Tag Archives: natural medicine

Understanding lower back pain.

I treat a lot of lower backs. Many times the cause of the pain is from moving incorrectly. Bending or twisting wrong 10,000 time can lead to acute pain, much like a fall or car accident can.

Half of my job as a chiropractor is teaching patients how to move and use their body correctly again.

The following information is from a great book meant for the non-physician to help resolve their own back problems. The book is by Stuart McGill PhD and is called “Back Mechanic: The secrets to a healthy spine your doctor isn’t telling you.”

Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill - A Comprehensive Review
The book cover., Back Mechanic: The secrets to a healthy spine your doctor isn’t telling you.”

I highly recommend this book if you have suffered or are currently suffering from low back pain.  I have taken multiple classes from him.  A lot of what I teach patients comes from his research.  The end goal is to remove the stressors and spare your spine with proper movement and strengthening exercises.

“Many back pain sufferers would experience a huge breakthrough in their recovery if they only realized that is was their flawed movement patterns that kept them pain-sensitive. Much like a scab forming on our skin, our backs are constantly trying to patch and health themselves. We, however, by continuing to repeat harmful movement patterns in our daily lives cause re-injury. We are essentially “picking the scab.” It is unreasonable to expect the body to heal if we continue to provoke it in the same way that led to the original injury. Continued provocation of pain sensitizes the nerves so that the pain is triggered with even less stimulation. Remove the provocative motions and we can find the solution.

Here’s how pain sensitivity works: people increase their sensitivity through repeated stressful and painful loading. These muscles and joints are loaded with sensors: pain sensors, pressure sensors, force sensors, chemical sensors. Some detect carbon dioxide; some detect pain, some sense histamine for inflammation. Human joints are packed with sensors that relay position and movement information to the brain. These signals travel along the sensory nerves. Along the highway of nerves, there are checkpoints or “gates,” at junctions. According to the Gate Theory of Pain, the idea is, to flood the checkpoint with “good information,” in other words, signals associated with pain-free movement. In this way, there is no more room for the pain signals as they are crowded out.

The sensation of this simple pain-free motion dominates the information traffic on your sensory nerves with feel-good kinesthetic sensory information that identifies position, length, and force. Finding and repeating pain-free motions in your back will cause the remaining painful activities to hurt less. Read the previous sentence again – it really is that important.

By discovering and engraining positive movements for your back, you will find that the pain often dissipates and then disappears entirely. This is because when we remove pain triggers and stop “picking the scab” we give our tissues a chance to rest, heal and regenerate. Simultaneously our sensors for pain are actually being desensitized. Master this, and you have mastered your back pain.

For those of you that have a known type of injury, a name to attach to your condition, your personal recovery strategy should always begin with avoiding the aggravating posture for your unique spine is key to getting yourself back on track.

Various symptoms of back pain have a distinct and known cause (although this information is not widely known making this book uniquely valuable). Injuries can be avoided if we avoid the injury mechanism itself. Here’s a recap of some pain avoidance strategies, as well as an introduction of some that will be discussed later. The knowledge in this chapter will provide the foundation that will help you:

  1. Locate and eliminate the cause of your pain- get an appropriate assessment that provides a specific diagnosis (Make an appointment or start with reading chapter 6).
  2. Increase your consciousness around what movements and postures cause you pain.
  3. Develop replacement postures and movement patters that enable you to function pain-free.
  4. Stabilize your torso, core, and spine to remove painful spine joint micro-movements.
  5. Develop a daily exercise plan that includes walking.
  6. Mobilize your hips and use your hips to lift.
  7. Learn to create power at the ball and socket joints (hips and shoulders).
  8. Learn exercises that are based on patters of movement: push, pull, lift, carry, lunge, squat, etc.
  9. Make healthy spine choices when sleeping, sitting, or engaging in more demanding activities.

You’re on your way to learning the secrets of a pain-free lifestyle! Let’s make it happen!

