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What is a Functional Medicine Practitioner? | Functional Chiropractor

What is a Functional Medicine Practitioner? | Functional Chiropractor

If you’re the kind of person who values optimal health, or simply if you don’t feel good and you wish to find the cause of the problem of while not being dependent on drugs and preventing chronic disease instead of just treating the symptoms, functional medicine is a perfect match for you.

 

What are functional medicine practitioners?

 

Functional medicine practitioners or doctors are trained to find the cause of medical issues. Functional medicine uses an in depth history as well as state of the art, cutting edge, innovative testing, along with an in depth understanding of human physiology, to uncover what has gone wrong in the individual’s body.

 

A functional medicine practitioner may be physician of any discipline. It is possible to find Naturopathic, Medical, Osteopathic and Chiropractic functional medicine doctors. These doctors are the type who aren’t happy with conventional treatment methods used to treat injuries or other types of conditions. Functional medicine doctors possess a passion to find the origin of the patients’ disease to provide overall health and wellness.

 

Understanding Functional Medicine

 

Functional medicine is a specialty which requires an unbelievable amount of advanced training. These doctors need to have a firm grasp on the basics of anatomy, biochemistry. Ongoing training is necessary to keep up with the ever-advancing testing. Instead of prescribing drugs for symptoms, these doctors work to get their patients well by repairing and discovering the cause of the issue.

 

Certified functional medicine training is available to physicians of all disciplines. A certified medication doctor must first pass a series of examinations and must complete about 200 hours of functional medicine training. Licensed functional medication doctors are current on the newest testing and therapy procedures. It you have a choice, get good care of a certified medicine practitioner to receive the best form of care and treatment.

 

Functional medicine treatment can be essential when treating a common problem like diabetes. When a patient goes to a standard physician, at best, they are given lifestyle and diet education and medication. Together with the disease every case of diabetes is treated exactly the same. The dilemma is that no two people are exactly the same. If everyone is different shouldn’t the treatment be unique for each individual?

 

After a comprehensive medical history of a patient with diabetes, for example, a testing strategy to figure out what was wrong and how to repair it so this patient could get well may be performed by the functional medicine practitioner. Doctors may often have to check just about every bodily fluid for a broad array of problems.

 

Functional medicine practitioner or doctors can help patients replenish their body together with the things it is deficient in and rid his body of toxins. How do you believe these health problems would have responded to the standard disease based therapy strategy of a prescription medicine? Drugs do not tackle toxicities and deficiencies, and too often they add toxicity and side effects that are unpleasant as well.

 

The biggest objection to functional medication is that insurance does not cover a lot of the treatment or testing. It’s true that functional medicine doctors can sometimes cost you more in the start. However, the standard medical approach is more costly in the end. Consider a patient in the setting of the above example. What happens to their kidneys or heart with medical therapy. How expensive is a heart attack, stroke, kidney dialysis or substitute, cancer, or Crohn’s disease?Healthcare specialists know it is always better and cheaper to correct a problem early on, and the sooner the better.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900
 

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Wellness

 

Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.

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Functional Medicine Treatment Concepts Explained | Functional Chiropractor

Functional Medicine Treatment Concepts Explained | Functional Chiropractor

Over the past five decades, many experienced and holistically experienced professionals have embraced “functional medicine” treatment concepts in dealing with the management of many commonly encountered chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

 

What are the functional medicine concepts for treatment?

 

This guide is an attempt to introduce, simplify, and summarize many of these seemingly complicated concepts for professionals who have just begun to use these notions, and for those professionals who have been hearing about this radical strategy and have been considering integrating these therapeutic approaches into their practices.

 

Integrating Functional Medicine Treatment Concepts

 

The medicine approach to the treatment of chronic disease is one that is based not on a single agent or modality as the solution that is palliative or curative. It’s holistically centered upon the principle that restoration of proper cell metabolism, through decreasing accumulative toxic load and oxidative stress to your system, enables normalization of mitochodrial respiration, cellular energy production, and ultimately causing a decrease in the signs and symptoms of chronic illness. More severe cases often require a broader functional approach, while many nutritionally-oriented physicians realize that supplements alone are beneficial for cases of chronic disease.

 

This functional medication philosophy and approach was initially developed for clinical use in chronic fatigue patients with excellent outcomes, and because of the commonality observed in many chronic conditions, it’s been used through the past few years in other disorders with great success, such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, along with auto-immune disorders. The seminal work of many in treating chronic fatigue syndrome has served as a template that is successful, and this method is currently utilized in the treatment of a broad range of chronic diseases.

