Back Pain & Low Back Pain

We specialize in helping the Bay City area patients find out what’s causing lower back pain so that we can help them correct this issue, using a safe and non-surgical alternative to treat low back pain.

Chronic back pain is one of the biggest problems Americans face today and affects eight out of ten people at some point in their lives.

If you are in Bay City, Michigan do not let low back pain keep you down!

Watch This!

Check out one of the ways we treat Low Back Pain!

Everyday back pain

 Back pain can hurt every day making normal activities hard and even unbearable.

This is where we come in. We believe that you deserve to be pain-free. We want to get to the root of what is actually happening.  

Back pain comes in many forms. You may experience muscle spasms, cramping, stiffness, sensitivity to touch or pressure, and even pain that gets worse.

Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it will ever go away. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is time to contact us.

Book an appointment!

Patients we treat commonly complain of:

  • Sprained ligaments
  • Strained muscles
  • Low back pain
  • Trigger points
  • Arthritis
  • Sciatica
  • Pinched nerve
  • Ruptured discs (Herniated)
  • Inflamed joints
  • Sport injuries
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Disc bulge L4 L5
  • and many more issues

Why do I experience back pain?

You may experience back pain for a number of different reasons, most commonly we find these to be the biggest culprits:

  • Poor Posture
  • Overuse injury
  • Job demands
  • Working out
  • Lifting weights improperly
  • Old injuries

How We Treat Back Pain

Chiropractic Adjustments:

 The goal of a chiropractic adjustment is to mobilize the joint fixation to increase the range of motion, reduce nerve irritability, and improve mobility.

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PulStar (low force chiropractic adjustments):

If you are uncomfortable with the more traditional manual adjustments, the PulStar is an amazing option for light force, gentle chiropractic adjustments.

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Active Release Technique:

 Active Release Technique (ART) is a soft tissue therapy designed to rid injured areas of scar tissue. 

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Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation(IASTM):

Graston/ FAKTR The goal is to trigger an inflammatory healing response. This will stimulate the production of new collagen and proper, functional, pain-free healing.

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Therapeutic Exercise:

Different but specific exercises will be given at the proper time to support your care, from beginning pain care through maintenance and wellness care.

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Class IV Medical Laser:

Improved healing time, pain reduction, increased blood circulation and decreased swelling are the major effects of laser energy.  Summus Medical Lasers are designed to treat pain and accelerate the healing process. 

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McKenzie Method (MDT):

The McKenzie method is a standardized assessment tool, defining and classifying movement problems and recommending appropriate treatment. More simply, if applicable we teach you to continue treatment at home between visits!

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When should I see a chiropractor for back pain?

This is an important question to ask and to answer!

Chiropractic care can be tailored to many scenarios of back pain. Whether it's acute pain, it's angry and very flared up, or it is more chronic back pain and you’ve been dealing with it for years.

It excites us to have new patients who have had other chiropractic experiences, what we do at Lake Effect Chiropractic is to target the source of the problem and try to extinguish it! Getting the body moving, from the joints to the muscles, we find MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE!

Even though back pain is common, the level of severity and the conditions responsible differ. What we do is different, your back pain treatment is always individualized and we are here to help you with whatever back pain you may be experiencing here in Bay City, Michigan.

We work together with the medical community to make sure you receive the proper care no matter what your condition may be, new or old, minor or serious, we want you to get back to a pain-free life and enjoy it!

Book an appointment!

How can chiropractic care help my back pain?

Chiropractic care helps many kinds of back pain.

Pain can be generated from joints, muscles, or nerves. Through a thorough history and exam, we identify which structures are the primary pain generators and which structures are affected due to poor structural function.

Fixing the source of the pain is what we do. By restoring function to each of the named structures above, we help your body take time for it to HEAL and function at 100%. The body is a unique mechanical system and all structures need to be treated to return to 100%.

We don’t just treat the joints here at Lake Effect Chiropractic, as mentioned above, back pain can, and most likely will, involve multiple structures which we will identify and correct during your healing journey.

Degenerative disc disease (DDD)

Most often there are problems in the low back due to degenerative changes involving the L4, L5, or S1 intervertebral discs. When the disc degenerates, it loses flexibility, leaving your more susceptible to injuring the structure.