Chiropractic Care Lowers Opioid Use

Chiropractic is the best choice for drug free health care. The United States opioid epidemic is well documented. (1) Seeing a chiropractor is a great way to treat pain without pain medicine. Chiropractic care with a good home exercise program is a great way to treat most conditions. Throw in some movement correction and ergonomics now we’re talking about great care.

“Patients with spinal pain who saw a chiropractor had half the risk of filling an opioid prescription.” Pain Medicine (2)

“Offering (chiropractic) services in primary care may help to address pain and disability, and hopefully limit external referrals, advanced imaging, and opioid prescriptions.” Journal of Primary Care & Community Health (3)

“Compared to patients with neck pain who saw a primary health care provider, patients with neck pain who initially saw a conservative therapist were 72%-91% less likely to fill an opioid prescription”  Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (4)

Here at Sikorsky Chiropractic we use adjustments, exercises, ergonomics, movement corrections to help patients become pain free.

Chiropractic first, medicine second , surgery last resort. We are always putting the patient first.

  1. The United States opioid epidemic – PubMed (nih.gov)
  2. Whedon JM, Toler AW, Kazal LA, Bezdjian S, Goehl JM, Greenstein J. Impact of Chiropractic Care on Use of Prescription Opioids in Patients with Spinal Pain. Pain Medicine. 2020 Mar 6. Link
  3. Prater C, Tepe M, Battaglia P. Integrating a Multidisciplinary Pain Team and Chiropractic Care in a Community Health Center: An Observational Study of Managing Chronic Spinal Pain. J Prim Care Community Health. 2020;11:2150132720953680. doi:10.1177/2150132720953680 Link
  4. Louis CJ, Herrera CN, Garrity BM, McDonough CM, Cabral H, Saper RB, Kazis LE. The association of initial provider type on opioid fills for individuals with neck pain. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2020 May 11. Link

DISC HERNIATIONS RESOLVE BY THEMSELVES THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME!

Another study that shows Lumbar disc herniations can reabsorb. This is great news. Disc herniation can get better with chiropractic care, better body mechanics and hard work ( home exercises). So everyone that was told they need surgical intervention it might not be true!

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH), a common disease, is often treated conservatively, frequently resulting in spontaneous resorption of the herniated disc. The incidence of this phenomenon, however, remains unknown.

CONCLUSIONS:

The phenomenon of LDH reabsorption is well recognized. Because its overall incidence is now 66.66% according to our results, conservative treatment may become the first choice of treatment for LDH. More large-scale, double-blinded, randomized, controlled trials are necessary to study the phenomenon of spontaneous resorption of LDH.Key words: Lumbar, disc herniation, spontaneous resorption, conservative treatment, incidence, country, meta-analysis, systematic review, observational studies, study designs.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28072796/?fbclid=IwAR3-YyZ5tpTq1xDUE0Yv0MTTIEJbHGWayZqEjU45J4R8nT0ptDl0ejEzQvQ

Vitamin D and Covid 19

A new study that looked at 216 people with COVID-19 found that 80 percent didn’t have adequate levels of vitamin D in their blood.

The study also found that people who had both COVID-19 and lower vitamin D levels also had a higher number of inflammatory markers such as ferritin and D-dimer, which have been linked to poor COVID-19 outcomes.

A different study found that COVID-19 patients who had adequate vitamin D levels had a 51.5 percent lower risk of dying from the disease and a significant reduced risk for complications.

Medical experts theorize that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels may help lower risk or aid recovery from severe COVID-19 for some people, though more testing is needed.

A Little Information about Vitamin D.

The major natural source of the vitamin D is synthesis of cholecalciferol (precursor to Vitamin D) in the lower layers of skin epidermis through a chemical reaction that is dependent on the SUN. Cholecalciferol is then convert to the active form of Vitamin D.

Did you know that Vitamin D is a hormone and not a vitamin. Hormones are chemicals that the body produces to control how the body is functioning. Hormone are signaling molecules that can turn on and off cells and organs .

Vitamin D is a hormone that controls blood calcium concentration and impacts the immune system. Many studies point to the beneficial effect of vitamin D on the immune system, especially regarding protection against infections.

