How Should an Individual Treat Back Pain?

Answer by Chiropractor Dr. Bret Wickstrom:

The most important thing to do is find the primary cause of the back pain.  Chiropractic is often the best choice because back pain is very often a secondary condition that is there as a result of a shift in the structure of your spine. Meaning, the primary condition of the spine being shifted out of normal alignment can result in secondary symptoms like back pain. Chiropractic is a good place to start.

If upon a structural examination with your chiropractor, the results show that your alignment is abnormal and correlating with your secondary condition of back pain then you’re in the right place (assuming the chiropractor is structurally focused). Even if they are a traditional chiropractor (symptom based), you can still see help if all you are seeking is the elimination of symptoms without fully addressing the abnormal spinal structure.

The most important thing in determining ANY treatment plan is to determine the CAUSE of the symptom and then whether or not you want to fix the cause of just treat to alleviate the symptom.  Both are very different.