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National Pain Week – Chronic Back Pain

backpain1Health experts define chronic pain as the pain that lasts for more than three to six months or beyond. The most common chronic pain is back pain which is typically felt in the lower back area. Chronic back pain can cause soreness, stiffness, and inflammation and the pain may range from mild to severe or from dull ache to sharp pain. People with chronic back pain often find the pain interfering with their daily activities which make them feel frustrated and sometimes even depressed. Scarborough Chiropractor Dr. Adam Rocchi explains that due to the pain, a feeling of helplessness sets in and the condition can lead to poor sleeping pattern and impact the quality of life.

Causes of back problems

Identifying the actual cause of back pain requires a detailed diagnosis. However, back pain usually occurs due to direct injuries such as sprain or strain and sometimes medical conditions like sciatica or a slipped disc. Chronic back problems can also be an outcome of certain lifestyle choices. People with poor sitting posture or those who are inactive are at a greater risk of experiencing a back problem since these conditions cause strain on the spine.

Types of Back Pain

It is important to understand the major types of back pain as it will be helpful when you consider any treatment option with Scarborough Chiropractor Dr. Adam Rocchi.

  1. Nociceptive Pain– Our body has a type of sensors known as nociceptors which alerts us on an injury to a muscle, soft tissues like ligaments and tendons, joints, bones, skin or any other organ. The signals are relayed to the brain through our nervous system which gives us the sensation of pain. Scarborough Chiropractor Adam Rocchiexplains that this type of pain can be usually described as soreness, deep aching or throbbing. Some common examples are pain in the back after an injury or accident, pain after back surgery, and arthritis. The nociceptive pain usually goes away as the injury heals.
  2. Neuropathy– A neuropathic pain is a pain that is caused by an injury or damage to the nerve tissue. An injury or infection in the body can result in nerve damage. Once the damage occurs, the nerves keep on sending pain signals even after the person has recovered from the original injury. Sciatica is a condition of neuropathic pain associated with the back. Sciatica is known to occur when something presses the lower back region against the nerve root thus triggering the numbness and discomfort all along the sciatic nerve that stretches from buttocks to the feet. Some other examples of neuropathic pain include pain that goes down from spine to the arm region and the pain which persists post back surgery.

The above two categories of pain can be further classified into chronic and acute pain. In the case of acute pain, the severity depends on the amount of tissue damage. Our body has the protective reflex to prevent such pain like pulling back your hand on touching some sharp object. The acute pain goes away as soon as the underlying cause is cured. Whereas in the case of chronic pains our body does not have a protective reflex. The nerves continue to transmit pain signals even after tissue damage has repaired.

Chronic pains can take a toll on your daily life and hence it is essential that you consult Scarborough Chiropractor Dr. Adam Rocchifor further treatment.So, call the practice now on (08) 61508785 Scarborough or (08) 61508783 Mount Pleasant to arrange an appointment