Robust evidence suggests that vitamin D is protective against respiratory tract infections. Data from 25 randomized controlled trials from around the world demonstrate that daily or weekly supplementation of vitamin D reduced the risk of acute respiratory infection by more than 50 percent in people with low baseline vitamin D levels.

Low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increase in inflammation and can increased risk of pneumonia and viral upper respiratory tract infections. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increase in thrombotic episodes, which are frequently observed in COVID-19.

Having your Vitamin D levels tested is not a bad Idea. This way you wont be guessing on your levels. Once you know your levels it will give you a better understanding if you need to supplement with Vitamin D.

https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/covid-19-episode-1

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/10/27/8-in-10-hospitalized-covid-19-coronavirus-patients-were-vitamin-d-deficient-new-study/#4548300566ec

https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2020/study-finds-over-80-percent-of-covid19-patients-have-vitamin-d-deficiency

https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/hormones/vitamin-d#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20is%20a%20hormone,D%20levels%20in%20the%20blood.

Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology

Ibuprofen is a common over the counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.

Ibuprofen has many side effects such as stomach bleeding, and even increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it long term or take high doses, or if you have heart disease.

These side effects and others are the reason someone should not take more than your recommended dose. 

Here’s another reason not to take Ibuprofen. A study showed that ibuprofen use in men led to (i) elevation of LH; (ii) a decreased testosterone/LH ratio and, to a lesser degree, a decreased inhibin B/FSH ratio; and (iii) a reduction in the levels of the Sertoli cell hormone AMH. The decrease in the free testosterone/LH ratio resulted primarily from the increased LH levels, revealing that testicular responsiveness to gonadotropins likely declined during the ibuprofen exposure.

That sound pretty scary. A over the counter can effect a males sex hormones. What man wants lower testosterone?

If you have pain that requires taking over the counter medication pain killers for a long time , you might want to try so else. Chiropractic is a safe drug free approach. Call our office and make an appointment .

https://www.pnas.org/content/115/4/E715 https://www.drugs.com/ibuprofen.html

Managing Neck Pain and Headaches Part 3

Neck pain and Headaches are a very common issue in our society, and understanding the causes and prevention of them will go a long way to leading a healthy and pain free life. In this educational summary, we discuss some of the most common conditions we see in our office. Below we will discuss the following neck-related pain conditions.

  1. Upper Crossed Syndrome
  2. Headaches
  3. Neck Sprain/Strain
  4. Disc Pain
  5. Cervical Radiculopathy
  6. TMJ Dysfunction

Potential causes of Cervical Discogenic Pain Syndrome

  • Direct trauma – falls, motor vehicle accident, whiplash, sports injury
  • Overuse, fatigue, repetitive microtrauma – over hours, days, months of the same position
  • Postural – can be either an intrinsic postural problem (e.g. loss of cervical curvature) or an extrinsic postural problem (e.g. prolonged stressful position, protruded head posture).
  • Sudden unguarded movement.
  • Degenerative disc disease.

Symptoms of Cervical Discogenic Pain Syndrome

The symptoms will vary depending on whether the condition is caused by a herniated disc or by a degenerative disc. With a herniated disc, some people will not experience pain in the neck but will have radiating pain, tingling, and numbness down the arm or around the shoulder blade due to pressure put on the nerve root. Discogenic pain due to an injury can result in immediate pain or pain shortly after the injury. Headaches (usually cervicogenic) can also result from cervical disc pain.

Treatment of Cervical Discogenic Pain Syndrome

Treatment for cervical discogenic pain will depend on the clinical presentation. Conservative treatment can successfully manage many cervical disc herniations. Initial treatment will focus on controlling pain and inflammation. Once pain and inflammation have decreased, early rehabilitation will help prevent chronic pain and disability. This will consist of osseous manipulation, soft tissue therapy, activity as tolerated, and pain-free range of motion exercises. Late rehabilitation will be administered as the condition improves and will include stabilization exercises, patient education, and postural training. Education in proper training, biomechanics, and a home exercise program will help strengthen the spine and decreases the likelihood of future injury. If you fail to respond to conservative treatment, or in cases of severe pain, diagnostic imaging (x-ray, MRI) will be warranted, and an orthopedic consult may be necessary.

