With this being the end of Prostate Awareness Month it's always a good idea to cover some of the basics about back pain and referred pain that can come from a problem with an enlarged prostate gland. Some patients come into the office for treatment of low back symptoms that seem fairly straight forward that have ended up being referrals for further evaluation with their primary care physician because of a few key factors.

As men get older the size of the prostate naturally increases. For most men this is just a normal occurrence and does not lead to any significant problems. For others it may be an indicator for more serious prostate related illnesses such as infections or cancer. The most common symptoms of and enlarged prostate relate to the frequency and strength of flow while urinating.

Symptoms of enlarged prostate can include:
A weak or slow urinary stream
A feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
Difficulty starting urination
Frequent urination
Urgency to urinate
Getting up frequently at night to urinate
A urinary stream that starts and stops
Straining to urinate
Continued dribbling of urine
Returning to urinate again minutes after finishing

Saw Palmetto is a great natural solution to help decrease the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

For chiropractors low back pain is one of the most popular reasons for a visit to the office. The key is being able to differentiate what is generalized low back pain and what is a complaint of low back pain that can be related to something other than a misalignment and poor posture. Generalized low back pain is typically related to a specific event or a person's lifestyle over a period of time that causes an ache or stiffness. But when a middle aged male has low back pain and also fits, even a few, of the other symptoms that relate to prostate issues and has low back pain further investigation is very important.

The back pain being felt may or may not be related to the prostate but it is always best to err on the side of caution when dealing with a potential serious problem such as prostate cancer.

Many prostate related issues are easily treated when discovered and addressed. Some indicators to be aware of men being over the age of 50, of African American descent who have a family history of prostate cancer and eat fatty foods. Make sure to visit a chiropractor in your area if you have been dealing with back pain for an extended period of time and that doctor will be able to refer you to the proper referral should you need one.