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Low Back Pain
Suffering from low back pain? You're far from alone.
- 80-90% of all adults will suffer with low back pain at some time in their life.
- Low back pain is the leading cause of disability for people under 45 years of age, the second leading cause of visits to doctors' offices, and the third leading reason for hospital admissions.
- Annual costs of low back pain treatment range from $20-$75 billion in the U.S. alone.
One of the biggest myths about low back pain is that it goes away all by itself, without any treatment. However, a recent study in the British Medical Journal followed the progress of a widespread sample of back pain patients for 12 months after their initial medical consultation, and found that the pain had resolved in only one out of four patients. Sadly, three out of four continued to suffer.
Many Americans have tried treatments such as medication, injections, massage therapy, or acupuncture, but are still left suffering with serious back pain. If you have been told you have to learn to live with the pain or you need surgery to fix it, we're here to tell you that there is light at the end of the pain tunnel, and it doesn't involve surgery, nor does it just band-aid the problem.
 Speaking of surgery, did you know that back surgery is performed in the United States at a rate 40% higher than in eleven other developed countries, and at five times the rate performed in England and Scotland? Did you also know that study after study has shown that the majority of back surgeries are unsuccessful in fixing the problem, and your chance of needing another back surgery is very high? They even have a name for it, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, and there are approximately 25,000 to 50,000 documented cases each year.
A large study published in SPINE magazine, followed the long-term results of 575 back surgery patients. According to the study, 70% still complained of back pain. Of those, 83% experienced constant heavy pain, 45% residual sciatica, 47% received some form of disability, and 17% required a repeat surgery.
Sobering statistics, but whatever you do, don't lose hope. There are effective treatments for low back pain, and at Genesis Spine Associates, we have a great passion for healing those who thought they we doomed with a lifetime of pain.
Depending on your specific condition, a variety of treatment options might be appropriate for you, including chiropractic care, spinal decompression therapy, physical therapy, or a combination of different techniques.
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