 

Functional Medicine Treatment Explained

 

The functional medicine philosophy relies on the premise that a breakdown of the intestinal mucosa by the chronic intake of meals and lactic acid, and the usage of common over-the-counter and prescription drugs (such as antibiotics and NSAIDS), can result in dysbiosis and also a hyperpermeable intestinal mucosa, or leaky gut syndrome.

 

This hyperpermeablility can lead to the mucosa neglecting to act as a barrier, resulting in the crossing of radicals and partly digested food proteins through the intestinal mucosa and in the systemic blood source. The result is a rise in increased toxic loading and food allergies. This increased toxic load can lead to greater strain on the liver and its ability to adequately detoxify these substances. This may result in systemic tissue degeneration.

 

Greater tissue toxicity is thought to be a major cause for thyroid dysfunction, which results in a breakdown of the body’s cells, including the muscle cells, to dependant pathways. This accounts for the vast majority of ATP production. Reduced cellular ATP production may account for many (if not all) of the symptoms and signs associated with many chronic disease conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS).

 

Increased intestinal permeability can result in partially digested substances entering the blood supply and behaving as antigens. The consequent antigen-antibody complexes seem to have an affinity for the synovium of articulations, This results in an inflammatory reaction in the joint linings commonly found in arthritidies like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The main therapeutic agents used initially by standard medical physicians in the treatment of RA are (ironically) NSAIDs. NSAIDs, according to the PDR, result in increased intestinal permeability. Might it be possible that the traditional treatment for arthritidies has led to palliating the patient’s symptoms, while exacerbating the illness?

 

Focus of Functional Medicine Treatment Concepts

 

The functional medicine therapeutic approach is centered around correcting any intestinal dysbiosis fixing the mucosa, providing chemicals to the body reducing stress, and boosting a return of normal metabolism. Assessment begins by discovering intestinal health and also the functional reserve of the liver and its detoxification abilities.

 

This is commonly done with the help of individual symptom studies, like the a metabolic screening questionnaire and practical laboratory studies, such as the lactulose/mannitol challenge for assessing intestinal permeability, along with the entire digestive stool analysis (CDSA) for detecting markers of digestion, absorption, and colonic flora. Detoxification ability of the liver can be assessed through caffeine clearance and conjugation metabolite challenge test.. Conventional laboratories don’t perform these evaluations, but are available through specialized labs who offer functional testing.

 

Once the information is collected, a treatment system is chosen, which may consist of specific nutrients to fix any intestinal hyperpermeability (leaky gut syndrome). Individual nutrients like inulin, refined hypoallergenic rice proteins, pantothenic acid, and antioxidants can be utilized as a formulary medicinal food, which is usually much simpler and more practical to utilize scientifically. Digestion and absorption difficulties suggested on the CDSA can be treated together with all the temporary use of pancreatic enzymes and HCL (if indicated) in patients without gastritis or ulcers. Dysbiosis, a phrase used to describe an imbalance of colonic flora, can be addressed by the management of lactobacillus acidophilus and probiotics such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS).

 

In conclusion, any pathogenic bacteria, yeast, or parasites discovered on the CDSA should be treated with the prescription (or organic) agents suggested by the sensitivity tests on the CDSA. These could include nonprescription substances like garlic, citrus seed extract, berberine, artemisia, uva ursi, and others. Functional medicine approaches strive to holistically improve an individual’s overall health and wellness, which is why these treatment modalities have been applied to modern medical practices. Consult a professional regarding the best form of treatment for you.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900
 

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Wellness

 

Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.

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TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: About Chiropractic

 

 

When Neck Cracking Needs Medical Attention | Eastside Chiropractor

When Neck Cracking Needs Medical Attention | Eastside Chiropractor

It’s a frequent occurrence: You twist or tilt your head to the side and your neck cracks. You could be asking yourself why your neck does that but more importantly, is it something to be concerned about?

 

Rest assured that, typically, neck-cracking is nothing to worry about. However, there are a few exceptions when popping in the neck may be an indication of a more serious issue. It’s worth learning about the signs of unhealthy neck cracking.

