Walking upright on two feet has advantages, but it also puts intense pressure on the spine, as well as on other muscles and bones. Add to this improper sitting, lifting, or reaching—and the normal wear and tear of working and exercise — you have the perfect recipe for back pain. Although Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) treat more than just back pain, many patients initially visit chiropractors looking for relief from this pervasive condition.  In fact, 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.

A few interesting facts about back pain:

• Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.
• Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work.  In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
• One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
• Experts estimate that as much as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.
• Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic; meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or disease.

What Causes Back Pain?  The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a pencil from the floor— can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from other medical conditions, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.

Manipulation as a Treatment for Back Problems  Used primarily by DCs (Doctors of Chiropractic) for the past century, spinal manipulation has been largely ignored by most others in the health care community until recently. Now, with today's growing emphasis on treatment and cost effectiveness, spinal manipulation is receiving more widespread attention.

Spinal manipulation is a safe and effective spine pain treatment. It reduces pain (decreasing the need for medication in some cases), rapidly advances physical therapy, and requires very few passive forms of treatment, such as bed rest. In fact, after an extensive study of all available care for low back problems, the federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (now the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality) recommended that low back pain sufferers choose the most conservative care first. And it recommended spinal manipulation as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial professional treatment for acute low back problems in adults.

A well respected review of the evidence in the Annals of Internal Medicine pointed to chiropractic care as one of the major nonpharmacological therapies considered effective for acute and chronic low back pain.

More recently, research has shown that there is strong evidence that spinal manipulation for back pain is just as effective as a combination of medical care and exercise, and moderate evidence that it is just as effective as prescription NSAIDS combined with exercise.

A patient information article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2013 also suggested chiropractic care as an option for people suffering from low back pain -- and noted that surgery is usually not needed and should only be tried if other therapies fail.

Tips to Prevent Back Pain

Maintain a healthy diet and weight.  Staying fit is one of the most important recommendations for avoiding back pain.  Extra pounds stress your back and can cause pain. Eating a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables and low on processed foods can keep your weight in a healthy range and your back healthy.

Keep your back muscles strong. Remain active avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest. Exercise daily under the supervision of your doctor of chiropractic. The most common back problems happen because people who aren't in shape start doing heavy lifting or hard work and stress their back.  Back pain usually happens when there's degeneration of the spine because the spine is working too hard. But when you build up enough muscle strength in your back with exercise, the muscles give your spine the support it needs to keep it healthy.

Stretch your muscles. In addition to exercise, stretching is important for staying flexible and avoiding back problems.  Warm up or stretch before exercising or physical activities, such as yard work and gardening.

Focus on good posture. Poor posture is another major contributor of back pain. Standing up straight with your ears over your shoulders, your shoulders over your hip joints, and your hip joints over your ankles. When sitting, get a chair that is designed to keep your back straight.  Slouching over a laptop or texting can contribute pain and damage to your back.  Break up long periods in front of the computer with stretching exercises.  Work with your Chiropractor to ensure that your computer work station is ergonomically correct.

Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.

Sleep well. Soft mattresses push your back out of alignment, so it's best to choose a mattress that's in the range of medium to firm to minimize any curve in your spine for back pain relief.

Lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.

Reduce Stress.  Stress causes you to tense your muscles, and constant tension of this kind can cause back pain. Any activity that helps you reduce stress will help prevent back pain.  Stress reduction activities can include yoga, meditation, deep breathing, tai chi, and guided imagery.

Quit smoking. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.