Disc injuries are typically worse first thing in the morning, cause difficulty moving from seated to standing, make it hard to bend over, and pain typically increases when seated. These are just a few examples of how disc injuries present.


Stenosis

Narrowing of the spinal canal puts pressure on your spinal cord or nerve roots, you may have numbness, weakness, cramping, and pain in your legs.
Usually, the narrowing is caused by osteoarthritis, or “wear and tear” arthritis, of the spinal column and/ or by bulging of the discs between the vertebrae (the bones of the back). It may also be caused by a thickening of the ligaments that hold the spine together.


Management of this condition is best accomplished with a proactive and preventative approach utilizing chiropractic and strengthening rehabilitative care.


Sciatica

Sciatica is a symptom that affects the sciatic nerves. These nerves run throughout a person’s legs. This often causes pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the legs.


Caused from a variety of reasons, sciatica may be one of the top symptoms we address in our office.


Arthritis

For the first time in history, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has recommended that manual therapy (what we do as chiropractors), if added to exercise or rehabilitation, may further benefit osteoarthritis.


Arthritis typically presents with stiffness in the AM when you first get moving. However, when you get moving, maybe take a hot shower, much of the symptoms improve.


Arthritis responds very well to chiropractic care because we are aiming to improve movement in the body. We firmly believe movement is medicine!


Sports Injuries

We at Lake Effect Chiropractic are all about staying in the game, or at the very least, getting back to it as quickly as possible. We want to work with you through an injury, learn how to stay active during recovery, and help you recover to be stronger than before!


Piriformis Syndrome

Piriformis syndrome usually starts with pain, tingling, or numbness in the buttocks. Pain can be severe and extend down the length of the sciatic nerve (called sciatica).


Diagnosis of piriformis syndrome is made by the patient’s report of symptoms and by physical exam using a variety of movements to elicit pain to the piriformis muscle. In some cases, a contracted or tender piriformis muscle can be found on physical exam.


Often, there is a history of trauma to the area, repetitive, vigorous activity such as long-distance running, or prolonged sitting.


Disc Herniation

When a disc herniates or “slips”, the nearby nerve can become extremely sensitive and irritated. This is a severe example; however, you may experience severe symptoms when in reality your condition may only be a minor injury. This is why a conservative evaluation and treatment to begin is beneficial.
This can be a true “pinched nerve”.


Failed Back Surgery

Pain after back surgery is more common than we would like to see. We have ways of working on your low back and spine even after surgery. Our Class IV Medical Laser has been a great addition to our practice specifically when treating patients with prior back surgery.


Often times surgery addresses a specific problem, we can still work on the muscles and surrounding structures in the area improving scar tissue formation and strengthening this tissue around the surgery getting you back to functioning at 100%.


Chronic Back Pain

One of the most common conditions we see on a daily basis is chronic low back pain. Approaching the whole system: joints and muscles is what makes us different from other offices. Don’t let chronic low back pain stop you from being active with your children/grandchildren, or stopping you from going on that stress-relieving run or walk.

What they did for my back and neck in two visits other places couldn’t do in 10 visits. My neck has not felt this good in years.
- Scott T., // Saginaw, Michigan

 


Friendly, Affordable, and Effective! Came in with a nagging back problem. Ashley used the laser and gave me a quick adjustment and my back pain was gone. I can go back to cycling, walking, and running with no pain!
- Roy K. , Midland, Michigan

 


The doctors at this office are excellent. I’ve had issues from my low back to my shoulder. I own a firewood company and I work year-round, lifting equipment and wood. The way their techniques help me has really kept me going! That are much different than any other offices I’ve been to, so glad I found them, I’ll send anyone here for aches and pains no matter where they hurt!
- RJ F. // Bay City, Michigan

 

There are different treatment options for back pain

which vary person to person. At your first appointment, we will do a full evaluation so that we can give you a full diagnosis. Then we will discuss your options so we can make sure that you can be healthier and pain free!

If you are experiencing pain in your back, don’t put off feeling better any longer. Contact us today at (989) 686-6808. You will be so happy you did!