2. •Low back pain is second only to
the common cold as a cause of
lost days at work.
•It is also one of the most
common reasons to visit a
doctor's office or a hospital's
emergency department.
•It is the second most common
neurologic complain in the
United States, second only to
headache

3. Major conditions of the Low
Back:
•Sprain/Strain Muscle/Ligaments
•Bulging or Herniated Discs
•Degenerative Disc Disease
•Bone Spurs
•Arthritis
•Posture
•Subluxation

4. Sprain or Strain of spinal ligaments
and muscles
•When the load or force exceeds the
muscles' ability to cope, the force is shared
with the ligaments. When a ligament is
stressed beyond its strength, it can tear

5. Sprain or Strain of spinal ligaments
and muscles
•Swelling causes pain, tenderness, and
stiffness; swelling serves to protect the
injured back by restricting movement

6. Sprain or Strain of spinal ligaments
and muscles
•Pain around the low back and
upper buttocks
•Low back/neck muscle spasm
•Pain associated with activities,
and generally relieved with rest

7. Sprain or Strain of spinal ligaments
and muscles –OK NOW WHAT?
•Step 1: Rest
The first step in the treatment of a
lumbar muscle strain is to rest the
back. This will allow the
inflammation to subside and
control the symptoms of muscle
spasm. *24-48 hours
*If no improvement after 48 hours consult your
physician.

8. Sprain or Strain of spinal ligaments
and muscles –OK NOW WHAT?
•Step 2: Ice/Heat
Acute injuries work best with ice
applications whereas chronic
injuries respond to heat.
Intermittent applications 10-15
minutes, 30 minutes rest pattern.

9. Sprain or Strain of spinal ligaments
and muscles –OK NOW WHAT?
•Step 3:
Exercise/Conditioning
•Proper conditioning is important
to both avoid this type of problem
and recover from this injury. By
stretching and strengthening the
back muscles, you will help control
the inflammation and better
condition the lumbar back
muscles.

11. Disc Bulge or Herniation “Slipped Disc”
Tough outer fibers of the spinal disc
weaken and stretch allowing the “jelly
center” of the disc to “bulge” outward.
Bulging Disc
Further stretching of spinal disc often
pushing on delicate spinal nerves causing
pain .
Herniated Disc
Disc center pushes through outer fibers
and disc contents are removed from center.
Surgery required .
Prolapsed Disc

13. Disc Bulge–OK NOW WHAT?
•Exercise and gentle stretching to help
relieve pressure on the nerve root
•Ice/heat therapy for pain relief
•*Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen or
COX-2 inhibitors for pain relief
•If after 48 hours no change in symptoms
consult your physician
*Use sparingly

14. “63% of patients studied revealed a reduced size or completely resorbed
disc herniation [as per MRI studies].”
Disc Bulge–OK NOW WHAT?
•Visit your chiropractor
•“63% of patients studied revealed a reduced size or
completely resorbed disc herniation [as per MRI
studies].”
“80% of the patients studied had a good clinical
outcome [pain was eliminated] for herniated discs in the
neck and low back”.
Source: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics, Nov-Dec1996

15. Degenerative Disc Disease
Over time, the spinal discs begin to lose
water and protein, making the cartilage
that forms their structure weaker and more
brittle. This weakness leads to a gradual
process known as degenerative disc
disease.

16. Spinal Arthritis
Arthritis of the spine is a term used to
describe a wide range of conditions that
cause pain, swelling, tenderness, and stiff
joints. More than 50 million Americans are
affected by some form of this spine
condition, and some experts speculate that
by 2020 this number will increase to 60%.
As of now, more than 90% of Americans
over 55 are affected by it.

17. Spinal Arthritis

18. Poor posture can increase the effects
of arthritis and degeneration.
Typical Upper Cross Syndrome

19. Typical Lower Cross Syndrome

20. Neck and Back Bone Spurs
Often referred to as osteophytes, bone
spurs form due to a protective mechanism
of the body. These bony growths are not
spurs in the sense that they are pointed,
but rather they are simply bony growths on
the normal bone structure. When these
growths protrude into the spinal canal or
onto a nearby nerve root, they can cause
pain and many more symptoms.

21. Contributing Factors
Genetics – if a parent or grandparent had
the condition, you are more likely to
develop it yourself.
Traumatic spine injury – if you hurt
your back as a kid playing football or
participating in some other activity,
degeneration may be accelerated in early
middle age.
Obesity – additional body weight places
more strain on the anatomical components
of the spine.

22. Contributing Factors
Cigarette smoking – chemicals in smoke
inhibit the body’s ability to distribute
oxygen, which can hasten disc
deterioration.
Diabetes – circulatory issues in diabetes
patients also inhibits oxygen distribution.

24. Subluxation
Vertebra which has lost its normal
position and/or motion in relation to
neighboring vertebrae.
This accelerates the wear and tear on
the surrounding spinal muscles,
ligaments, discs, joint and other spinal
tissues.

25. Subluxations
•Potential to impair proper nerve
functioning.
•Once nerve functioning is
compromised, communication within
the body becomes less effective
jeopardizing the overall health and
wellness of the individual.

26. Low Back Innervation
L1-Large Intestine, Uterus
L2-Appendix, Abdomen, Upper leg
L3-Sex Organs, Abdomen,
Bladder, Knees, Prostate, Large
intestine
L4-Prostate, Muscles of low back,
Sciatic Nerve
L5-Lower legs, Ankles, Feet,
Prostate

27. Subluxations
•Pain, palpatory tenderness, inflammation,
decreased spinal mobility, and muscle
spasm and hypertonicity will eventually
follow

28. Subluxations
•Most injuries have some
component of vertebral
subluxation. Get checked out by
your Chiropractor today!