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Educational Resources - Back Pain
Scroll to read information on the following subject(s):
Is Back Pain Slowing You Down?
"Back Pain", the mind numbing problem that some statistics say up to 80% of Americans willexperience. Then National Academy of Sports Medicine actually states that up to 30% of
Americans are in back pain at any one time! So, how do you get better? How should you
manage it? Where do you get help?
How do you get better?
First, you need to take control. Do not count on someone else to fix your problem. Educate
yourself about your condition. Seek advice from your Doctor Medical Back Information,
Chiropractor Chiropractic Information, Physical Therapist Physical Therapy Information or yes
a Personal Trainer Personal Training Information. There are many specialty clinics that work
with back pain patients. I can tell you that after 20 years of working in health and fitness that
most people with pain can change their situation. I have seen it. You need to believe it! Being
lazy and not getting into a program will get you nowhere fast. In fact, it will make matters worse
for most back pain sufferers. There are billions of dollars spent each year on back and neck
pain. I am confident that much of that can be reduced just by educating yourself and being
proactive.
How Should you Manage Back or Neck Pain?
Managing back and neck pain almost always involves exercise. Avoid becoming a statistic.
When you're in pain most people begin with rest, stay in bed, or over time become more and
more sedentary. This is a huge mistake. The vicious cycle of weight gain, de-conditioning,
increased pain, weakness, less energy for family, work and recreation will destroy your zest for
life. Keep moving! Is moving around the house enough? NO it isn't. A corrective strategy to
help you balance strength (stability) and mobility is the key. In most cases people need to
strengthen key muscles. These muscles are generally different from one person to the next.
A Jump Start Muscle Activation MAT information assessment is a good place to start. I am
confident that a sound strategy for managing back pain requires exercise and specifically
strengthening the correct areas.
Where do I get help?
Do you have friends that have worked with a Doctor, Chiropractor, Therapist, or Personal
Trainer? Ask what kind of help they got from working with them? Keep in mind there are many
opinions as to how to approach your pain. As a Personal Trainer I always start with a
comprehensive review of your health history, exercise history and Muscle Activation
assessment. More general movement screenings are also used in many cases. The
information regarding your body can then be used to manage your exercise program and
recommendations. Seek the professional advice you feel is best. If a Personal Trainer is
something you want to look into, you can contact me at brian@optimalhealthperformance.
com. Look to future blogs for some of the common exercises used for general mechanical
pain issues.
What is a Degenerative Disc?
Well, basically a degenerative disc is one that has lost its’ thickness and level of hydration.
Think of a jelly donut, yes... a donut. When you first bought the donut is was plump and
delicious looking, full of jelly, maintaining its' height and shape. Then a terrible thing
happened. Something heavy was placed on top of your wonderful jelly donut smashing all the
jelly out and taking that 1\2 inch delicious donut into a 1\8 inch pile of demolished sugar and
flour... I know poor food analogy, but I bet you got a good visual!
In your body you have a spine consisting of 7 cervical vertebrae (neck), 12 thoracic vertebrae
(trunk), 5 lumbar vertebrae (low back), 5 sacral vertebrae (back side of pelvis), and 4 coccyx
bones at the base of the spine. From your neck down to L5-S1 you have discs at each level
that act as a cushion to the spine and back allowing for more motion. Discs are made up of
elastic fibrous like materials that in a healthy back allow you to bend, twist right and left, side
bend, and bend backwards! Over time, one can develop tears in the cartilage like rings within
the disk that can lead to the middle jelly (nucleus pulpous) to protrude or bulge through the
weak area of the disk. I could get into more fancy names and so on, but I will not bore you
today.
Understand that even at rest gravity is constantly having an impact (pressure or compression)
on your spine. The posterior (backwards) stress on a disc can be up to 5x normal just with
sitting for prolonged periods of time. Ligaments that support you can only do so much! The
rest needs to be done by your bony structure and your muscles! The more your muscles can
not support the structure (i.e. vertebrae, discs etc.) the more likely one is to end up with muscle
related pain or if really unlucky disc related pain. When pain is disc related one can have a
tear, bulge, protrusion, inflammation or herniation. All of these are ultimately responsible for
loss of hydration and thickness of a disc. Some therapist subscribe to a theory called "Disc in
Evolution". This simply means most people develop injuries or changes to the disc overtime.
This then leads up to an event that ultimately causes pain. (Specifics of which are beyond this
article) .
After acute pain is under control and you have approval from your physician, therapist, or
Chiropractor, you can proceed with appropriate exercise. This can at the very least help slow
down and manage further aggressive pain. Yes, getting more fit and doing appropriate
exercise can make a difference. As we age, some progression of degeneration and a
lessening disc thickness is normal. However, due to occupation, injury or de-conditioning and
being overweight many will end up with more degenerative disc (thinner disc) problems than
normal healthily adults. View the picture representation below of the intra-vertebral disc. For
more questions you can contact me at brian@optimalhealthperformance.com or athttp://www.
optimalhealthperformance.com/ .
