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Is it my Hip or my Back? It Hurts!
Written By: Dr. Sue Aery - Aery Chiropractic & Acupuncture | Issue: December 2023
Pay attention! Chronic pain is not something you should get used to.
“I have pain in my low back, buttock, down my leg and in my groin! What is it and how do I fix it?”
These are such common questions that come into my office. How do I help these patients in pain!?
First, we must diagnose the problem and this is sometimes easier said than done. Sciatic pain can be tricky and can often mislead the diagnosis. Sometimes, simple exam testing can decipher the problem.
Many treatments can help with the pain, but it is always an easier approach if we know the exact source of the pain. There are other scenarios, including the pain coming from both sources!
If we treat too many areas at once, and the patient feels immediate change, we don’t know which area was the problem.
Let’s take a look at the spine first. In my opinion, the spine is the more difficult to treat because it houses all of our most important circuitry, with the brain being our main computer.
If we damage a disc or a spinal nerve, the pain can be intense and debilitating in many ways. This needs to be addressed and corrected quickly to remove the pressure on the nerve and reduce the inflammation, which causes the major pain. Once progress begins, we then have a good idea of the pain source, which may then rule out the hip.
If progress is slow or minimal, then we may have to look toward the hip to discover if that is the cause of the pain. A simple x-ray can often show if the hip is a factor, but not always. An MRI can help show any soft tissue damage to the spine, nerves and discs.
Now you see that “back pain” is not always so simple, nor is it always the only source of pain. What we do know is that the faster we remove the insult, the faster the body can lessen the inflammation, remove or reduce the pain and heal. Life is way better when we are pain free!
