Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work and doctor visits around the world.  As we get older, we become more susceptible to experiencing back pain, whether it be because we're not as physically fit as we were when we were younger, or we just have more years of wear and tear.  

For many people who experience more than just the occasional twinge or ache, they've always turned to over the counter medications like aspirin or ibuprofen to try and ease the pain.  However, recent research is pointing to the fact that these drugs actually provide little benefit to back pain sufferers, while creating a host of unwanted side effects.  35 trials involving over 6,000 people were reviewed, and the results showed that only 1 out of every 6 people experienced any significant pain relief, while patients taking these medications were 2.5 times more likely to have gastro-intestinal problems such as stomach ulcers and bleeding.

Back Pain and Your Spine

Many people might think of chiropractic care as a way to manage lower back pain.  What many don't consider, however, is that even though the pain might be felt in the low back, the root cause of the problem might be elsewhere in the spine.  Upper cervical chiropractic is a branch of chiropractic that looks at the atlas, the topmost vertebra in the spine, first.  The atlas has the greatest range of motion of the entire spine.  This makes it especially vulnerable to misaligning.  

When the atlas misaligns, it creates tension within the spinal cord.  This causes a distortion of normal brain-body signals, which can lead to imbalances in muscle tension and posture.  When muscle tension increases unequally on one side of the body, it causes the shoulders and hips to become unlevel and can cause you to carry your weight unequally from side to side.  Over time, this can cause pain and discomfort anywhere along the spine.  Correcting the problem at the atlas allows for these compensation patterns to normalize and restores your body's normal posture.  We have helped many people with back pain recover naturally using gentle, specific upper cervical chiropractic adjustments.  Contact our office for a complimentary consultation to see if upper cervical chiropractic is the approach you've been missing.

To schedule a complimentary NUCCA consultation call 916-973-0623 on click the button below.

If you are outside of the Sacramento area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.