Picture taken from " Management of Common Musculoskeletal Disorders; Hertling & Kessler
1990
What about Chiropractic Care?
Well, it is about time I talk about Chiropractic. For those of you who do not know, I used to work
in a Chiropractic office for about 8 years prior to working at LTF! I worked in a clinic that had a
multidisciplinary approach to treating musculoskeletal pain. I have seen Chiropractic do some
amazing things for many people and at times have limited effect in so far as pain control. (Even
though there many other benefits) . I do believe science strongly supports Chiropractic care!
Studies by major universities and the U.S. government have proven the efficacy of Chiropractic
in treatment of back and neck pain. Every year more and more research supports the
Chiropractic art which has been second guessed for many years by the Medical profession for
its lack of supporting research. People that doubt, either have not experienced treatment or
are uneducated as to its benefits.
So, what is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of
the body to heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery. The practice of chiropractic
focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as
coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and
restoration of health.
How Chiropractic Differs From Traditional Medicine?
There is a significant and very important difference between the way chiropractors and medical
doctors approach health ailments. Chiropractors take a holistic approach which includes
identifying and correcting the cause(s) of the patient's health ailment. Correcting the cause of
the problem provides significant long-term benefits over only treating the symptoms.
What Chiropractors Do?
Practically speaking, chiropractors are primarily concerned with locating and treating vertebral
subluxations (nerve impingement syndromes).
A vertebral subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular
(joint) changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and
general health.
Using a number of unique and highly refined skills, the chiropractor checks the patients’ spine
for any misalignment's, fixations or other abnormalities (vertebral subluxations). If subluxations
or other abnormalities are detected, the chiropractor will generally apply a gentle force in a
corrective manner to the affected spinal area.
Chiropractors use many specialized techniques to identify and treat these spinal abnormalities
and optimize overall health.
In addition to spinal adjusting techniques, soft tissue techniques such as massage, dietary and
nutritional counseling, and lifestyle modification programs are commonly employed.
If your’re interested in getting in touch with a Chiropractor or getting more information please
look to the following sources: http://www.drmarla.com/ Dr. Marla Faye has been my treating
Chiropractor since I have been working in Eagan and does a fabulous job!
 | Is Back Pain Slowing You Down? | |
| What is a Degenerative Disc? | |
| What about Chiropractic Care? |
Is Back Pain Slowing You Down?
"Back Pain", the mind numbing problem that some statistics say up to 80% of Americans will
Americans are in back pain at any one time! So, how do you get better? How should you
manage it? Where do you get help?
How do you get better?
First, you need to take control. Do not count on someone else to fix your problem. Educate
yourself about your condition. Seek advice from your Doctor Medical Back Information,
Chiropractor Chiropractic Information, Physical Therapist Physical Therapy Information or yes
a Personal Trainer Personal Training Information. There are many specialty clinics that work
with back pain patients. I can tell you that after 20 years of working in health and fitness that
most people with pain can change their situation. I have seen it. You need to believe it! Being
lazy and not getting into a program will get you nowhere fast. In fact, it will make matters worse
for most back pain sufferers. There are billions of dollars spent each year on back and neck
pain. I am confident that much of that can be reduced just by educating yourself and being
proactive.
How Should you Manage Back or Neck Pain?
Managing back and neck pain almost always involves exercise. Avoid becoming a statistic.
When you're in pain most people begin with rest, stay in bed, or over time become more and
more sedentary. This is a huge mistake. The vicious cycle of weight gain, de-conditioning,
increased pain, weakness, less energy for family, work and recreation will destroy your zest for
life. Keep moving! Is moving around the house enough? NO it isn't. A corrective strategy to
help you balance strength (stability) and mobility is the key. In most cases people need to
strengthen key muscles. These muscles are generally different from one person to the next.
A Jump Start Muscle Activation MAT information assessment is a good place to start. I am
confident that a sound strategy for managing back pain requires exercise and specifically
strengthening the correct areas.
Where do I get help?
Do you have friends that have worked with a Doctor, Chiropractor, Therapist, or Personal
Trainer? Ask what kind of help they got from working with them? Keep in mind there are many
opinions as to how to approach your pain. As a Personal Trainer I always start with a
comprehensive review of your health history, exercise history and Muscle Activation
assessment. More general movement screenings are also used in many cases. The
information regarding your body can then be used to manage your exercise program and
recommendations. Seek the professional advice you feel is best. If a Personal Trainer is
something you want to look into, you can contact me at brian@optimalhealthperformance.
com. Look to future blogs for some of the common exercises used for general mechanical
pain issues.
