Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek care and miss work. 39% of adults living in the United States have experienced back pain in the last three months, according to the National Health Interview Survey study from 2019. Low back pain is the leading cause of disability and lost productivity worldwide. When was the last time you walked 13 miles in a day? As human beings, this is what we are designed to do. Americans are sitting more than ever due to the automation of goods and services. This lifestyle shift is what makes low back pain so common.
Many factors contribute to low back pain. The compression on key structures, such as joints and spinal discs, from sitting can cause undue stress on the spinal cord and the nerves it supports. As compression becomes chronic, ligaments can become loose, and muscles tighten to prevent further damage. When your car has a flat tire, would you fix it right away or keep driving on it? You may be able to drive across the county on the flat, but ruin the rest of your car along the way. The same goes for your low back pain. The pain may dissipate after a few days as your body accommodates, but the area is still injured. It gets worse because you don’t feel it and keep doing things you shouldn’t. Left uncared for and or covering up the symptoms with drugs, the damage can become uncorrectable beyond surgical intervention.
$139 New Patient Special
Includes Complimentary Consultation, Complete Set of Structural Correction Motion Images, Infrared Spinal Analysis, Triplaner Head & Posture Assessment, Orthopedic & Neurological Test, Your First Adjustment & Recommendation Conference
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Be Heard
Your story matters. If you feel unheard or frustrated by past short-sighted care, we listen deeply. Our comprehensive consultation gathers your complete history, symptoms, lifestyle, and goals. We dedicate time to truly understand you and validate your experience, building the foundation of trust for lasting health.
2. See The Problem
We do not guess; we measure. We utilize objective, visual diagnostics like motion imaging (dynamic X-ray) and infrared thermography to identify the underlying structural cause of your pain. . This clarity helps you understand why previous treatments failed and the precise corrections required for lasting results.
3. Feel The Results
With your structural issue identified, we shift to the final phase: functional restoration. Adjustments are precise and guided by objective measurements, focusing on correcting structural deviations, not just symptoms. This systemic optimization leads to tangible benefits like diminished pain, better sleep, improved posture, and renewed confidence in daily activities.
How We Treat Lower Back Pain In Asheville, NC
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
When was the last time your doctor took the time to actually listen to your problem? Our comprehensive consultation and structural correction exam is an opportunity for us to:
- Better understand your problem
- Explain how we are different than the rest of the practices in Asheville
- Show you your problem during the structural correction exam, which includes
- Complete set of Structural Correction Motion Images
- Infrared nerve scan
- Triplanar posture analysis
- Any orthopaedic or neurologic exam you may require
This process allows us to identify the root cause of your problem and resolve it within a defined timeframe.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Asheville, NC
Specific chiropractic care in Asheville, North Carolina, is your best option for subluxation. Subluxations are caused by your body’s inability to adapt to thoughts, trauma, or toxins. Structural misalignments in your low back caused by subluxations send bad input to your brain, resulting in bad output in the form of pain and posture that affect the quality of your life. With high efficacy, specific chiropractic adjustments will restore proper spinal motion for long-term health. Your spine and body are designed to move and heal. Conventional care models that burn, cut, or irradiate treat symptoms, often not correcting the root cause, creating more problems down the road.
Digital X-rays
Seeing a picture of your child’s or loved one’s birthday gives some information. Imagine how much more of the experience is recorded on video. Once we understand your problem, we need to see it. Motion imaging not only does this, but also allows us to precisely target the affected area and deliver great results in a short period of time.
Motion imaging shows:
- If your spine is moving properly
- How long the problem has existed, and the severity
- What areas are beginning to compensate because the primary problem is soon to become another problem
- Correction of your problem after your personally crafted care plan
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Specific neuro activation exercises targeted at extensor muscles are designed to relax tight flexor muscles, causing your low back pain and poor posture.
Here are some of our favorites
- Band pull aparts
- Standing glute-tricep activation
- Glute Extensions
Massage and Soft Tissue Work
Collaboration is king. Once proper motion is restored in your lower back, a recommendation for massage therapy and soft-tissue work may be in your best interest. Posture compression can cause soft tissue to become short or tight, requiring bodywork to help hold adjustments for optimal long-term outcomes.
One question we get asked all the time is, “Which is better, massage or adjustment?” If your problem is related to a subluxation of your lower back, there is no substitute for proper joint motion.
The majority of your nervous system operates as a reflex, enabling quick reactions to protect your body from harm. Brain weakness and spinal subluxations maintain these reflexes. This results in tight muscles, misaligned joints, and poor posture. Conventional wisdom would be to rub the tight spot.
When the brain and spine are protecting an injured joint, they cause the muscles to tighten. Rubbing them gives temporary relief, but they will soon be tighter afterward. Recent research indicates activating the opposite muscles.
Common Causes of Low Back Pain in Asheville, NC
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SI Joint Pain)
It is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions, often mistaken for sciatica. The sacroiliac joint is one of the body’s largest joints and has the highest concentration of pain receptors. 90% of low back pain is due to neck problems, causing the flexor muscles to overpull and subluxate the SI joint.
The sacroiliac joint also plays a major role in breathing and is controlled by the temporal lobes of the brain. The best course of care is to get a full skull and spine assessment to discover the root cause of lasting results.
