Back Clinic Chiropractic. This is a form of alternative treatment that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of various musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, especially those associated with the spine. Dr. Alex Jimenez discusses how spinal adjustments and manual manipulations regularly can greatly help both improve and eliminate many symptoms that could be causing discomfort to the individual. Chiropractors believe among the main reasons for pain and disease are the vertebrae’s misalignment in the spinal column (this is known as a chiropractic subluxation).
Through the usage of manual detection (or palpation), carefully applied pressure, massage, and manual manipulation of the vertebrae and joints (called adjustments), chiropractors can alleviate pressure and irritation on the nerves, restore joint mobility, and help return the body’s homeostasis. From subluxations, or spinal misalignments, to sciatica, a set of symptoms along the sciatic nerve caused by nerve impingement, chiropractic care can gradually restore the individual’s natural state of being. Dr. Jimenez compiles a group of concepts on chiropractic to best educate individuals on the variety of injuries and conditions affecting the human body.
A bone graft is defined as using bone-in spine fusion surgery. Spinal fusion’s purpose is to link or weld bones together, in this case, the spinal bones. There are a variety of spinal conditions cause instability and pain:
Degenerative disc disease
Scoliosis
Trauma from an auto accident, sports injury, slip, and fall accident
Spine surgeons use a bone graft to:
Stop motion between two or more vertebrae
Stabilize a spinal deformity
Repair fractures of the spine
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Spinal Fusion Stimulates New Bone Growth
A bone graft does not heal or fuse the spine instantly. Rather a bone graft sets up a foundational frame for the individual’s body to generate and grow new bone. A bone graft stimulates new bone production. It is when this new bone begins to grow and solidify, that fusion takes place.
With these types of surgeries, instrumentation like screws, and rods are typically used for the beginning stabilization. But it is the actual healing of the bone that welds the vertebrae together creating long-term stability.
A bone graft can be used for structural purposes for supporting the spine, usually this is done in place of a disc or bone that was removed. Or it can be an onlay, this means that a mass of bone fragments will grow together to stabilize the spine bridging the joint.
There are two generalized bone graft types:
Real bone
Substituted bone graft
Real bone can come from the patient, which is called an auto-graft or from a donor’s bone, called an allograft.
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The Individual’s Bone or Auto-graft
An auto-graft is bone taken or harvested from the individual’s body and transplanted to a specific area, in this case, the spine. An auto-graft is considered the gold standard because it is the individual’s own bone, which contains:
These all help to stimulate the healing of the fusion. There are advantages for an auto-graft, which include a higher probability for fusion success and a lower risk for disease transmission. The only real setback for individuals of an auto-graft is the post-operative pain that usually comes with the procedure when harvesting an individuals’ bone. Bone can be harvested from one of the individual’s:
Iliac crests
Pelvic bones
Ribs
Spine
� Bone graft harvesting creates a new set of risks. These include:
Because of these risks and the possibility that the bone could be poor quality, a surgeon could decide to use another type of bone graft. When this happens a surgeon could go with what is known as a local auto-graft. This is bone harvested from the decompression itself.
These are the parts that are removed to decompress the nerves. They usually consist of bone spurs, lamina, and portions of the spinous process. These same bone pieces can be reused to assist with the fusion of the decompressed areas.
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Donor Bone or Allograft
An allograft is a bone harvested from another person, usually from a tissue bank. Tissue banks harvest bone and other tissues from cadavers for medical purposes. An allograft is prepared by freezing or freeze-drying the bone or tissues. This helps limit the risk of graft rejection. Bone from an allograft does not have living bone cells and is not as effective at fusion stimulation when compared to an autograft. However, it still does work. Tissue banks:
Screen all their donors
Supervise bone recovery
Test donations
Sterilize donations
Store for use
Look for tissue banks that are accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks. US Food and Drug Administration has strict regulations when it comes to human cell and tissue processing. These include rules about the eligibility of donors. These guidelines/protocols help reduce the risk of tissue contamination and the spread of disease.
