Treating Chronic Back Pain in San Diego

Chronic back pain doesn’t need to continue. In fact, many of our patients report improvements after just a few sessions. Here are real patients sharing about their experience working with Intouch Chiropractic in San Diego, California.

The lower part of your back, or lumbar spine, is almost always made up of 5 vertebral bones with intervertebral discs in between the bones. Facet joints in the posterior aspect of the bones interlock and provide stability. Your lumbar spine connects to the hips below and is adjacent to the thoracic spine above.

• Lumbar Vertebrae. The bones are named L1 to L5. These bones are larger in size than other parts of your back, as they provide more support. The bones encase and protect the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots.
• Discs. You have 5 intervertebral discs in your lower back. These act like shock absorbers or cushions between your lumbar vertebrae. Spinal discs can bulge over time due to wear and tear. They can also herniate with trauma or injury. Disc injuries are typically painful, and surgery is often recommended.
• Facet joints. Your lumbar vertebrae are linked in the back of your spine with paired facet joints. Your facet joints allow you to move freely while also providing stability. These joints degenerate over time, weakening the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces.

If you are looking for lower back pain therapy near you in San Diego, CA, we can help.

You have five pairs of lumbar spinal nerves, also named L1 to L5. These nerves branch off your spinal cord and exit through small openings between the bones called foramina. The part of the nerve that exits at each spinal level is called the nerve root.

Your lower back spinal nerves travel down each of your legs and are formed by 2 types of fibers. One type is sensory nerves that send (pain) messages to your brain. Motor fibers receive messages from your brain, directing your muscles to move.

• L1 spinal nerves provide sensation to your genital regions and groin. They contribute to hip movement.
• L2, L3, and L4 nerves provide sensation to the inner side of your lower leg, as well as the front part of your thigh. These nerves also control hip movements, as well as knee muscles.
• L5 spinal nerves provide sensation to the big toe, the upper part of the foot, and the outer side of your lower leg. L5 nerves control your toe, foot, knee, and hip movements.
• The L4 and L5 nerves (along with other nerves) contribute to the formation of the largest nerve in your body, the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs down the back of the butt into the back of your leg into your foot.