Statistics tell us that over 80 percent of people will suffer at least one painful episode during their life.  There are many causes of back pain, which can be elusive.  When the cause does not have a direct link  (ie.  fracture or disc herniation), it is referred to as non-specific mechanical back pain.  This label is used with everything ranging from small muscle tears and spasms, joint inflammation and dysfunction, muscle imbalance,  stretched ligaments, repetitive stress injuries and postural imbalances, and just plain old stress. The sad part is that this represents almost 90 percent of all back pain cases. Regardless of the cause of mechanical back pain, it affects every aspect of your life which can lead to many other disorders.  Simple things like putting on socks and shoes can be affected. The pain can keep us from exercising or just being able to bring in the groceries or go to the store.  The longer the pain stays present the more chance of the problem becoming chronic.  This is because healthy habits like walking and doing sports are often abandoned for fear of awakening the feared pain again.  It is easy to get to the place where we avoid things that we used to do in order to avoid the pain that may or may not come.  This can and does often affect our relationships with others and even ourselves. The point is, back pain is more than just pain. It affects our daily activities, our jobs, our relationships, and our lives.

This is the reason that I tell people that if your back pain has not resolved within a week or two,  I would highly recommend that you seek care from a musculoskeletal specialist like a chiropractor.  A physical fix is required for a physical problem.

Dr. Mathew Stocktstad is a Chiropractor in Asheville North Carolina.