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Bone Graft Substitute
These substitutes are man-made or are made from a manipulated version of a natural product. These alternatives are safe and can provide a solid foundation for the individual’s body to grow bone. Substitutes have similar properties of human bone, which include a porous structure and proteins that stimulate healing.
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Demineralized Bone Matrix – DBM
A demineralized bone matrix is an allograft that has gone through a process where the mineral content has been removed. This demineralization helps reveal bone-forming proteins like collagen, and growth factors hidden within the bone that can stimulate healing.
This procedure is often considered a bone graft extender. It is not considered a replacement. This is because its ability to fuse the human spine on its own has not been proven. DBM can be combined with the regular bone for more volume and is available in these forms:
Chip
Granule
Gel
Powder
Putty
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Ceramic-based Extenders
Ceramic-based extenders are mixed in combination with other sources of bone. This is because they consist of calcium matrix for fusion, but there are no cells or proteins to stimulate the healing process. These include:
Ceramic-based extenders do not present a risk for disease transfer but can cause inflammation. They are available in porous and mesh forms.
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Morphogenetic Protein – BMP
Different types of bone morphogenetic proteins or BMP’s are used to stimulate new bone growth. These proteins are found in human bone, however, they are trace amounts. They are then produced in larger amounts through genetic engineering.
This all depends on the type of spine surgery an individual undergoes. Bone morphogenetic protein could be considered an option in promoting new bone growth along with healing fusion.
Researchers are trying to understand how nutrigenomics can affect a person’s health. Studies have shown that epigenetics increases the risk of several health issues. Other studies have also shown that nutrition can change the risk of disease. For many years, researchers have studied the way that traits in plants and animals are passed down between generations. However, this process is still not well understood. A recent study evaluated how epigenetic marks are passed down between generations of pregnant rats given personalized nutrition. The findings showed both genetic and characteristics changes in the rats’ offspring. This suggests that maternal traits and diet may send different signals to the fetus.
Another study showed methylation changes in mice given more methyl donor intakes over six generations. These findings demonstrated that genetic and characteristic changes passed down between generations may be how environmental factors affect genes in plants and animals to allow adaptation to different environments.�The purpose of the following article is to discuss how nutrigenomics and traits between generations can ultimately affect a person’s overall well-being.
Epigenetics, Nutrition, and Exercise
Researchers have determined that the role of epigenetics in health issues like cancer is caused by methylation changes in several different types of genes and it is commonly associated with aging. However, the increased risk of cancer may be due to factors in the person’s immediate course of life where changes in epigenetics may happen years before the development of health issues like cancer. One study found that methylation of the breast-cancer-related gene is associated with the increased risk of early-onset breast cancer. Other studies have shown that resveratrol prevents methylation changes while folic acid affected gene expression associated with changes in methylation and other functions.
Eicosapentaenoic acid also caused methylation changes in the tumor suppressor gene associated with leukemia cells. This study demonstrated the effect of a polyunsaturated fatty acid on epigenetics. Another study found that methylation increased in women diagnosed with human papillomavirus that didn’t have cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The changes in methylation were associated with higher concentrations of folate and cobalamin in the blood stream. Another study also found that methylation changes in the tumor suppressor gene L3MBTL1 were ultimately associated with overall health. Further studies are necessary to determine how nutrition can affect epigenetics and traits between generations.
Two studies evaluated the effects of exercise on methylation. One of the studies showed methylation changes in people who participated in physical activities for about 30 minutes every day compared with people who engaged in physical activities for less than 10 minutes every day. In the other study, volunteers who participated in exercise demonstrated changes in methylation and gene expression. These findings suggest that methylation is affected by physical activity.
Nutrigenomics and Risk of Health Issues
Numerous studies have evaluated the role of epigenetics in people with diabetes. According to researchers, changes in methylation of several genes have been shown to be associated with insulin resistance in patients with diabetes. A single change in gene expression caused significant methylation changes in people with diabetes compared to healthy controls. However, other studies found changes in traits between generations and obesity. Furthermore, methylation changes did happen in people with normal glucose metabolism which then developed impaired glucose homeostasis. Various genes have been shown to be different in people with diabetes compared to healthy controls, according to the studies.