What is a Degenerative Disc?
Well, basically a degenerative disc is one that has lost its’ thickness and level of hydration.
Think of a jelly donut, yes... a donut. When you first bought the donut is was plump and
delicious looking, full of jelly, maintaining its' height and shape. Then a terrible thing
happened. Something heavy was placed on top of your wonderful jelly donut smashing all the
jelly out and taking that 1\2 inch delicious donut into a 1\8 inch pile of demolished sugar and
flour... I know poor food analogy, but I bet you got a good visual!
In your body you have a spine consisting of 7 cervical vertebrae (neck), 12 thoracic vertebrae
(trunk), 5 lumbar vertebrae (low back), 5 sacral vertebrae (back side of pelvis), and 4 coccyx
bones at the base of the spine. From your neck down to L5-S1 you have discs at each level
that act as a cushion to the spine and back allowing for more motion. Discs are made up of
elastic fibrous like materials that in a healthy back allow you to bend, twist right and left, side
bend, and bend backwards! Over time, one can develop tears in the cartilage like rings within
the disk that can lead to the middle jelly (nucleus pulpous) to protrude or bulge through the
weak area of the disk. I could get into more fancy names and so on, but I will not bore you
today.
Understand that even at rest gravity is constantly having an impact (pressure or compression)
on your spine. The posterior (backwards) stress on a disc can be up to 5x normal just with
sitting for prolonged periods of time. Ligaments that support you can only do so much! The
rest needs to be done by your bony structure and your muscles! The more your muscles can
not support the structure (i.e. vertebrae, discs etc.) the more likely one is to end up with muscle
related pain or if really unlucky disc related pain. When pain is disc related one can have a
tear, bulge, protrusion, inflammation or herniation. All of these are ultimately responsible for
loss of hydration and thickness of a disc. Some therapist subscribe to a theory called "Disc in
Evolution". This simply means most people develop injuries or changes to the disc overtime.
This then leads up to an event that ultimately causes pain. (Specifics of which are beyond this
article) .
After acute pain is under control and you have approval from your physician, therapist, or
Chiropractor, you can proceed with appropriate exercise. This can at the very least help slow
down and manage further aggressive pain. Yes, getting more fit and doing appropriate
exercise can make a difference. As we age, some progression of degeneration and a
lessening disc thickness is normal. However, due to occupation, injury or de-conditioning and
being overweight many will end up with more degenerative disc (thinner disc) problems than
normal healthily adults. View the picture representation below of the intra-vertebral disc. For
more questions you can contact me at brian@optimalhealthperformance.com or athttp://www.
optimalhealthperformance.com/ .
Picture taken from " Management of Common Musculoskeletal Disorders; Hertling & Kessler
1990
What about Chiropractic Care?
Well, it is about time I talk about Chiropractic. For those of you who do not know, I used to work
in a Chiropractic office for about 8 years prior to working at LTF! I worked in a clinic that had a
multidisciplinary approach to treating musculoskeletal pain. I have seen Chiropractic do some
amazing things for many people and at times have limited effect in so far as pain control. (Even
though there many other benefits) . I do believe science strongly supports Chiropractic care!
Studies by major universities and the U.S. government have proven the efficacy of Chiropractic
in treatment of back and neck pain. Every year more and more research supports the
Chiropractic art which has been second guessed for many years by the Medical profession for
its lack of supporting research. People that doubt, either have not experienced treatment or
are uneducated as to its benefits.
So, what is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of
the body to heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery. The practice of chiropractic
focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as
coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and
restoration of health.
How Chiropractic Differs From Traditional Medicine?
There is a significant and very important difference between the way chiropractors and medical
doctors approach health ailments. Chiropractors take a holistic approach which includes
identifying and correcting the cause(s) of the patient's health ailment. Correcting the cause of
the problem provides significant long-term benefits over only treating the symptoms.
What Chiropractors Do?
Practically speaking, chiropractors are primarily concerned with locating and treating vertebral
subluxations (nerve impingement syndromes).
A vertebral subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular
(joint) changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and
general health.
Using a number of unique and highly refined skills, the chiropractor checks the patients’ spine
for any misalignment's, fixations or other abnormalities (vertebral subluxations). If subluxations
or other abnormalities are detected, the chiropractor will generally apply a gentle force in a
corrective manner to the affected spinal area.
Chiropractors use many specialized techniques to identify and treat these spinal abnormalities
and optimize overall health.
In addition to spinal adjusting techniques, soft tissue techniques such as massage, dietary and
nutritional counseling, and lifestyle modification programs are commonly employed.
If your’re interested in getting in touch with a Chiropractor or getting more information please
look to the following sources: http://www.drmarla.com/ Dr. Marla Faye has been my treating
Chiropractor since I have been working in Eagan and does a fabulous job!
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