Cervical Radiculopathy

Cervical Radiculopathy is a dysfunction of the cervical nerve roots resulting in various neurologic findings. The cervical spine consists of seven cervical vertebrae and eight cervical nerve roots. Cervical radiculopathy can result in pain, numbness, or weakness and though the problem occurs at the nerve root of the cervical spine, these symptoms will often radiate to parts of the body controlled by that nerve. The seventh (C7) and sixth (C6) cervical nerve roots are most commonly affected.

In younger patients, cervical radiculopathy is usually the result of a disc herniation or an acute injury causing foraminal impingement of the exiting nerve. In the older population, cervical radiculopathy is usually due to foraminal narrowing from osteophyte formation, decreased disc height, or degenerative changes. In elderly patients with osteophyte formation, repetitive neck movements may result in a more insidious injury. Cervical radiculopathy due to sports injuries can result from several mechanisms. Typical these injuries occur from forced extension, lateral bending, or a rotation mechanism, which closes the foramen and results in the exiting nerve root being injured.

Risk Factors for Cervical Radiculopathy

  • Heavy manual labor requiring lifting more than 25 pounds (especially repetitive activity)
  • Driving or operating vibrating equipment
  • Smoking
  • Collision sports (e.g. football, hockey)
  • Prior injuries, degenerative disc disease/osteoarthritis

History and Symptoms of Cervical Radiculopathy

The condition may follow a neck injury or be of insidious onset, and there may be a history of multiple episodes of previous neck pain or arthritis of the cervical spine. The pain may range from deep aching to severe burning neck pain. Usually, the pain will be referred to the shoulder blade, which might be described as shoulder pain. If the radiculopathy progresses, radicular arm pain (“sharp, shooting, electrical”) or sensory changes (“numbness, tingling, loss of sensation”) may develop down the arm and into the hand. Arm symptoms will depend on which nerve root is involved. Occasionally, a motor weakness may develop of the shoulder or arm. Certain neck positions which cause increased foraminal narrowing may increase the pain. The symptoms may be relieved by lifting the arm over the head which decreases the tension at the nerve root.

Treatment of Cervical Radiculopathy

Initial treatment will focus on reducing pain and inflammation and prevention of further neurological loss. The focus will also be on centralizing (reducing) any radicular symptoms by decreasing nerve root compression and pressure within the herniated discs. This will consist of manual traction and pain-free active non-resisted ranges of motion while avoiding positions that increase neck and arm symptoms. A cervical pillow at night can be helpful in maintaining the neck in a neutral position and limiting head positions that cause foraminal narrowing. Electrotherapy modalities may be used to help reduce any associated muscle pain and muscle spasms. Once pain and inflammation have decreased, therapy will progress to restore full range of motion and mobility of the neck and shoulder. This will include muscle stretching, strengthening and proprioceptive training, and corrective exercises as tolerated. Cervical manipulation and soft tissue therapy may be administered as tolerated and as long as it does not cause an increase in symptoms. If you fail to respond to conservative treatment, or in cases of severe neurological loss, a secondary consultation with a neurologist or neurosurgeon will be recommended.

TMJ Dysfunction

“I’ve got TMJ”  It’s a pretty common statement which is a bit of a misnomer.  Everyone has TMJ.  Why?  The TMJ is the tempo-mandibular joint(TMJ).  We all have it.  What people are probably trying to say is that they have TMJ disorder, aka pain and dysfunction of the jaw while opening or closing your mouth.

What happens is the mandible (your jaw) connects to the rest of your head at the temporal bone.  It’s a hinge joint that pivots through a cartilage disc called a meniscus in between the two bones of this joint.  Unfortunately, it’s a common place for the TMJ to become subluxated or in other words, a little bit dislodged.  After that, you can get overuse and degeneration of that joint.  One way to tell if you have this disorder is to open your mouth and measure, can you open your mouth the height of 3 fingers for your hand?  If not, you might have TMJ disorder.