According to numerous other studies, twins were found to have increased methylation associated with increased insulin resistance. These findings suggest that epigenetic marks associated with diabetes may occur before symptoms and determine the risk of disease. In conclusion, increasing evidence has demonstrated that nutrition can ultimately cause changes to a person’s epigenetics and how these are associated with the increased risk of developing health issues.
For more information regarding how epigenetics affects personalized nutrition, please review this article:
Healthcare professionals and researchers have demonstrated that we can change our epigenetics and gene expression as well as improve the risk of developing a variety of health issues, including inflammation and cancer, which can ultimately cause chronic pain, by controlling the food we eat and focusing on our nutrigenomics. Starting in the kitchen and then taking it directly to the genes, if we follow balanced nutrition, we will see a significant change in our overall health and well-being. At our clinic, we have the ability to assess your specific genetic factors and what dietary guidelines are best for you. One test we use for this is from DNA life, called DNA Diet. A sample of this report is shown below:�
Studies show that nutrition can affect methylation and gene expression. These studies have also found that balanced nutrition can improve how good food affects our overall health and well-being. The following article discussed how our epigenetics can affect traits passed down between generations, including methylation and the risk of disease. Although a good diet is essential it may be difficult for some people to follow. Drinking juices or smoothies can be easy ways to include the balanced nutrition we need to promote our health and well-being. Below, I’ve provided a smoothie recipe so you can address your nutrigenomics from the kitchen to your genes. – Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insights
Berry Bliss Smoothie
Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, preferably wild)
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seed
1 tablespoons almonds
Water (to desired consistency)
Ice cubes (optional, may omit if using frozen blueberries)Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Best served immediately.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask�Dr. Alex Jimenez�or contact us at�915-850-0900.
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T.
References:
KA;, Burdge GC;Hoile SP;Lillycrop. �Epigenetics: Are There Implications for Personalised Nutrition?� Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Sept. 2012, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22878237/.
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Healthcare professionals commonly give nutritional recommendations based on an entire population, only sometimes changing these according to age, sex, and pregnancy. Over the last 20 years, however, an increase in research studies has demonstrated that epigenetics can ultimately affect nutrition and even increase the risk of developing a variety of health issues, including oxidative stress and inflammation. Recent advances in technology are also currently being used to help healthcare professionals understand how nutrigenomics can affect an individual’s overall health and wellness.
Several research studies have also demonstrated that single nucleotide polymorphisms can explain the risk for individual complex disease traits. A single-nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP, is a substitution of a nucleotide that happens in the genome. Moreover, further research studies can be utilized to explain the variation in health issue risk based on nutrition and genome. The purpose of the following article is to discuss recent developments in the field of epigenetics and personalized nutrition as well as to consider the contribution of research studies to nutritional recommendations.
Understanding Nutrigenomics
Epigenetics is a collection of changes that affect chromatin structure, without altering our DNA sequence, while allowing transcriptional regulation over a range of timescales. Common epigenetic processes include histone modification, non-coding RNAs, and DNA methylation. Many research studies on how epigenetics affects personalized nutrition focus on DNA methylation, however, research findings have demonstrated other epigenetic marks. DNA methylation inside a dinucleotide is a well-known modification in the genome of a variety of mammals in DNA replication and cell division.
Methylation of dinucleotides is shown by DNA methyltransferases, or Dnmts, and is regulated by mitosis. DNA methylation can trigger transcriptional silencing by blocking and/or promoting the connection of transcription factors in the methyl CpG-binding protein MeCP2 which activates histone-modifying complexes to the DNA. MeCP2 activates what is frequently referred to as histone deacetylases, or HDACs, and histone methyltransferases, or HMTs, resulting in a closed chromatin structure and transcriptional silencing. These have been demonstrated to be associated with various health issues.
