Low Back Pain

Over the years the chiropractic profession has develop the lumbar flexion-distraction technique to help people with low back problems. Using this method gives people an alternative to surgery for herniated lumbar discs.  I have many grateful patients who are thankful for the technique.

But there are many different varieties of low back pain.  Not everyone has a clear cut situation involving herniation of a lumbar disc.  In my experience, there are two other groups of patients for whom lumbar flexion-distraction is helpful.

Endurance Athletes

You’re a competitive athlete who seriously trains for marathons and triathlons.  The miles of road-pounding take their toll.  You don’t want to lose your training edge.  A maintenance plan using flexion-distraction erases stress in the low back and keeps you functioning at your best.  You’re able to continue training at high mileage with a shorter recovery time.

Chronic Low Back Problems

You’ve had low back problems for years.  With the right exercises, you can keep your pain under control – most of the time.  Perhaps you need anti-inflammatory drugs once in a while. You wake up with a stiff low back, and it takes you a few minutes to limber up.  Sitting for a long period of time is a problem too.  And you’ve learned to avoid lifting, snow shoveling, long airplane rides, and even leaning forward over the sink when you brush your teeth.

You probably could go on living with the problem, but what if you didn’t have to?  Flexion-distraction could actually rebuild some of the resilience of your low back so you won’t have to keep tiptoeing around your problem.