Guest guest Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Before Seeking Treatment for Low Back Pain Posted By Dr. Ben Kim on Jan 28, 2010 an acquaintance, knowing that I am a chiropractor, asked me for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on whether he should or shouldn't see a chiropractor for his chronic low back pain. He explained that as he goes about his work each day, the dull ache in his lower back gradually turns into sharp pain that sometimes radiates into his hips and buttocks. By 3 or 4 pm each day, his pain typically gets severe enough to cause him to pack up his bags, go home, and lie down for a couple of hours until he can move again. After gathering more information about his health history and current symptoms, and noting that he is carrying at least 50 pounds of weight that his body doesn't need, I told him that his best bet is to work at getting to a healthier weight for his structure. The way to think about extra weight and back pain is this: Imagine that for every 10 unnecessary pounds that you are carrying, you're going about all of your daily activities with a 10-pound bag of potatoes tied to your trunk. Think about the stress that this extra weight is putting on all of the joints in your spine, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. Over time, this stress is going to damage your joints and the soft tissues that surround and lie between your joints, which will trigger bouts of inflammation that will cause low back pain. Getting these joints adjusted may provide temporary relief, since proper spinal adjustments can promote improved joint motion and blood flow and possibly better nerve tone in the area being treated. But if you continue to carry more body weight than you need, you're virtually guaranteed to have chronic low back problems, even with regular spinal adjustments. The same holds true for getting a deep tissue massage for chronic low back pain. Your muscles and fascia will be better for the masssage in the short term, but if you don't get to an optimal weight for your structure, you're bound to have recurrent episodes of inflammation and pain. Beyond striving to get at a healthy weight for your structure, other ways to help prevent back pain include: Aim to get solid rest each day. Poor quality sleep predisposes all of your tissues to injury. Do whatever you have to do to wake up every morning feeling refreshed. As you go about your daily activities, be mindful of using your gluts (bum muscles) and abs to keep your pelvis and lower back stable. For more information on this tip, please view: Simple Habit to Help Keep Your Lower Back Strong and Healthy Ensure that your hamstrings are at a healthy length, as tight hamstrings can create an unstable pelvis that increases the likelihood of injuring a tissue in your lower back region. For more information on how to do this, please view: Effective Exercise for Preventing Low Back Pain Hope these suggestions are helpful. I personally struggle with consistently getting quality sleep, as my wife and I continue to co-sleep with our boys. But through personal experience and in working with countless people who have suffered with chronic low back pain over the years, I can vouch for the effectiveness of the tips mentioned here. If you have any questions or thoughts on this topic, please feel free to share via the comments section or Facebook connect section below. Thank you. Dr. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Before Seeking Treatment for Low Back Pain Posted By Dr. Ben Kim on Jan 28, 2010 an acquaintance, knowing that I am a chiropractor, asked me for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on whether he should or shouldn't see a chiropractor for his chronic low back pain. He explained that as he goes about his work each day, the dull ache in his lower back gradually turns into sharp pain that sometimes radiates into his hips and buttocks. By 3 or 4 pm each day, his pain typically gets severe enough to cause him to pack up his bags, go home, and lie down for a couple of hours until he can move again. After gathering more information about his health history and current symptoms, and noting that he is carrying at least 50 pounds of weight that his body doesn't need, I told him that his best bet is to work at getting to a healthier weight for his structure. The way to think about extra weight and back pain is this: Imagine that for every 10 unnecessary pounds that you are carrying, you're going about all of your daily activities with a 10-pound bag of potatoes tied to your trunk. Think about the stress that this extra weight is putting on all of the joints in your spine, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. Over time, this stress is going to damage your joints and the soft tissues that surround and lie between your joints, which will trigger bouts of inflammation that will cause low back pain. Getting these joints adjusted may provide temporary relief, since proper spinal adjustments can promote improved joint motion and blood flow and possibly better nerve tone in the area being treated. But if you continue to carry more body weight than you need, you're virtually guaranteed to have chronic low back problems, even with regular spinal adjustments. The same holds true for getting a deep tissue massage for chronic low back pain. Your muscles and fascia will be better for the masssage in the short term, but if you don't get to an optimal weight for your structure, you're bound to have recurrent episodes of inflammation and pain. Beyond striving to get at a healthy weight for your structure, other ways to help prevent back pain include: Aim to get solid rest each day. Poor quality sleep predisposes all of your tissues to injury. Do whatever you have to do to wake up every morning feeling refreshed. As you go about your daily activities, be mindful of using your gluts (bum muscles) and abs to keep your pelvis and lower back stable. For more information on this tip, please view: Simple Habit to Help Keep Your Lower Back Strong and Healthy Ensure that your hamstrings are at a healthy length, as tight hamstrings can create an unstable pelvis that increases the likelihood of injuring a tissue in your lower back region. For more information on how to do this, please view: Effective Exercise for Preventing Low Back Pain Hope these suggestions are helpful. I personally struggle with consistently getting quality sleep, as my wife and I continue to co-sleep with our boys. But through personal experience and in working with countless people who have suffered with chronic low back pain over the years, I can vouch for the effectiveness of the tips mentioned here. If you have any questions or thoughts on this topic, please feel free to share via the comments section or Facebook connect section below. Thank you. Dr. Kim Suzi List Owner health What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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