No Pain Don’t Mean No Damage

A recent study found patients with identified spinal facet arthritis on a computed tomography (CT) scan - arthritis within the joints between the vertebrae of the spine - had no association to low back pain (LBP). In other words, those with visible arthritis of spine were no more likely to be suffering from back pain as compared with those who did not have visible arthritis of the spine. Arthritis is typically a product of wear and tear to a joint within the body. This wear and tear usually is a result of trauma, be it acute trauma such as a fall injury or chronic trauma such as long-term poor postural habits. What this ultimately means is that it's very possible and very common to have trauma to your body and in this case, to your spine, without the symptom of pain. Similar to dental checkups to check for cavities that may be lurking despite the lack of tooth pain, periodic chiropractic checkups are important to identify spinal and soft tissue problems that may be present, but that may not yet be associated with pain. If you haven't been to a licensed chiropractor for a recent checkup, pick up the phone and give us a call today.