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This is a great question that I get nearly every day. Well, without a comprehensive history and physical, it is reckless to flat out say "yes." However, statistically speaking less than 3% of mechanical low back pain is due to a true neurological condition (i.e. pinched nerve).That is great news! That means 97% of the people who present with low back pain have something else going on - which generally responds much quicker.

In almost all cases, I am confident in suggesting that the patients we treat will experience some level of improvement. The reason I have such a high level of confidence is due to the fact that we have a different mind-set at health fX along with the integration of scientifically proven techniques. Let's look at it like this; Patients usually wait until they are in pain to seek out treatment. Pain is a great motivator! We understand your pain, however, there are really four other physical factors which dictate how well you will recover and STAY recovered. That is why in addition to working with your "pain" we just as importantly help you develop your strength, flexibility/mobility, balance, and endurance. This is a recipe for success and at health fX we look forward to you being part of it!

What we are referring to here is chronic pain – pain lasting longer than three months. If the pain is not associated to an “organic” disease process, it is referred to as “mechanical” or “unexplained.” Typically it is the end result or the ongoing process by the body to heal an earlier surgery, a traumatic event, or inflammation. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Back pain is a common complaint. Most people in the United States will experience low back pain at least once during their lives. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work.” This is a huge problem costing billions of dollars annually. “On the bright side, you can take measures to prevent or lessen most back pain episodes. If prevention fails, simple home treatment and proper body mechanics will often heal your back within a few weeks and keep it functional for the long haul. Surgery is rarely needed to treat back pain.”

The truth is, you don’t have to (and you shouldn’t) live with chronic pain. Your pain may be steady or recurring, and may crop up in multiple areas. For some, the pain can be incapacitating. For others, the worst part is the pain methodically wearing them down. We strongly recommend avoiding “learning to live with it,” but rather “learning to fix it.”

The feeling of “acceptance” of your pain can significantly reduce the quality of your life. You may find yourself avoiding certain activities that you once were able to perform. Oftentimes these feelings may be exacerbated by the failure of traditional medicine to offer permanent pain resolution to chronic pain sufferers. After an exhaustive reliance on x-rays, MRIs and, CT scans physicians frequently provide a level of hopelessness and often tell patients “At this point there is nothing more I can do for you” or worse “it’s all in your head.”

The extreme complexity of the human body does not always produce visible findings of dysfunction with high-tech medical imaging. In essence, if we can’t see it and our diagnostic tests have a difficult time reproducing it; it must not exist according to a traditional medical model. But in reality, cumulative effects of “wear and tear” or overuse injuries frequently lead to arthritic change, scar tissue and soft tissue adhesions that can result in pain and decreased function/mobility, strength, balance and endurance. This often results in more pain and “wear and tear” to the point where even the strongest willed people have to seek out some form of treatment.

Chronic pain remains a crippling problem, yet surprisingly remains unaddressed through traditional medical techniques outside of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Frequently surgery is suggested as an option with very limited benefits and long recovery times.

Our goal is to treat patients before they are in the chronic pain stage; however, where we excel is in restoring chronic pain patients to pre-injury health and beyond. We frequently provide relief and restore function to patients who have not found relief elsewhere. Treatment goals are five-fold: decrease pain, increase flexibility/mobility, strength, balance, and endurance. Our functional and non-invasive manual techniques have demonstrated over the years that this is the most effective way to treat mechanical pain and prevent it from returning.