 

Crepitus: Benign Joint Cracking

 

Whenever a joint in the body creates a cracking, popping, or grinding sound or feeling, this is referred to as crepitus. Experts think that crepitus is caused by gas bubbles in the synovial fluid of the joint being formed or bursting. Crepitus is considered benign, and studies haven’t shown any signs that it may cause joint damage or raise risk for arthritis.

 

A surefire indication that a neck crack is the end result of crepitus would be to repeat the motion that caused it and see if it happens again. Otherwise, the crack was probably crepitus. It requires about 20 minutes to the gas bubbles to reform.

 

When Neck Cracking Becomes a Concern

 

Generally speaking, neck cracking probably does not indicate a problem. However, a doctor ought to be consulted if neck cracking communicates some of the following symptoms:

 

  • Pain or swelling. Neck crepitus with pain or swelling could indicate osteoarthritis or some other kind of process .
  • Recent accident or injury. If the neck is creating new cracking or grinding sounds after trauma following a car crash or a fall, then that may signal a structural change which may need proper care.
  • Frequent or constant. If the neck crepitus is continuous, the joint is moved, then that could signal an issue in function, especially when accompanied by pain.
  • Recent surgery. Sometimes the neck develops crepitus after surgery in the cervical spinal column. While they could be normal and nothing to worry about, hey need to be mentioned to the surgeon in case.

 

Could Neck Cracking Cause More Serious Issues?

 

Some individuals regularly crack their neck on purpose, either due to a nervous habit or perhaps to bring some therapeutic relief from neck tightness. As such, it’s typical for people to wonder if by cracking the neck, the joints can be worn down and lead to arthritis.

 

The medical literature indicates that repeatedly cracking the neck, or some of the synovial joints throughout the body, doesn’t increase an individual’s risk for developing arthritis at those joints. Some studies suggest negative effects, such as loosened ligaments, could potentially result from this, however.

 

While quite infrequent, there are reports of vertebral artery dissection leading to a stroke following specific forms of manipulation of the cervical spine. This is likely to happen if the patient seeks treatment from a health care professional who doesn’t practice spinal manipulation. As a normal precaution, anyone experiencing concerning symptoms like nausea, nausea, lightheadedness, numbness, tingling, or other troubling symptoms not listed here, should consult with a qualified medical professional immediately.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900
 

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Wellness

 

Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.

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TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: About Chiropractic

 

 

Nutrition in Functional Medicine Explained | Functional Chiropractor

Nutrition in Functional Medicine Explained | Functional Chiropractor

You’ve perhaps heard of functional medicine, the medical care strategy that requires a “systems” perspective of health by focusing on the sources of dysfunction in the body as well as also the interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Functional nutrition fits within this framework to analyze how food “functions” inside our own bodies to both provide nourishment but also to influence the body’s health (or disease) itself.

 

Beyond basic fuel, how does food help generate health each day?

 

Food is one of the most basic and potent inputs we provide our bodies, a clear and impactful message to our biochemistry. It’s one of several links between our internal and external environments. More than two thousand decades ago, the Greek physician Hippocrates offered the famous quote, “Let medicine be thy food and thy food be thy medicine.” Now it is a rallying cry for supporters of food nourishment. What should this mean for you?

 

Nutrition as a Part of Functional Medicine

 

If it comes to health care, too often we put energy, time and cash. We’ll never envision optimal health and well-being at this route. When we get to the underlying causes of our physical dysfunction (e.g. insulin resistance, high blood pressure, inflammatory conditions), we suddenly gain a panoramic view of what feeds (sometimes actually speaking) our dysfunction and that which, consequently, can nourish or excite it toward optimal operation.

 

Functional nutrition at its best both examines the balance of our personal dietary landscape to see how well we’re nourishing our bodies’ needs and targets specific foods that might have especially potent impact to tackle the delicate and not-so-subtle dysfunctions that we harbor.

 

As an example, if you have an inflammatory condition or your blood markers reveal higher than normal inflammatory amounts, you will not only need to be sure to steer clear of inflammation-promoting foods but also make the most of this anti-inflammatory effectiveness of certain foods (e.g. turmeric, omega-3’s found in fatty fish and caliber omega nutritional supplements, cruciferous vegetables, berries, etc.). Functional nutrition emphasizes that specific decisions can function to your own personal benefit and that your nutrition should get the job done for you.

 

Goals of Functional Nutrition

 

Functional nutrition should enhance your health status, improve vitality, satiety, and ability to heal from injury or illness. When our choices start to include fresh, fibrous, and minimally processed foods, our dietary patterns start to work in our favor in many respects when compared to diets of highly-processed, nutrient-poor foods. From there, proper individualized recommendations might help us incorporate targeted/therapeutic food choices that are additional.