Dnmt1 is activated by HDACs and HMTs which suggests that chromatin structure may also affect the status of DNA methylation in the regulation of genes associated with nutrition. According to healthcare professionals, epigenetic marks are essentially maintained throughout an individual’s life. However, recent research findings show that epigenetic plasticity can be affected in early development, including in stages of increased physiological changes, such as puberty and aging. This ultimately suggests the possibility that epigenotypes associated with the increased risk of developing health issues can change.
Epigenetics, Personalized Nutrition, and Origins of Health Issues
Research studies have demonstrated that our early life environment can affect our epigenetic process and the origins of health issues. Healthcare professionals also believe that nutrition in our early life can affect our epigeno- and phenotype in the future. Pregnant rat groups given a diet with corn oil resulted in hypermethylation and decreased gene expression in the offspring, causing mature osteoblasts. This is the first research study to find how maternal diet affects epigenetic processes by altering morphogenesis and changing non-imprinted gene expression in pregnant rat groups.
Pregnant rat groups given a diet with an undisclosed type of fat had increased fetal blood glucose concentration and increased mRNA expression of gluconeogenic genes in the fetal liver. A recent research study found that the amount of fat in the maternal diet was one of the major factors resulting in epigenetic changes in the offspring of pregnant rat groups. The diets given to the pregnant rat groups including fat derived from safflower oil, butter, hydrogenated soybean oil, or fish oil caused hypermethylation in the offspring compared with those where pregnant rat groups were only given 7 percent fat.
Furthermore, one research study found that pregnant rat groups given a protein-restricted, or PR, diet developed epigenetic silencing in both histone modifications and DNA methylation which was followed by progressive transcriptional suppression as the offspring aged. The research findings suggest that nutrition during early development can ultimately cause long-term changes in phenotype. Pregnant rat groups given a PR diet also developed hypomethylation of specific dinucleotides in the adipose tissue leptin promoter and in the heart PPARa promoter in adult offspring.
For more information regarding how epigenetics affects personalized nutrition, please review this article:
Healthcare professionals have demonstrated that we can change gene expression and improve the risk of developing a variety of health issues, including oxidative stress and inflammation which can cause chronic pain, by controlling the food we eat. Starting in the kitchen and then taking it to the genes, if we follow a balanced nutrition, we will see a considerable change in our overall health and wellness. We have the ability to assess your specific genetic factors and what dietary guidelines are best for you to follow. One test we use is from DNA life called DNA Diet. A sample of this report is shown below:�
Research studies have demonstrated how epigenetics affect personalized nutrition. The same research studies have also demonstrated that a balanced nutrition can change our gene expression to improve how good food affects our overall health and wellness. While following a proper diet can help improve the risk of developing a variety of health issues, including oxidative stress and inflammation associated with chronic pain, eating good food may be difficult for some people. That’s why drinking smoothies or juices can be easy ways to include the balanced nutrition we need to promote our well-being. In the section below, I’ve provided a smoothie recipe so you can take your health and wellness from the kitchen to your genes. – Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insights
Sea Green Smoothie
Servings: 1 Cook time: 5-10 minutes
� 1/2 cup cantaloupe, cubed
� 1/2 banana
� 1 handful of kale or spinach
� 1 handful of Swiss chard
� 1/4 avocado
� 2 teaspoons spirulina powder
� 1 cup water
� 3 or more ice cubes
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth and enjoy!
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask�Dr. Alex Jimenez�or contact us at�915-850-0900.
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T.
References:
KA;, Burdge GC;Hoile SP;Lillycrop. �Epigenetics: Are There Implications for Personalised Nutrition?� Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Sept. 2012, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22878237/.
Chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez shares some how-to advice on taking hot baths for back tension and pain. A bath can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience in self-care for back pain. There are medical benefits from taking a hot bath, as well. A hot bath can be extremely helpful when it comes to back pain.