Subluxation
Often referred to as the body’s inability to adapt to thoughts (emotions), trauma (physical), or toxins (internal/environmental). While your body is designed to heal, it’s impossible to do so when subluxated, because we shift our weight/posture to avoid pain. Just because the pain goes away in a few days doesn’t mean your nervous system isn’t dysfunctional. A structural correction chiropractor first listens to your problem.
Once they understand it, they show you motion-imaging and infrared analysis of your spine. Once the root cause is identified, specific low-force adjustments are performed to restore normal motion and promote optimal brain and spine health. The effects go beyond pain relief. Many people experience less stress, increased energy, positive moods, and are less dependent on prescription drugs while avoiding surgery.
Allopathic medicine and physical therapy mask symptoms very well. If the symptoms keep coming back, a structural correction chiropractor will find the root cause and correct it for long-lasting results.
Degenerative Disc Disease
This is what happens when you treat only the symptoms of bulging and herniated discs, based solely on your spine’s health and the presence of pain. Lack of proper spinal motion, postural shifts to avoid pain, and chronic hypertonic muscle guarding, as well as aging, causing the lumbar disc to:
- Gradually wear down
- Lose hydration
- Become less effective at absorbing shock/pressure from walking and daily living
Risk factors include, but are not limited to, aging, mechanical stress, lifestyle, and traumatic injury. Over time, you will experience morning stiffness, diminished work capacity, pain after prolonged sitting, and reduced mobility.
Structural correction chiropractic care helps you regain comfort and mobility, not only slowing progression but also enabling healing of the disc and joint.
Spinal Stenosis
It is a chronic condition that occurs when the area where your spinal cord passes through your spine narrows due to bony overgrowth. Think of corrosion blocking the flow of water in a pipe. A compressed spinal cord and/or nerves can lead to decreased blood flow, weakened nerve signals, and, quite often, pain traveling down the legs. You may find yourself needing to take frequent rests while walking to find relief.
Red flags for immediate care include: sudden leg paralysis, loss of bladder/bowel control, saddle/groin numbness, and increasing muscle weakness. Many people improve without drugs or surgery with treatment that begins early, focusing on structural correction, core stability, and avoiding aggravating patterns.
Muscle Strain
Often referred to as a “pulled muscle,” a muscle strain is an injury to a muscle or the tendon that attaches the muscle to bone. It happens when muscle fibers are overstretched or torn. They can be caused by sudden, quick movements, repetitive movements, and/or fatigue. Muscle tissue has a good blood supply and tends to heal well, depending on the quality of movement during recovery.
Without proper joint motion, healing is delayed. Often, when a joint is injured or not moving properly, the brain sends signals to muscles to contract from both ends to prevent further damage. This mechanism is the main reason for muscle strains beyond acute blunt force trauma.
Herniated Lumbar Discs
This is a tear of the outer disc ring (annulus), causing inner disc (nucleus) material to leak out. Think of a jelly squeezing out of a donut once you bite into it, cracking the container. These are likely to happen with extreme bending and twisting, lifting heavy objects, and progressive degeneration. This is severe focal nerve pain often accompanied by numbness, tingling, and/or weakness.
Disc herniations respond well just as disc bulges, but may require pain management initially and collaboration with other health care providers, depending on severity.
Bulged Lumbar Discs
A major cause of acute low back pain is a bulging disc. Think of a hamburger sticking slightly outside of the bun. Spinal discs sit between each vertebra of your spine and act like cushions. They are designed to absorb impact and allow motion while maintaining the spacing between the vertebrae for proper nerve flow.
The disc has two parts. An inner ring called the nucleus and an outer ring called the annulus. Poor posture, repetitive motions, and/or prolonged sitting can cause a disc bulge to extend the annulus beyond its normal boundary. This is more common as we age. While often asymptomatic, you may experience broad-spectrum stiffness or aching in your lower back at the start. Disc bulges respond well to specific structural correction adjustments, neurorehabilitation exercises, and posture hygiene.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I be worried about low back pain?
Low back pain may be common, but it’s not normal. If symptoms don’t resolve in a few days, or episodes occur more frequently and last longer, you need to get checked for subluxation.
What can I do to relieve my lower back pain in Asheville, NC?
Take action and get checked by a structural correction chiropractor. You only have one brain and spine.
How do I know if my low back pain is serious?
The quality of your life is eroding, and you’re no longer able to do the things you love.
How should I sleep with lower back pain?
Pillows, mattresses, and position are all key factors for the sleep game. After you get adjusted, sleeping on your stomach and side will allow your body to heal properly and avoid aggravating your lower back.
How does a slipped disc feel?
Imagine feeling like you’re going to explode inside when you cough, sneeze, or bend over and need to have a death grip on your sheets to get out of bed completely incapacitated.
Why won’t my lower back pain go away?
You need to break your bad habits, rethink your health care strategy, and adapt to the situation.
What is better for lower back pain: a chiropractor or a massage?
The brain is making the muscles tight to prevent further damage. Rubbing them will temporarily loosen them, but they will spasm harder afterward. It’s best to get specific structural chiropractic care and neuro rehab for extensor muscles, then consider massage.
How can you tell if your spine is out of alignment?
Three other things show up that we often blow through before pain shows up. Postural distortion, temperature dysregulation, tactile touch and feel (pins and needles).
$139 New Patient Special
Includes Complimentary Consultation, Complete Set of Structural Correction Motion Images, Infrared Spinal Analysis, Triplaner Head & Posture Assessment, Orthopedic & Neurological Test, Your First Adjustment & Recommendation Conference