The Back Institute

 There are four approaches towards the way we manage lower back pain.

 1.      The first is symptomatic treatment which includes ice, heat, physiotherapies (electro stimulation, ultrasound, massage therapy) and rest. Symptomatic treatment is designed to provide initial relief from your acute condition and should be considered a short-term remedy.

 2.      The second is spinal adjustments, which has proven to be a long term remedy mainly because it involves spinal manipulation of the vertebrae with the intent of removing any nerve interference.

 3.      It works especially well with the third approach in managing low back pain, which is strengthening and stretching to re-establish normal function, balance and flexibility to the spinal column.

4.      The fourth and final approach is our nutrition program, in which we implement a strict 60 Day diet in conjunction with our exercise program. Don’t need to lose weight? Don’t feel that what you eat contributes to your back condition? We’ll discuss this shortly.


Our Approach

As great as the medical professionals are at delivering the above treatment plans, the success of our program is about personal responsibility. This program will not work if you believe that someone or something else is responsible for your health. If you feel that there is a magic bullet that will “fix” you, then this program will not work for you. Until you recognize the need and absolute requirement for taking responsibility, you will not succeed. We can deliver the knowledge on what to do and the skill of how to do it, but without your true desire, it will be impossible to succeed.

As a patient, you will soon understand the importance of treating the body as a whole, which will lead to you understanding your actual condition without focusing on the symptomatic pain. When you incorporate all phases of our program, you will not only be able to rebalance the areas affecting your back but your entire body as well

Lifestyle changes are a process of learning, understanding, succeeding, failing, experiencing, managing setbacks, feeling pain, having doubts, awareness, increasing strength and flexibility. The keys to success are to stay determined to reach your goal and to always continue moving forward to succeed.

You will most likely experience a lot of the above in our program. Experiencing these changes in your body gives you the greatest opportunity to achieve your optimal goal.

 Program Overview

As mentioned earlier, there are four approaches we take in managing your chronic condition. The frequency and duration of each session is specifically designed to create the best opportunity for changes in your body. The patient’s attendance and commitment throughout the full program is vital to its success. Chronic pain is unique for each person-for some the problem may resolve quickly-while for others it may take longer. Additional factors include how someone understands the cause of the pain, how restrictive the movement has become, and other sources of life stress that may impede recovery time. This is why we do offer a one time Yoga & Meditation workshop.


Month 1 & 2:

The first two months of our program includes spinal adjustments, massage therapy and physiotherapies along with therapeutic strength exercises. This begins to rebalance neuromuscular strength throughout the entire body. While the main focus is on pain control, biomechanics and movements, the patient will start to develop body control, awareness and muscle strength.

We will introduce basic stretches for rebalancing the muscular system throughout the body. This will improve overall structural support and mobility.

During these first two months, the importance of spinal adjustments cannot be underestimated. Whether it is due to falls, accidents, sports injuries, heavy lifting or repetitive work, the vertebrae are likely involved. Because the vertebrae protect the nerves that travel through the spinal column, even a small change in their position can profoundly affect delicate nerve tissue. Degenerative changes of the vertebrae can also irritate or inflame these nerves.

Another common cause of lower back pain can be problems with the disc. A bulging or herniated disc can irritate nerves that travel from the spinal cord. This can cause such symptoms as buttock or leg pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs.

Additionally, arthritic changes from chronic wear and tear that appear as bone spurs, disc degeneration or muscle weakness can start to affect the normal curvature of the lower spine.

Spinal adjustments for lower back pain not only aid in symptomatic relief, but more importantly find the source of the problem and correct it. By correcting the source of the problem, the body is allowed to heal naturally. Lower back pain often responds dramatically to the restoration of normal position and motion of the vertebrae through the spinal adjustment. The application of precise and specific force to a spinal joint that is out of normal position can help gradually restore it to a more normal position and function.

The role of massage therapy is another huge component in our program. The primary benefits of massage therapy are to enhance joint and muscle function, increase circulation and metabolism, and to decrease muscle spasms.

For a majority of people, stress is a common instigator for lower back pain and so massage therapy becomes even more important due to the physiological benefit that it brings of stress reduction. There are many different types of massage therapy and depending on the case each method of treatment will vary.
When dealing with a low back condition, these benefits are imperative in promoting the healing process.

