Back Pain Treatment and Relief

Back Pain Treatment and Relief in Orem

Back pain affects millions of people worldwide — and it’s one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care. In fact, about 80% of adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives, and roughly half of working adults report back pain in any given year. According to the World Health Organization, low back pain is the single leading cause of disability globally.

Because of how common it is, many people begin searching for answers and relief — especially when pain becomes persistent or interferes with daily life. Chiropractic care is a great treatment option for those looking for a natural solution for pain relief. Back pain can range from occasional stiffness to debilitating discomfort, depending on the underlying cause, how long it’s been left untreated, and overall health.

What Causes Back Pain? Contributors & Risk Factors

Back pain arises for many reasons. Some of the most frequent causes and contributing factors include:

Disc problems — such as a bulging disc, herniated disc, or ruptured disc.

Muscle and ligament strain — from overuse, heavy lifting, sports, or repetitive movements.

Sports injury and activity-related injuries — especially in athletes or physically active individuals.

Arthritis or spinal degeneration — wear-and-tear conditions that affect spinal joints and discs.

Stiffness or lack of flexibility — often worsened by sedentary lifestyle or poor posture.

Postural issues or spinal alignment problems — including spinal curvature or scoliosis.

Excess weight or obesity — which increases stress on the spine and supporting structures.

Sedentary habits or lack of exercise — weakening supportive muscles, reducing spinal stability.

Overtraining or repetitive strain — particularly in athletes, laborers, or frequent gym-goers.

Poor ergonomics — like unsupportive shoes, a non-ergonomic workstation, or improper sleeping positions.

Pregnancy changes — hormonal shifts, weight gain, and shifting center of gravity can all stress the lower back.

Often, back pain doesn’t stem from a single cause — but a combination of factors. That’s why a thorough evaluation and personalized care plan are vital.

How Chiropractic Care Helps: many people find major relief from back pain with chiropractic care.

Our chiropractic care offers a natural, non-pharmaceutical option for managing back pain — care designed to keep you active, strong and pain-free. Other key benefits of our care include:

Cost-effective care — chiropractic is often more affordable than long-term pharmaceutical regimens, injections or surgical procedures.

Advanced technology — our treatment options include chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression, shockwave therapy, corrective exercises and myofascial cupping — to address symptoms and any underlying structural issues.

Customized treatment plans - because each case of back pain is unique, it’s common that we combine techniques and give options — ensuring that patients receive the most effective and appropriate care for their condition.

Schedule your New Patient Appointment today by clicking here, or call us directly at 801-701-8100.

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Understanding Specific Types of Back Pain Conditions and Treatment Approaches

Here’s a closer look at some of the most common back conditions — and how our chiropractic care and other therapies can address them:

Disc Issues (Bulging disc, Herniated disc, or Ruptured Disc)

When the outer ligaments of a spinal disc weaken or tear, the inner disc material can bulge outward — irritating nearby nerves, causing inflammation and back pain. Treatment can include chiropractic spinal adjustments to align the vertebrae around the injured disc and reduce pain. In addition, non-surgical spinal decompression is a therapy that can be used to gently stretch the spine and create a negative pressure that retracts bulging discs. Corrective exercises are helpful for pain relief and injury prevention when there are muscle weaknesses in the lower back, core and legs.

Nerve Impingement / Radiculopathy

If nerves are compressed — whether from disc herniation, bone spurs, or misaligned vertebrae — you may feel pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness radiating into the legs. Chiropractic adjustments can relieve pressure on the nerve and spine. When necessary, non-surgical spinal decompression is a therapy that will gently stretch the spine and relieve pressure off the nerves. The effect is back and leg pain relief, improved mobility and faster healing.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Over time, spinal discs can lose hydration and elasticity, leading to thinning, stiffness, and pain — especially in the lower back. With a degenerative disc, it is also common to have vertebrae shift and misalign. Specific chiropractic adjustments can help restore joint alignment, improve disc health, and reduce discomfort.