Dr. Jimenez helps his patients with spinal ailments and conditions that range from arthritis, degenerative disc disease to nerve compression, sciatica, auto accident injuries, sports injuries, etc. In addition to chiropractic, physical therapy, diet, and exercise, he has also seen the power of home remedies, like a hot bath.
There are scientific studies that have shown how hydrotherapy can relieve back pain. Dr. Jimenez describes a hot bath as a muscle-relaxing stimulus. It opens up the muscles, which allows more blood to flow through, which in turn helps to heal injury/s, tightness, and soreness. It helps to clean out lactic acid, which is known to cause muscle pain, fatigue, and muscle cramps.
Here is what usually happens to the spine when soreness, tightness, aching, and pain present. A spinal structure like a nerve, disc, vertebral bone, or other tissue is injured or on the verge of injury, and the muscles around it contract closely in to prevent more damage.
This is called muscle spasm. Don’t worry the body is supposed to respond this way, as it means the damaged tissue is less likely to sustain further injury. However, muscle spasms can be painful. Much like a Charley horse, a back spasm can have the same effect.
For example, someone standing or working for an extended period places the muscle/s under constant tension, which means they have a higher chance of having a spasm and developing painful symptoms. A hot bath relaxes the muscle/s and reduces/removes the aching soreness and pain. Here are some tips to help relax the back muscles. �
Try Epsom Salt
Taking a bath with Epsom salt or minerals that dissolve in water can be helpful, but are not necessary. Many are fantastic skin relaxants, but if you have a hot bath with or without the salt, it�s not going to make a huge difference. What makes the bath work is the heat and the floatation. This what creates the benefits.
Soak 15-20 Minutes
It is really up to the individual, as to how long they want to stay in the tub. One question to ask is how long can you take sitting in hot water? Hot tubs are normally heated to about 102 to 103 degrees. With these types of tubs, individuals can sit for a half-hour or more. However, most of us do not have a jacuzzi, so remember that a regular bath will be warmer possibly 105 or 106 degrees. It all depends on how long you can take the heat. �
� Remember not to scald yourself with a bath that is way too hot to soak in, please. It�s ok to get the water running hot, but as it fills turn the heat down and let it cool slightly before stepping in. Most individuals don�t need more than 15 to 20 minutes of soaking time maximum.
As for how often one should take a hot bath, Dr. Jimenez explains that it depends on the severity of the back pain and what type of work and activities the individual does. For most three times a week offers a balanced therapy. If an individual has a strenuous physical job like construction work, manual lifting, standing work, or doing highly repetitive work then they�ll need to do more than 3 times a week.
Strengthen the Body’s Core
A strong core can support and protect the spine, along with the rest of the body. Squeezing and contracting the back, side, and front muscles make the core strong and robust. It behaves like a steel beam supporting the spine when added protection is needed.
Stretch Out
After a hot bath is a perfect time to stretch. Toe touches can loosen tight hamstrings that can strain the lower back. Also, try out yoga’s upward-facing dog pose. Sun salutationscan help the spine go through a wide range of motion. Therefore do them slowly and hold each pose for a few breaths. A long salutation or two can feel tremendous when the spine is nice and relaxed.
Take Care When Getting Out
Hot baths might not be a good idea or the right option for certain people. If there is instability in your spine and the vertebra move around more than they are supposed to then a hot bath might not be the best option. Instead, a hot shower with a massage setting could be equivalent to taking a hot bath.
However, if a hot bath is not helping with back pain it could be a sign of something more than muscle tightness or a muscle spasm. A spine specialist or chiropractor can give you a proper diagnosis.
Minimally invasive spine surgery known as M.I.S.S is an option to traditional open surgical procedures, as well as an alternative when non-surgical approaches are working but the pain or condition is becoming worse, regardless. These are performed to treat a variety of spinal disorders like:
Bone spurs
Degenerative disc disease
Herniated disc
Scoliosis
Spinal instability
Spinal stenosis
Spinal tumors
Minimally invasive surgery can offer potential benefits. These include
A small/tiny incision/s
Minimal cutting through soft tissues like ligaments, and muscles
Outpatient option/s
Reduced post-operative pain
Quicker recovery
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The Focus of Spine Surgery
There are two main goals when it comes to spine surgery or rather the goal/focus of the surgery. These are decompressing and stabilizing the spine.
