The majority of Americans will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. This sometimes debilitating condition costs the country 60 BILLION dollars per year. Unfortunately, all the studies have shown that regardless of what one does for treatment, everybody winds up with the same end result, which is far from satisfactory. In other words, all treatments are relatively ineffective and are rated by which ones hurt people the least, rather than help people the most. Back surgery fails so often it even has its own insurance code (Failed Low Back Surgery). I propose that the reason better results aren't obtained is because an erroneous model is being followed, therefore failure is the most logical outcome.
There are different causes of low back pain. This article is focusing on one of the most common scenarios, which is back pain involving a disk. Sharp pain, sciatica (pain traveling down the leg), severe postural distortions, difficulty getting up, and difficulty walking are common occurrences. Many times a bulging disk is apparent on an MRI. Treatments are usually aimed at the area of the protruding disk which is most often at the L-4 or L-5 levels. Herein lays the problem. Yes, there is pain present in the lower lumbar region, but the disk is NOT the cause, it is an EFFECT. Treating effects can relieve symptoms, but it does not fix the cause and that is the primary reason why most treatments are not having good long term success.
Often, when low back pain strikes, the person was doing something as gentle as picking up a pencil or brushing their teeth. It is illogical to think that those activities would cause such pain. I suggest the body was already in a state of dysfunction and all it took was the wrong movement (usually forward) for the symptoms to manifest. Why? That is the question that should be asked. Why is that all it took to illicit such pain and why is there a visible bulging disk on imaging? Based on over twenty years of experience here is what I have found to be a model that works so well clinically that the "experts" would call the results impossible. Not only are fast, lasting results possible, they can be achieved with virtually EVERY patient who has this type of back pain.
With disk patients, the pelvis is usually in a state of rotation. This rotation causes sheer stress on the lower lumbar region and the disks. This is like pinching one end of a balloon. The other side bulges. The same thing happens to the disk. The reason for the pelvic rotation brings us to the true cause of the problem. A broad pelvic stabilizing muscle called the iliacus is neurologically weak on one side allowing for the rotation. For a muscle to be unbalanced, the nerve innervating that muscle must be irritated. In the case of the iliacus muscle, the nerve supplying it also innervates the intestines. If there is a problem in the intestines, that can trigger the nerve. Nerves are two way streets. They can be affected at the spinal level and also peripherally. The intestinal issue triggers the irritation to the nerve which then causes the shared muscles to go into dysfunction, with the resultant affect of pelvic rotation. In my opinion, the omission of the pelvic rotation by most treatments is the reason they fail to bring about lasting positive changes. It is worth noting that rarely is the disk actually pinching the nerve. However, the pressure on the disk causes degenerative changes and an inflammatory process is initiated that produces chemicals that ignite pain.
The most affective treatment is the one that specifically matches the needs of the individual. Common intestinal triggers are too much bad bacteria, yeast and fungal issues, parasites, a lack of good bacteria, constipation, etc. If this intestinal issue is dealt with appropriately, and natural anti-inflammatories are given (proteolytic enzymes like bromelain work well), pain relief will be experienced in short order. Structural and neurological corrections are an important co-factor. Gentle therapies focusing on involved nerve roots and muscles aid the healing dramatically. I personally use an adjusting instrument, percussion, cold laser, and muscle balancing techniques in my office. It is not uncommon to observe results in days that the text books say takes six months or longer to obtain. When the intestinal component is treated to completion, the results will be permanent.
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