Is your back pain a chronic problem or an acute problem? According to Google AI, sometimes known as Dr. Google, these are classic definitions of acute vs. chronic back pain Acute back pain Asudden, short-term pain in the backâusually lasting from a few days up to six weeks. It often results from a muscle strain, ligament sprain, or minor injury caused by heavy lifting or sudden twisting. Most people get better with basic home care and normal movement. Common Causes Muscle or ligament tears from lifting heavy objects Sudden awkward twists or falls Tight, painful muscle spasms A bulging or slipped disc pressing on a nerve Typical Symptoms Sharp, dull, or aching pain in the lower back Trouble standing up straight or moving easily Stiff muscles that make bending hurt Pain that sometimes travels down the leg Chronic back pain Ongoing pain in the back that lasts for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause has healed or treated. Unlike short-term acute pain, it persists over a long time and can affect daily life. Common Causes Arthritis of the spine: Breakdown of cartilage in the spinal joints. Degenerative disc disease: Wear and tear on the cushions between the spine bones. Herniated or bulging discs: Discs pushing out and pressing on nearby nerves. Spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the space around the spinal cord. Muscle or tissue strain: Long-term poor posture or weak support muscles. Common Symptoms Dull, aching, or sharp pain Tingling, burning, or numb feelings Stiff muscles or trouble moving freely Pain that spreads down the legs Should you believe Dr. Google or your local Sports chiropractor? These are classic definitions but often the experience patients have may not fit nicely into these categories. Why your chiropractor does a complete history of everything on your first visit. Patient: All I did was ….. Doctor: Have you ever had back pain, foot pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, joint pain of any sort? Patient The pain is about a ___ out of 10 but feels better after this weekend. Not as bad as the last episode three years ago. Doctor: Do you have flat feet, does your neck feel stiff, can you squat, touch your toes, etc. Patient: just, you know, my normal achiness. You know how it is once you hit 40 years old. You may notice the doctor is looking for things related to why you hurt and a history of previous problems. The patient is focusing on their back or leg or foot pain or just the worst symptom today and minimizing their symptoms. This is the definition of a chronic problem that has become acute. Most patients are chronic that becomes acute. Older patients may require an x ray if they have been tolerating pain for years but not doing anything to resolve the problem. Why you need to take seriously the things the doctor tells you during your exam. In healthcare of the musculoskeletal system, the better we evaluate you, the less we need to test including x-rays and MRI’s which are the most over ordered test in healthcare from our experience. A sports chiropractor will do a deep history and an exam from the ground up to better understand you. Your back pain can be due to lifting improperly, or if we see degeneration in the spine and worn hips, this tells us that your problem is chronic as the correct way to interpret an x ray with compensation and worn joints is chronic. The x ray is showing us a history of malfunction if you see these changes and those changes have taken years to occur. A few visits in, you may feel better and feel normal. Are you normal or are you at the level of dysfunction you were at prior to the lower back pain episode with the achiness that goes with it. That is not normal, Neither is needing a pillow between the knees at night, or a brace on the knee to avoid pain, or to pull yourself up stairs using the railing etc. You get the idea. Taking advil to relieve every ache so you can tolerate life is not normal. It means you have a chronic condition that over time is doing damage as you may see on your x ray. The reason replacing joints is big business that is high risk is because ignoring our pain as we age damages joints and affects how we walk. If you want to finish them off, give them a cane or a walker. If you want to help them, take their pain seriously in the 20’s and 30’s and put them on a treadmill and find out why they hurt. You will be surprised what you learn. Even older patients can improve how they walk, move and feel. How to avoid the chronic back pain trap. If the doctor tells you from years of experience you require 12-14 visits more or less and if you follow the prescription, they will discharge you, this is rational. Once you complete care, the doctor may recommend you visit monthly for a while as your body continues over time. That is also rational. The brain memorizes patterns of movement both good and bad. Improving years of poor movement patterns takes time. Resolving a 30 year old problem in a couple of months and further improving it may take a few months. We have one body and one set of joints. Keeping if fit and healthy requires us to commit to ourselves. Ignore what you read on Google. See a chiropractor first. A great chiropractor will be thorough and offer you a care plan customized to your individual needs rather than a one size fits all plan based on a prescription from someone else. A great sports chiropractor will have even greater knowledge of how to solve many conditions related to how we move. Commit to the care you need. Take better care of yourself. Perform the exercises the doctor prescribes. Be regular with your chiropractic care as you would dental or any medical care. Move better, feel better, age better with chiropractic care. The joints you save may be your own. What is a typical chiropractic visit consist of? Spinal and extremity adjustments. A comparison of the previous visit and todays symptoms and function. Myofascial release work to loosen the tissues before we perform adjustments. Exercises. periodic reevaluations. Feel better in as little as one visit. Book online at www.backfixer1.com or call our No. Brunswick office at 732-846-6400 or Scotch Plains 732-829.0009.