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Decompression of the spine
Spinal decompression involves removing any tissue/s that are compressing/pinching the nerve structures like a spinal nerve root or the spinal cord itself. Bone spurs and fragments from a herniated disc are the types of tissue/s that can cause neural compression.
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Stabilization of the spine
An abnormal movement of one or more levels/segments of the spinal cord can cause back pain, neck pain, or both. Surgeries that are meant to stabilize and stop these abnormal movements utilize spine instrumentation combined with fusion.
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Spine Surgery Techniques
Minimally invasive spine surgery techniques include:
Rather than cutting through soft tissues, a tubular retraction instrument generates a tunnel that expands and passes between the muscle/s to access the spine’s column. Then an endoscope or a tiny video camera goes in and around the area, projecting a visualization of what’s happening on a monitor during the procedure.
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This is the surgeon’s/team’s eyes as they work to repair the damage. The surgery is run through the tubular retraction system along with any specially designed instruments that are needed. Types of surgical procedures performed with minimally invasive surgery include:
Discectomy
Microdiscectomy
Foraminotomy
Microforaminotomy
Microlaminectomy
Microlaminotomy
The micro means that the surgery is done using a special microscopic camera to view the disc/s and nerve/s. Imaging scans, systems, and image-guidance technologies, like fluoroscopy, which is a real-time x-ray are utilized during the surgery pinpointing the key aspects of the patient�s spinal anatomy. The surgical imaging shows 2D and 3D views, which guides the placement of any instrumentation, like pedicle screws.
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Disorders Treated with Minimally Invasive Surgery
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Degenerative disc disease
Degenerative disc disease is known as DDD often develops progressively in older adults and affects the intervertebral discs. The normal wear and tear of cellular age-related changes in the body can cause the spine’s discs to:
Stiffen
Lose Flexibility
Loss of Strength
Loss of Height
Lose shape, along with the ability to absorb/distribute the forces associated with moving
These structural changes increase the risk of disc herniation and subluxations.
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Herniated discs
A herniated disc also called a slipped, bulging, and ruptured disc. This happens when the soft gel cushion of a disc breaks through the protective outer layer. Other than the damaged disc, the loose interior gel can also irritate and inflame the nerves causing back pain. �
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Scoliosis
Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curve of the spine that can cause progressive spinal deformity. A scoliotic curve can look like an �S� or �C.� Most cases have no known cause, and while the condition is more commonly associated with children, adults can develop scoliosis, as well.
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Spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis happens when the spinal nerve roots and the spinal cord become compressed/pinched. These nerves branch off the spinal cord and exit the spinal canal through passageways called neuroforamen. Nerve and spinal cord compression can cause symptoms like:
Pain
Weakness
Tingling sensations
Numbness
Sometimes, pain can travel into the arms or legs
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Spine Surgery Risks
With any spine surgery there are potential risks and complications that can occur. Here are some possible complications that can happen during and after surgery, with both open and minimally invasive procedures.
Minimally invasive spine surgery does offer many benefits:
Tiny incision
Less pain
Reduced risk
Faster recovery
Let’s not forget that M.I.S.S is still surgery. Less than 5% of people with back or neck pain need spine surgery and, surgery is the last resort for treating pain and symptoms caused by a spinal condition/disorder.
It is only when non-surgical treatments like chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, medication, or spinal injections do not reduce symptoms in 3 to 6 months. This is when you qualify to be a candidate for spine surgery. There are certain types of spinal disorders that require urgent or immediate surgical intervention.
Talk with your doctor, chiropractor, or spine specialist about the pain, the symptoms, and compare the results of the different therapies/treatments and go from there. With any type of surgery there are many considerations to discuss before making a decision to treat back or neck pain and if minimally invasive surgery could be an option.
