Low Back Pain Faces

Low back pain (LBP) can be caused by various factors, including specific activities that have not been performed in quite some time, sports injuries, gardening- or yard work-related injuries, or the accumulation of multiple smaller activities that you are not used to doing. Sometimes, the cause of LBP can be obscure and difficult, if not impossible, to determine. In these cases, a thorough history is important. For example, Lyme’s disease can create the classic low back pain presentation and its diagnosis is dependent on a blood test. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the patient may not be an outdoors type of person, …and couldn’t possibly have been in contact with a tic. Pets can carry the deer tic larva into a home and transfer it to a sedentary, non-outdoorsy person. If the cause of LBP is difficult to determine, Lyme’s disease may be worthy of investigation.

Certain medications can also cause low back pain. In a July 2009 journal article, muscle fiber damage was found in 57% of patients taking drugs associated with lowering cholesterol, referred to as statins. Typically, healthcare providers rely on a blood test that is supposed to detect the breakdown of muscle tissue called CPK (creatine phosphokinase) when statin-related muscle damage is suspected. However, in this study, only one in 44 patients with muscle damage caused by statin drugs had abnormal results on their blood test! According to the researchers, muscle pain associated with statin drug treatment has been dismissed as a minor side effect by both doctors and patients. In fact, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have recommended that statin therapy be expanded to include people with low levels of LDL cholesterol and those with no history of heart disease. If you are experiencing LBP, it is important to seek proper and thorough evaluation to lead to a satisfactory result. At Morgan Chiropractic, we provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment for LBP. Call us today to schedule an appointment.