Simple is sometimes the best, especially with low back pain

There is a relationship between moderate exercise and low back pain.  Less time being a couch potato means less low back pain.  Walking decreased the occurrence of back pain.  In a study of adults who engaged in regular, low to moderate exercise, such as walking, significant differences were noted when these people were compared to those with a more sedentary lifestyle. The group of patients who exercised, had improved mood, reduced need for physical therapy, and used less pain medication. They also tended to have less work disability.

 

The classic two weeks of bed rest for low back pain is truly passe.  It can be argued that those two weeks of bed rest actually increase your chances of having more back pain.   Except in cases of large herniated discs with nerve impingement, we now tell everyone to move.

 

It is important to stay active.  Walking, working out with an exercise ball, and yoga are some of the best ways to keep you pain free.

 

You don't need a gym membership, just some comfortable shoes or a simple ball or a foam roll.

Chronic back pain and the short leg

 

Sometimes low back pain is not so easy to figure out.  Sure everybody knows when they move wrong and feel a pop what has happened.  But what about chronic low back pain that seems to come and go at will? 

 

On nearly every visit, I look at the length of the patient's legs.   Not that your leg grows over night but a difference in the leg length shows several things that help determine the root cause of  low back pain.

 

A discrepancy that comes and goes, can be indicative of muscle spasms or weakness that accompany vertebral misalignments.   That's why I keep going back to look at your feet after I adjust you.     

 

A discrepancy that remains consistent can mean gluteal (buttocks) muscle weakness or a short leg or hip/knee/ankle problems.

 

The true short leg.  Up to 10% of  people will have an anatomic difference in leg length of up to one centimeter. This short leg causes the pelvis to incline to one side providing an uneven support for the base of your spine. It's a little like walking with one shoe on and one shoe off.   If that's the case, many times I recommend orthotics so we can level the pelvis allowing the spine to have a better base to move on.

 

But most times a short leg can also be functional.  A common example of this would be a collapsed arch or a flat foot.  Do you have a history of having flat feet?   A recommendation to a podiatrist may be the final cluee in solving the puzzle of your low back issues.  I find many of my low back pain patients also have flat feet or ankle and knee problems.

 

It's important to consider the foundation of a spinal problem, not just the location of the pain. As a chiropractor, I pay attention to where the pain is located, but also consider that other joints nearby may be affecting your recovery as well.

 

           

More than 15 million people in the US suffer with headaches.

Many studies have shown that chiropractic care helps a variety of headaches.  

Tension headaches are one of the most common headaches and can account for up to 90% of the headches.   These headaches are also commonly "cervico-genic" which is fancy doctor-talk for coming from the neck.   Chiropractic and acupuncture have been found to be effective tools in pain relief for this extremely common problem.  

There is good news for migraine sufferers also.   Migraines are POUNDing (Pulsating, duration of 4–72 hOurs, Unilateral, Nausea, Disabling).    A majority of migraine sufferers respond to a regimen of  chiropractic care, massage and acupuncture in my office.

So if you are one of the many Americans who suffer with persistent headaches, it's time to think about chiropractic as a solution.

May is Posture Month

Posture is more than just standing or sitting straight.  It is the overall muscle tone of your core and skeletal muscles conbined with your balance, gait and coordination.  

Your spinal joints are at "the core" of good posture. 

Bones are a living matrix.   They are rigid connective tissue that changes in response to the stress applied.   

Osteoblasts make the matrix that mineralizes into bone. Osteoclasts reabsorb the bone.   This is a constant process that happens every day, all day long in response to stress.  This is called remodeling

By using good postural habits while doing everyday activities, you apply physical stresses in a way that helps the bone remodel in a healthy way.

 

Your bones are a reflection of your life and of your health habits.   They change with time and age just like you do. 

Treat them well and they will support and protect you for a lifetime.