The majority of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Why? Well there are a number of reasons including work, eating habits, and exercise habits. Life is stressful and we lead very busy lives. Taking time to take care of ourselves is not the high priority that it should be.

Unfortunately, people don't seek help for their back pain until it is unbearable. The best time to take care of back pain is when it first begins. That is when it is easiest to take care of and the easiest to cure. When it gets to the point of interrupting our lives, it is often much more difficult to fix and much more costly and time consuming.

Work:
Many times people will hurt their backs at work. Sitting in a chair all day can hurt your back just as easily as lifting heavy equipment.

When sitting in front of a computer all day, it is important that you sit in a chair with good lumbar support with your feet firmly planted on the ground.

If you are lifting either heavy or light objects, lift with your knees not you back. Also make sure you do not turn while lifting. Twisting your back while lifting can easily injure your back.

Everyday stress of work can build up tension and cause pain in the upper and lower back. Not to mention the neck, causing tension headaches.

Eating Habits:
It is no secret that the majority of Americans are overweight. Excess weight throws the natural balance of the spine off kilter. This slight shift of weight can lead to excessive pressure on the lower back and knees, causing chronic pain.

Obesity can cause the spine to misalign and require continual readjustments for comfort. Of course, the best treatment would be to lose weight. But while the weight is being lost, spinal adjustments may be necessary to help keep the spine in proper alignment.

Exercise Habits:
Exercise is wonderful and everyone should exercise everyday. However, sometimes people exercise with bad form. The bad form can put undue stress on the lower back and knees. Left untreated, the stress can build up to an all out bad back.

Back Pain Help and Prevention:
In many cases back pain help and prevention is the same thing. Many insurances cover chiropractor visits and even if your insurance does not, it may be worth the visit anyway. Back problems are not something you want to have to deal with and chiropractors can help you prevent serious back problems before they start.

The Chiropractic First Visit:
On a first visit, you can expect the chiropractor to ask for a complete history including what brought you there. The chiropractor may do some x-rays and may do an initial adjustment. Then a plan to treat the problem will be discussed in full. This plan can include physical therapy, muscle stimulation, Progressive Rehabilitation, adjustments, massage, nutrition or numerous other things the doctor sees fit. The doctor will listen and discuss everything with you and you will be involved in any decisions.