Staying at home means it can be tough to see a doctor, chiropractor, spine specialist, or neurosurgeon to handle back pain, especially when it tends to flare up at the most inconvenient times. There are still options, here�s what to do. What options are available when you want to see a doctor about back pain, but getting to the clinic can be a challenge.
Fortunately, there are a variety of tools to handle back pain that can provide some relief.
Over-the-counter pain medications like Motrin are one of the best medicines for non-traumatic back pain inflammation.
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Heat Packs/Heat Therapy
Heat therapy promotes vasodilation and draws nutrient-rich blood into the targeted tissues. Increased blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients and cell waste is removed. The warmth decreases muscle spasms, relaxes tense muscles, relieves pain, and increases range of motion.
Superficial heat is available in different forms, which include:
Hot and moist compresses
Dry or moist heating pads
Hydrotherapy
Commercial chemical/gel packs
Remember heat packs in any form should be wrapped in a towel to prevent burns, as a punctured heat pack should be discarded, as the chemical agent/gel can burn skin. �
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Cold Packs/Cold Therapy
Cold therapy produces vasoconstriction. This slows blood circulation, which reduces inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. Superficial cold is also available in different forms, which include:
Commercial cold packs
Ice cubes
Iced towels/compresses
Hydrotherapy.
The application of cold therapy is usually less than 15 minutes, as the effects of cold are known to last longer than heat. Cold packs or ice should never be applied directly to the skin.
A towel, should be placed between the cold object and the skin surface to prevent any skin and nerve damage. A punctured cold pack should be discarded, as the chemical agent/gel will also burn the skin.
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Telemedicine
It might be hard to believe that a virtual video visit can work to handle back pain. On a video call, a chiropractor is unable to physically palpate the sore areas and measure the range of motion and strength. However, this should not discourage you from scheduling a virtual appointment.
Telemedicine, without a physical examination, can be highly beneficial. A chiropractor can start the process of ordering tests, like MRI, X-ray, etc. Even if the pain is tolerable, meaning the kind that doesn�t need medicine or imaging tests, this should not be an excuse to skip an orthopedic visit.
With telemedicine, a chiropractor can still give advice, show back stretches, exercises, order back pain supplements, and talk about the risks and benefits of treatments available to try on your own. �
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Physical Therapy
With chronic low back pain, chances are your chiropractor suggested physical therapy or PT. Now is the time to bring back those PT exercises, especially with a back-pain flare-up.
Low-back pain or any back pain for that matter with no neurological issues, could mean that a stretching and exercise program is all that is needed. Find out if your chiropractor or a physical therapist offers other options:
Patient portal communication or e-visits.
Uploads of illustrated handouts describing how to do various stretches and exercises.
Remote evaluation. The individual submits pictures or a video of their movements for personalized feedback, which the chiropractor or physical therapist evaluates and provides.
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Get Active
Evidence shows that being active is better than resting. Moving increases the blood flow to the muscles, which helps with muscle spasms, trigger points, tense muscles/ligaments, and other issues.
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Pilates
Pilates focuses on controlled movement, breathing, and stretching. A review found Pilates can be a highly effective and beneficial approach to handle back pain and related discomfort. Check out beginner Pilates videos. Be sure to avoid any move/s that cause pain, worsens the existing pain, or generate new pain.
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Yoga
A review found that yoga can help improve mobility and decrease pain. If this is a new practice, start with gentle yoga or restorative yoga.
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Walking
Going for a walk is easy, accessible, and is beneficial for the spine. Walking can be as effective as non-drug interventions in decreasing pain and discomfort in chronic low-back pain. Simple movements along with rollers and massagers can handle back pain as well. These include:
Self-massage with a tennis ball
Foam rolling
Hand-held massager
Stretching
McKenzie Method, comprised of gentle stretching exercises
These strategies and approaches can become the methods and techniques for the relief of existing back-pain in the absence of a doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist.
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