Ultrasound, electrical stimulation, heat and ice also play integral pieces of the puzzle in the successful treatment of lower back pain. These physiotherapies are utilized during treatments, typically before the spinal adjustment. The main purposes of these treatments are very similar to the benefits of massage therapy, primarily for muscle relaxation and increased circulation.

The third approach of our program is exercise and strengthening, which fit in nicely with the spinal adjustments and physiotherapy.

Flexibility or the lack thereof, is probably the single most important factor affecting our quality of life as we age.

The pain and stiffness of aging begin as temporary tensions that become learned habits. But don't assume that with aging you will automatically lose your flexibility.

You can counterbalance the effects of aging so that your physiology is quite a bit younger than your chronology.
When you stay flexible, you'll be able to live with vibrancy, energy, and independence.

Over the years, we develop habitual ways of using our muscles to move and position ourselves.
Poor posture and a lack of flexibility may be the result of a legitimate medical problem or may be the result of limited stretching and improper body alignment.

When muscles get tight and stay tight, they cease to be elastic and they restrict movement.
That sense of restriction, or stiffness, often leads to disuse. Disuse causes weakness and tightness, which in turn causes a vicious cycle of more disuse, weakness, and tightness.

Regular stretching activates fluids in your joints, thereby reducing the wear-and-tear caused by friction.

Increased water intake is also believed to contribute to increased mobility for tissues and joints that have become less supple.

Your muscles may also become tight and short due to overuse or underuse.

If nothing is done to lengthen stiff and short muscles, they continue to tighten, restricting circulation and impeding the removal of toxins. And a short and tight muscle is more prone to injury.
The long-term goal with stretching should be to maintain the range of motion so that you can continue to accomplish everyday tasks, pain-free.

This goal is totally realistic if you are willing to commit to a regular schedule of careful stretching.

The benefits of a stretching program will be readily apparent, and you will experience increased comfort as your body moves with fluidity and balance.

Stretching is the best way to maintain muscle and joint flexibility. When you stretch regularly, you will also reduce general muscle tension.


Month 3 & 4

At this point in the program, you should be experiencing positive changes with your spine. That is why we continue the first three approaches in months 3 & 4, although your frequency of care is reduced.

The stretches that were introduced are now being performed on your own (daily), whether at home or your health club, except for the visits to our clinic where we will continue to work closely with you.

The last 60 days of our program are crucial. For some, feeling better means the problem is solved but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The fact is that the majority of patients that walk into our office with chronic pain are usually either overweight or obese. It is pretty obvious that this extra weight will significantly contribute to pain and discomfort due to the excess strain on the spinal column and soft tissue.

That is why we feel that our 60 day detoxification program is essential in completing your treatment here. I talk to lots of people here and many think that their diets are just fine but when it’s dissected out, it’s amazing how our society is fooled by what they believe is healthy eating.
It is scientifically proven that certain foods (even “so called” good foods) can promote and induce an inflammatory response. If you have a chronic condition, such as back pain, these types of foods need to be eliminated from the diet.

To find out full details on our program, go to the 60 day detoxification section.

Ok, so you’re in perfect shape, you have 10 % body fat but you still have this chronic lower back pain. Now what? As mentioned earlier, certain foods cause an inflammatory response(usually unknowingly) and if you read the section on “The importance of Enzymes” you will also understand that when foods cannot be properly digested, the body will try to eliminate them out somewhere in the body. The joints and soft tissues of the body are sometimes that place.

This may be difficult to fully grasp at first but to eventually come to the realization that what you eat can cause virtually any chronic pain disorder, is “emotional relief” in itself.

The Back Institute approach to correcting the cause of your problem is about personal responsibility. For this program to be truly successful, you must own up. It is time to get out of your comfort zone and try a different approach. Do you feel that yoga or meditation is too new age or too weird? If so, think again and read our sections on both topics and find out the benefits.

If you have read this far, you are probably a back pain sufferer and looking for some answers. The pain meds are not working nor will they ever actually work to correct the problem. I urge you to explore your options and try this completely natural method of treatment and at least make the call for your initial consultation.