Back Pain & Sciatica in Fall | Chiropractor Rolla MO

Back Pain and Sciatica in the Fall: When Should You See a Chiropractor in Rolla, Missouri?

As summer turns to fall in Missouri, many people notice something unexpected: their back pain, stiffness, or sciatica seems to return or become more noticeable.

At Moreland Chiropractic Clinic in Rolla, Missouri, we frequently see patients who were doing fairly well during the summer but begin experiencing increased lower back discomfort as their activities and routines change.

Fall itself doesn't necessarily "cause" back pain. Instead, several things that commonly happen this time of year can aggravate an existing joint, muscle, disc, or nerve problem.

If your back has started bothering you again, understanding why may help you decide what to do next.

1. Fall Yard Work Can Be Hard on Your Lower Back

Raking leaves, cleaning gutters, cutting firewood, moving outdoor furniture, and preparing your property for winter can involve hours of bending, twisting, lifting, and reaching.

The problem isn't always one dramatic injury.

Sometimes it's hundreds of repetitive movements that gradually irritate the muscles and joints of the lower back.

A simple rule I often recommend is to avoid doing several hours of strenuous fall cleanup all at once. Take breaks, change positions frequently, and don't repeatedly bend and twist while holding something heavy.

2. Cooler Weather May Make You Feel Stiffer

Many patients tell me they feel stiffer when temperatures begin to fall.

Research on the relationship between weather and musculoskeletal pain has produced mixed results, so we shouldn't assume that cold weather itself is the cause of someone's back pain.

However, cooler temperatures often change our behavior. We may spend less time outside, move less frequently, sit longer, and exercise differently.

If you already have arthritis, an old injury, degenerative changes, or a disc problem, that change in activity can make stiffness and discomfort more noticeable.

3. Football Games, Road Trips, and Long Periods of Sitting

Fall means football season, weekend trips, school activities, and sometimes hours in the car.

Prolonged sitting can be particularly uncomfortable for people with certain lower back and disc conditions.

For some patients, sitting increases pressure or irritation in the lower back and can contribute to pain extending into the buttock or leg.

If you're traveling, try to change positions and take periodic walking breaks rather than sitting continuously for several hours.

4. Hunting Season Can Aggravate an Existing Back Problem

Missouri hunters may spend long periods sitting in a tree stand or blind, walking uneven terrain, climbing, and carrying equipment.

Then there's the lifting and dragging that can occur after a successful hunt.

Someone who has been relatively inactive during the preceding months can suddenly ask a lot from their back in one weekend.

Preparing ahead of time with walking, mobility exercises, and appropriate core strengthening can make the transition easier.

5. Is It Back Pain or Sciatica?

Patients commonly use the word "sciatica" to describe almost any pain around the lower back, hip, or leg.

True sciatica generally involves irritation or compression affecting the sciatic nerve or the nerve roots that contribute to it.

Symptoms can include:

Pain traveling from the lower back or buttock into the leg Burning or electric-like pain Tingling or numbness Pain aggravated by certain positions or movements In some cases, weakness in the leg or foot

Not every leg pain is sciatica, however. Hip problems, muscle injuries, peripheral nerve conditions, vascular problems, and other disorders can produce symptoms that seem similar.

That's why an appropriate examination is important rather than simply assuming every pain traveling into the leg is sciatica.

6. Is My Back Pain Muscular, a Disc Problem, or Sciatica?

This is one of the most common questions patients ask me.

Unfortunately, pain alone can't always tell us.

A muscular strain may cause localized soreness, stiffness, or pain with movement. A lumbar disc problem may produce lower back pain alone or may irritate a nerve root and cause symptoms into the buttock or leg.

Sciatica describes the nerve-related symptoms rather than one specific underlying diagnosis.

During an examination, we look at factors such as where the pain travels, which movements reproduce it, neurological findings, muscle strength, reflexes, sensation, orthopedic testing, and the patient's history.

When indicated, imaging or referral for additional medical evaluation may also be appropriate.

The goal is to determine what is most likely causing the symptoms before deciding how they should be treated.

7. Don't Ignore Progressive Symptoms

Most episodes of uncomplicated back pain aren't emergencies.

There are, however, symptoms that shouldn't simply be treated as routine back pain.

Seek prompt medical evaluation for significant or progressive leg weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness around the groin or saddle area, severe pain following significant trauma, fever with unexplained back pain, or back pain associated with other concerning systemic symptoms.

A good chiropractor should recognize when a patient's condition is appropriate for conservative chiropractic care — and when it isn't.

How We Approach Back Pain and Sciatica in Our Rolla Chiropractic Office

I've been treating patients with chiropractic care for more than 30 years, and I don't believe every back problem should be treated exactly the same way.

At Moreland Chiropractic Clinic in Rolla, Missouri, treatment is based on the patient's history, examination findings, age, health, activity level, and suspected cause of the problem.

For appropriate patients with lower back pain, disc-related conditions, or sciatica, one technique I frequently use is Cox Flexion-Distraction.

Flexion-Distraction is a gentle, controlled chiropractic technique performed on a specialized treatment table. Rather than relying solely on forceful manipulation, the technique allows the lower back to be treated with controlled movements and distraction.

Depending upon the patient's condition, care may also include appropriate chiropractic manipulation, home exercises, core stabilization, stretching, and recommendations regarding activities and ergonomics.

My objective isn't simply to make the back "pop."

It's to identify the likely source of the patient's problem, provide appropriate conservative care, improve function, and help the patient understand what they can do outside the office to reduce the likelihood of another flare-up.

Should You See a Chiropractor for Back Pain or Sciatica?

If your discomfort is mild and improving every day, giving it a little time while remaining reasonably active may be appropriate.

However, if the pain persists, repeatedly returns, interferes with sleep or normal activities, travels into your leg, or you aren't sure what's causing it, an examination may be worthwhile.

Early evaluation can also help determine whether your condition appears appropriate for conservative chiropractic treatment or whether another type of medical evaluation is needed.

Looking for a Chiropractor for Back Pain or Sciatica in Rolla, Missouri?

Moreland Chiropractic Clinic has served patients in Rolla and the surrounding communities for more than 30 years.

Dr. David J. Moreland, DC, CCSP is Board Certified through the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians and provides individualized chiropractic care for back pain, neck pain, sports injuries, disc-related conditions, and appropriate cases of sciatica.

If fall activities have your back reminding you that it's there, don't automatically assume you just have to live with it.

Moreland Chiropractic Clinic Rolla, Missouri 573-364-8086

Feel Better, Live Better.