The main physical causes of this condition are:

  • trauma
  • overuse from a commonly chewing on one side of your mouth
  • keeping the mouth open for extended periods of time (like at the dentist)
  • improper bite
  • grinding

From a physical standpoint, the best way to prevent TMJ disorder is to wear proper mouthpieces while playing sports, wearing mouth guards while sleeping, making sure to chew food evenly on both sides of your mouth, cutting tough meats and other foods into small pieces and minimizing gum chewing. Having better posture also improve the alignment of the TMJ.

Preventing Lower back pain Part 3

Body Preparation and Positioning

Sternum Up– Keeping the sternum up automatically sets the body into the good posture and maintains:

Neutral Spine: Maintaining good spinal alignment decreases the stress placed on the spine and discs.

Hip Hinging: Bending at the hips, and not the low back, decreases the stress placed on the low back and increases strength & power.

  1. Squating- The zone that will optimize lifting strength and injury reduction.

a. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, and you are in the “Primary Power Zone.”

b. The area up to the shoulders and down to the hips is acceptable.

c. The more you can work in the “power zone” the less fatigue on your body

  • Abdominal Bracing- When all of your core muscles work together, a “Super Sti­ffness” occurs, and all three layers of the abdominal wall are activated to protect and stabilize the spine and discs.
  • Without bending forward, contract the abdominal muscles (like you are about the get punched in your gut – feel them tighten with one hand) and the buttock muscles (as if you are holding in a bowel movement). You will feel the lower back muscles contract (with the other hand) when you contract your abs and buttocks. Activities of Daily Living

Optimal Activities of Daily Living Considerations

The below images and descriptions were resourced from The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2004) 8, 85–87 written by Craig Liebenson, DC

These are a sampling of some daily activities that you may encounter. We encourage you to practice and apply the body preparation and positioning described above. The Sternum Up, Power Zone and Abdominal Bracing should be utilized to protect and spare the spine.

Hip Hinge

  • Keep the spine upright by hinging from the hips as you bend your knees
  • Maintain all three points of contact as you move to an upright position

Going from Sit-to-Stand

  • Start in a seated position at the edge of your chair with your feet under your thighs before sitting up
  •  To initiate movement begin upward movement by using your hips and knees
  • To avoid strain to your back, keep your torso upright when rising from the chair.
A: Correct way B: Incorrect way

Picking up a bag of the ground

  • When picking up a bag from the ground, bend from the hips and knees.
  • Make sure to keep the back flat and keep lower back’s natural curve by keeping it curved forward while bending.
  • When lifting, initiate the movement by keeping the back flat while extending with the hips, and tightening the glutes.

Brushing your teeth

  • Keep your chest upright while brushing the teeth.
  • When you bend forward to rinse your brush or mouth bend from the hips, not from the waist.
  • Keep your chest lifted while you bend forward.

Changing a diaper

  • Before changing your baby ensure that you have a changing station that is the appropriate height.
  • If it is too low (below your waist), you will be forced to bend forward from the waist.
  • The correct height is approximately waist high and allows you to maneuver your baby without having to bend much.

Picking objects from ground

  • When lowering to pick up the object, bend from the knees and keep your chest lifted.
  • When lifting keep your spine upright by hinging from the hips and knees.
  • If the object is not directly in front of you, it is important to keep your chest lifted in front of you while keeping your lower back’s natural curve.
  • Avoid lifting immediately after sitting for a prolonged period.
A: incorrect B: correct

Lower back Pain Part 2

More common conditions

Lumbar Disc Disorders

The lumbar spine is made up of five bone segments called vertebrae. In between each vertebra are flexible intervertebral lumbar discs, which act as shock absorbers for the spine. The intervertebral discs are composed of two components, a tough outer ring of fibrous tissue called the annulus fibrosis, and a jelly-like center inside the annulus fibrosis called the nucleus pulposus. The structure is then held together by ligaments on the front and the back of the vertebrae. Additional support is provided by muscles of the trunk.

