Lower back pain is one of the top reasons for lost productivity in America. Many people who suffer from low back pain fail to make it in to work. Too many become addicted to pain relief medications in the hopes that the lower back pain will eventually diminish. Most people, however, fail to receive the necessary help from medication alone. Lower back pain can be attributed to a number of causes. The pain can be due to muscle spasms, misaligned vertebrae, disc protrusions or herniations, muscle weakness, poor posture, not receiving the proper nutrition, and even can be an indirect sign of other serious diseases. Lower back pain can be felt in many different pain patterns. Some people experience lower back pain localized in one area, others may feel the pain shift from one area to another as they move. Lower back pain can even radiate down a leg causing pain as far as to the toes.

When a new patient comes in to our chiropractic office, our first priority is taking a full history. We want to find out as much information as possible about our patients past. Have they had lower back pain before, what about any serious illnesses or diseases. Have they been experiencing any flu like or cold symptoms recently, what about any previous hospitalizations or surgeries. We also want to find out if the patient’s parents, siblings, or other family members have had or currently have similar symptoms. How long has the lower back pain been going on for, has it gotten worse or better, has the pattern shifted in any way. What activities of daily living are being interfered with, do they have trouble working etc. Once we’ve taken a full history, we then perform a comprehensive chiropractic exam which includes range of motion of the person. How far can they bend forward, backward, to the sides, or twist their body. Is there lower back pain when they perform these movements. Following the range of motion exam, which is measured by an instrument, we perform a series of orthopedic examinations to help narrow the possible cause of the lower back pain. We then perform a limited neurological exam, to determine if the person has normal sensitivity of dermatome, or skin patches, which correspond to different spinal levels, and we have the patient perform different exams to determine whether the possibility exists of an upper or lower motor lesion.
Following all these exams, and dependent on what we’ve found so far, we may send the patient to have x rays of their spine. The radiological films of the lower spine can help determine if there is any pathological, degenerative, or traumatic reason for the lower back pain. The films also help show us the structural integrity of the spine, if the normal lordotic curve is present in the spine, or if there is any scoliotic curve.
Once we’ve gathered all this information, we can come to a diagnosis, determine if chiropractic care can be of help, and how long the patient can expect to remain in care. Whether the pain is acute, or has been a chronic problem for the patient, will be a determining factor in how quickly the lower back pain will recede. It is fairly normal for  lower back pain to diminish quickly under chiropractic care, however our goal is to better the integrity of the lower back so that the pain doesn’t recur. Following our recommendations, being consistent with care, and our recommended exercise and nutrition suggestions helps our patients get better quicker.
Dr. Dani Stekel, a New York City Chiropractor, has been in private practice helping people with their low back pain since 1998
250 West 57th St. Suite 930
212-581-3331