WITH LOW BACK PAIN?
Yes, a good chiropractor can and often does help with low back pain. Even a common chiropractor in Pittsburgh can sometimes help, but if you want to ensure that you are getting the highest quality of care you need to find yourself a good chiropractor. You need to find someone who can help you as an individual rather than treating you as just another patient. It can be hard to find a good chiropractor, but when you do find one you will be glad you did.
Now that I know that a chiropractor can help with low back pain, how do I know when to see one?
This leads us to the question of “when should I see a chiropractor for low back pain?” Which is another question I get asked a lot. I will cover this in a later blog post. Until then take care Pittsburgh and feel free to call us at Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation at 412-517-8124 to see if we can help you.