In most cases, lumbar disc disease is the result of a normal aging process called disc degeneration which causes structural changes in the normal disc. As we age, the disc begins to lose fluid and become dried out causing the disc to compress. This may lead to the breakdown and degeneration of tough outer ring of the disc (annulus fibrosis) allowing the inner core (nucleus pulposus), to bulge out. This is considered a bulging disc. This puts pressure on the outer ring of the disc, which may cause low back pain. As further degeneration of the disc continues, or with continued stress on the lumbar spine, the inner jelly-like core may rupture out from the outer ring causing a ruptured, or herniated, disk. Once the inner nucleus herniates through the outer ring, pain in the lower back may improve.

However, the fragmented disc material can inflame or put pressure on the spinal nerves leading to an increase in sciatic leg pain, weakness, numbness, or changes in sensation in one or both legs. Most disc herniations occur at the lower lumbar spine at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels. Occasionally, severe trauma can cause a normal disc to herniate or may cause an already herniated disk to worsen.

Risk Factors of Lumbar Disc Disorders

  • Age and Gender – the highest incidence in men between the ages of 30 and 50.
  • Obesity – being overweight puts added stress on lumbar discs.
  • Sedentary lifestyle – lack of exercise and poor core body strength.
  • Smoking – Smoking decreases oxygen supply to the discs causing more rapid degeneration.
  • Improper lifting – using your back muscles instead of your legs to lift heavy objects. Twisting while lifting
  • Posture – hyperlordotic lumbar curvature, anterior pelvic tilt (lower cross syndrome).
  • Repetitive activities that strain your spine – jobs that require constant lifting, pulling, bending, or twisting.
  • Frequent driving – staying seated for long periods and the vibration from the car can put pressure on your discs.

History and Symptoms of Lumbar Disc Disorders

Lumbar disc disorders may include one or a combination of the following symptoms:

  • Intermittent or constant lower back pain and pain in the buttock,
  • Leg and foot pain, numbness or a tingling sensation in the leg and foot,
  • Weakness in the leg and foot
  • Decreased reflexes in the knee or ankle
  • Changes in bowel or bladder function.

The symptoms will vary depending on if and where the disc has herniated, and what spinal nerve root is affected. Leg pain is usually greater than low back pain with disc herniations and nerve root involvement. However, if there are only annular tears without herniation, the pain will be localized to the low back and buttock. The onset of pain can be sudden or gradual after an injury. Pain may follow heavy lifting, twisting, or straining activities or repetitive stress trauma. However, patients may not recall a prior injury or a precise time the condition began because it is often preceded by frequent episodes of less severe low back pain that usually resolved. Pain is usually characterized by sharp, shooting, or electrical pain that may be aggravated by movement, changing positions, sneezing, coughing, or prolonged sitting and standing. The pain is usually relieved with rest and a recumbent position.

Treatment of Lumbar Disc Disorders

Conservative care should be your first course of treatment to manage lumbar disc disorders, but treatment will depend on the clinical presentation, your age, overall health, and tolerance to therapies. With disc herniations, the first few days of care will focus on centralizing (reducing) leg pain, decreasing inflammation, and preventing further neurological loss by decompressing nerve root impingement and reducing the disc herniation. Osseous mobilization and manipulation and soft tissue therapy may be administered as tolerated. Home care will consist of pain-relief repetitive positional exercises and lumbar stabilization exercises. We will also educate you on ways to protect your lower back, positions to avoid, and how to manage activity. In most cases, bed rest will not be recommended as the sooner you are up and moving, the better the prognosis. Once pain and inflammation have decreased, we will continue working on lumbar stabilization and progress into proprioceptive training. We will evaluate muscle imbalances using posture and movement patterns with the goal of restoring good biomechanics and core body strength. Your home care will emphasize the progression of stabilization protocols and corrective exercises. If you fail to respond to conservative treatment, or in cases of severe neurological loss, a referral for a surgical consultation will be recommended.

Lumbar stenosis

This condition occurs when there is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lumbar vertebrae (low back). Often this results in compression of the spinal cord, which can lead to pain, numbness, discomfort and radiating symptoms. What the mechanism of this is occurring is usually caused by the degenerative changes of aging. However, there are other causes.

