Back Pain
Back Pain Care in Grand Junction, CO
Back pain is the most common reason patients call this office. The useful question is rarely whether your back hurts, it is what is loading it, and what has changed.
Understanding
What Is Back Pain?
Back pain describes symptoms across the low back, mid back, and the muscles and joints that support them. It can be a dull ache that builds through a workday, a sharp catch with a specific movement, or stiffness that is worst in the first hour of the morning.
The label matters less than the pattern. When it started, what makes it worse, what relieves it, and whether it is changing over time all shape what care is appropriate.
Symptoms
Common Symptoms & Experiences
Patients often describe difficulty standing after sitting, trouble with lifting or bending, discomfort that interrupts sleep, or the sense that they are guarding their movements to avoid a flare.
Some notice that symptoms follow activity in the Grand Valley, a long drive, a season of yard work, a return to the trail after months off.
Contributors
Potential Contributing Factors
Contributors can include repetitive loading at work, prolonged sitting, previous injuries, changes in activity level, joint restriction, muscle imbalance, and age-related changes in the spine and discs.
Rarely, back pain reflects something other than a mechanical problem. Part of the value of an exam is ruling that in or out early.
When to be seen
When Professional Evaluation May Be Appropriate
Seek medical evaluation promptly for back pain accompanied by loss of bladder or bowel control, progressive leg weakness or numbness, fever, unexplained weight loss, or pain following significant trauma.
For pain that persists beyond a couple of weeks, keeps returning, or limits what you can do, an evaluation is reasonable.
Our approach
How Peak Performance Approaches Evaluation & Care
Before any treatment is applied, you will go through a consultation that includes an exam and health history to identify current issues. Should your health history and exam suggest it, x-rays will be recommended.
Dr. Younker then develops a plan that considers the extent and severity of the injury or irritation, your overall health, the condition of your spine including age and previous injuries, and your goals.
Next steps
What to Expect Next
You will leave your first visit knowing what was found, what is being recommended, and why. Care is adjusted as your symptoms and activity change.
Meet your chiropractor
Meet Dr. Dean Younker
Dr. Dean Younker took over Peak Performance in 1997 and has cared for patients in Grand Junction ever since. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Northern Colorado and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Cleveland University in Kansas City. He is a member of the Colorado Chiropractic Association and the Grand Junction Chiropractor Association.
“Because no two patients are the same, here at Peak Performance, we take the time to listen to each patient. We then develop a personalized treatment plan. Our promise is to help you live your life better.”
FAQ
Common Questions
How long does back pain usually take to improve?
It varies with the cause, how long it has been present, and your overall health. Dr. Younker will discuss realistic expectations after your evaluation rather than before it.
Should I rest or keep moving?
For most mechanical back pain, gentle continued movement is better tolerated than extended bed rest, but the right answer depends on your findings. Ask at your visit.
Will I need x-rays?
Only if your health history and exam suggest imaging would help pinpoint the issue.
Can chiropractic care help me avoid surgery?
No one can promise that. Surgical decisions belong with a surgeon, and Dr. Younker will refer you when that conversation is warranted.
Next step
You Don't Have to Keep Planning Your Life Around Pain.
If pain is affecting the way you sleep, work, exercise, travel, or spend time with the people you love, it is worth finding out what is going on. Let's start with a conversation.
Engage With Your Life Again.