Spinal Stenosis & Foraminal Stenosis

These conditions involve narrowing of the spinal canal or nerve passages, often due to aging, disc degeneration or disc bulging, bone spurs, or arthritis. Gentle chiropractic adjustments, non-surgical spinal decompression, and posture correction can open up compressed spaces, relieve nerve pressure, decrease back pain, and improve mobility.

Spondylolisthesis

When a vertebra slips forward and presses against the one below it, it can compress nerves and generate back or radiating leg pain. Chiropractic adjustments help re-align the spine, while corrective exercises strengthen core and back muscles — offering stability and preventing further shifting.

Arthritis, Postural Pain & Stiffness

Wear-and-tear arthritis, poor posture, or chronic stiffness can strain the spine, joints, and surrounding soft tissues. Regular chiropractic adjustments combined with supportive stretching and postural exercises can reduce stiffness, improve alignment, and alleviate pain. Shockwave therapy can be used for lower back arthritis to stimulate healing and reduce pain through acoustic waves that increase blood flow, promote new tissue growth, and break down scar tissue. Myofascial cupping can be used to lift and separate tissues, decrease tension, increase blood flow, break down scar tissue and promote healing.

Soft-Tissue Injuries (Muscle Strain, Tendon Injury, Ligament Sprain)

Sprains or strains of soft tissues in the back often respond best to gentle chiropractic techniques (like drop-table or activator methods),which encourage proper healing, restore alignment, and relieve pain — combined with rehabilitative exercises to rebuild strength and prevent future injuries. Shockwave therapy can be used for chronic lower back soft tissue injuries to stimulate healing and reduce pain through acoustic waves that increase blood flow, promote new tissue growth, and break down scar tissue. Myofascial cupping can be used to decrease inflammation, decrease pain and promote healing.

Inflammatory Conditions

Ankylosing Spondylitis (a chronic inflammatory arthritis affecting the spine) can lead to pain, stiffness, and structural changes overtime such as vertebral fusion. Co-managing ankylosing spondylitis with chiropractic care can improve overall symptoms. Gentle adjustments can help maintain spinal mobility, ease discomfort, and improve quality of life.

Other Medical Conditions

Sciatica is pain, tingling or numbness that radiates down the leg from the lower back. Symptoms of sciatica result from compression on the sciatic nerve or the nerves that lead into the sciatic nerve. This can come from disc herniations, misaligned vertebrae, bone spurs or overtight muscles that put pressure on nerves. Chiropractic adjustments can reduce the cause of sciatica and the technique used may change depending on the root cause. Other helpful therapies include non-surgical spinal decompression to gently reduce nerve pressure and stretch the lower back.

Pregnancy back pain including lower back pain and sciatica is typically caused by postural, weight or hormonal changes. The pain can come when you sit and/or stand, the pain may be at the back of your pelvis and deep in your buttocks, and the pain may appear only at night when you are in bed. Changes that occur during pregnancy include weight gain and a changing of your center of gravity especially at the core and lower back. In addition, the hormone relaxin that relaxes ligaments during pregnancy can lead to vertebrae or hip joints shifting out of alignment. Specialized prenatal chiropractic care —using pregnancy-appropriate tables and gentle adjustment techniques — can help restore alignment, reduce nerve pressure, and ease discomfort during pregnancy and beyond.

Why Chiropractic Should Be Your First Line of Defense

Chiropractic care is a safe, effective, non-pharmaceutical approach to back pain. Our chiropractor in Orem UT, Dr. Dustin Mattila will customize your care to your unique needs - to correct the underlying cause of your back pain and support your active lifestyle.

If you’re ready for pain relief and next level health, let’s work together. Book an appointment now to get the pain relief you need — and help you get back to living the active lifestyle you deserve.

Schedule your New Patient Appointment today by clicking here, or call us directly at 801-701-8100.

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