The main physical causes of this condition are:

  • Degeneration of the lumbar spine
  • Lumbar disc herniation putting pressure on the spinal cord
  • Osteoporosis
  • Dwarfism (achondroplasia)
  • Tumor

Degeneration of the spinal column is inevitable with aging and may reflect normal changes in an aging spine. It does not necessarily always result in lumbar stenosis but is often the most common cause.

While it is difficult or impossible to combat normal aging of the spine, there are some habits and tips you can use to reduce this condition related to the other causes. Reduce your chances of a lumbar disc herniation by learning proper bending and lifting biomechanics by utilizing your lifting power from your legs and not your back. As far as osteoporosis goes, make sure you are meeting your recommended calcium intake as well as incorporating weight bearing activities into your exercise routine (lifting weights). Post-menopausal women tend to be more susceptible to this condition and should ensure they are doing everything they can to prevent osteoporosis.

Low Back Pain Part 1

Understanding and Preventing Your Low Back Pain

About 80% of Americans suffer debilitating low back pain at some point in their life. This fact is staggering, yet it doesn’t have to be this common. The key to staying out of this group of low back pain sufferers comes down to one word: Prevention.  If I had to choose one common problem amongst all low back pain sufferers, it would be bad low back position during common activities such as brushing your teeth, bending over, picking up a small child, exercising and sitting.

The lumbar spine, which is the lower part of the spine, is meant to have a natural curve to it that displaces the forces of gravity, weight, etc. evenly and minimally. When this natural curve is straightened, or reduced, the forces on the discs, muscles, and ligaments of the low back are significantly increased. For example, sitting without maintaining the natural curve increases the forces on those structures by 30%-40%!

There are many conditions that can be covered under the umbrella of low back pain, but in this article, we will cover the following conditions for the sake of this informational handout. The keys of prevention of low back pain are as follows:

  • Understand your symptoms and risk factors
  • Body Preparation and Positioning
  • Proper Activities of Daily Living
  • Corrective Exercises
  • Treatment Considerations

Common Low Back Conditions

Lumbar strains and sprains

A lumbar strain is when an injury occurs to the muscles of the low back. A sprain, on the other hand, is an injury to the ligaments or joints; both, however, have similar pain and symptom patterns. When these muscles or ligaments become injured, it can lead to dysfunctional movements, and cause instability in the spine. Patients suffering from this diagnosis often have pain when attempting to walk, sit, exercise and can even occur during sleep.

The main physical causes of this condition are:

  • Overexertion
  • Falls
  • Poor movement mechanics
  • Poor posture
  • Heavy lifting

However, with proper education, you can protect yourself from many of these causes. The primary sufferers of this condition, especially chronic cases, often are in poor physical condition with weak stabilizing muscles. A comorbid factor of this condition is often a desk job that involves sitting for most of the day. This type of patient usually has poor sitting posture, which can lead to a weakening of your spinal erectors and destabilize the spine, contributing to the condition. The importance of a strong core and training your spinal muscles cannot be overstated.

In cases where the injury stems from a problem related to overuse, poor posture or improper exercise, there are steps that can be taken to help avoid these injuries from happening. Proper instruction about your postural habits can reduce the detrimental effects of sitting on the spine, as well as education about correct lifting form can reduce these episodes of low back pain and help you build a healthy spine.

If you are having back pain or want some guidance on how to prevent back pain please call the office. We will be happy to help!

Functional Clam

Function Clam

The clam is a great exercise for strengthening the Glute Medius. The Glute Medius is an important muscle related to lower back pain. They help stabilize the pelvis while walking, so the weakness can lead to an unstable pelvis.

Another area that weakness of Glute Medius can cause pain in is the knee. Because of this runners have to pay extra attention to this muscle so they don’t suffer from injuries related to this muscle. ( knee pain and Illiotibial band syndrome)

If you want more information or want to see if you have weakness that could be contributing to your pain, call the chiropractic office in Elgin, Illinois and make an appointment!