 

Functional nutrition should foster resilience in spite of numerous challenges we experience as we age and accumulate stresses (i.e. physical and psychological decline, sleep deprivation, various kinds of psychological distress). Age-related functional decline is an inevitable part of the human life cycle. In the last few generations we’ve seen some of the biggest gains in average population life expectancy along with the fastest increases in debilitating chronic disease observed. For people to satisfy their quests to live a ‘better-than-average’ lifetime, they must stay more resilient than ever in the surface of the multiple stressors modern life gifts. Quality nutrition helps us avoid these conditions, and Practical Nutrition guidance/therapy can help us manage them or dial them back if we affected.

 

Maybe most powerful, comprehending functional nutrition can help us realign our relationship with food. When we think about food as medicine, our paradigm on eating may change. We can better appreciate the impact of our daily choices. We can examine the backdrop of these options with a different view we make the decisions we do. The range broadens to real life program, how functional nutrition can fit inside our lifestyle performance.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900
 

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Wellness

 

Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.

blog picture of cartoon paperboy big news

 

TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: About Chiropractic

 

 

Migraine Headaches: National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association

Migraine Headaches: National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association

Migraine headaches, a clinical study involving 11 migraine patients and NUCCA care was recently conducted. Let’s take a look at the results and reveal the benefits of NUCCA care and how the study was conducted.

Method Of Study: Migraine Headaches

lady migraine headache pain el paso txThe 11 patients in the study had never experienced upper cervical chiropractic care before. All were subject to having migraine headaches and were required to have at least 10-26 days with a headache for the previous four months. Additionally, at least eight of those headache days per month required a 4 out of 10 or higher for pain. While many candidates had either a concussion, auto accident or both, candidates who experienced trauma in the past year were excluded.

NUCCA professionals used various kinds of testing to evaluate the patients. Supine Leg Check Screening tested patients� for visible signs of one leg being shorter, which may indicate atlas misalignment. Gravity stress analyzers were used, as well as, calipers for detecting asymmetry in the pelvis were used. A typical NUCCA radiograph series also includes three x-rays a lateral cervical film (side view), a nasium film (back view), and a vertex film (top view) to identify specific misalignments.

migraine headaches NUCCA-OrganizationAccording to these diagnostic methods, the practitioner then prepares an alignment specifically designed for the patient involving the patient’s position, the stance of the practitioner, and the suitable force vector for atlas correction. Patients were given between one and five corrections.

Outcome: Migraine Patients

Headache days per month decreased for patients on average. 14.5 headache days per month was the norm. After one month of NUCCA treatment, patients experienced 11.4 headache days per month. At the conclusion of the two-month study, patients were down to 8.7 headache days per month.

Quality of life measurements in three categories also improved radically within the course of two months:

  • Restrictive enhanced from 38.4 to 73.5
  • Emotional improved from 53.3 to 81.2
  • Physical improved from 54.1 to 86.8

MIDAS score (which measures migraine headaches in the form of level of disability caused) improved from a mean of 46.7 to only 14.6.

While further studies are necessary to offer a quantifiable method of documenting the physiological changes which take place because of the corrections, the results speak for themselves as to the advantages of NUCCA for migraine headaches, especially those with a history of neck or head trauma.

Chiropractic & Headaches

Eliminate Headaches And Migraines Juice Recipe

green juice migraine headache eliminator el paso txHeadaches and migraines. The only thing you want is for it to vanish. Here is a juice that immediately eliminates headaches and migraines! Try this juice recipe out, in addition to getting an adjustment!

Headaches and migraines are often the result of stress, poor diet, poor posture, emotional tension or exposure to environmental toxins. People reach for over-the-counter medications to help ease the pain, but there are much safer and natural ways of getting rid of headaches.

This juice is loaded with minerals such as magnesium and calcium, two crucial components in helping prevent and alleviate headaches. A juice as opposed to these foods in solid form will help nutrients reach the bloodstream faster, alleviating headaches and migraines in a jiffy!

  • 5 stalks celery
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cup parsley
  • 2 granny smith apples
  • 3-4 cups leafy greens (ex. spinach, arugula)
  • Two inches ginger root
  • 1 lime

METHOD:

Blend all ingredients in a juicer, blender, food processor and enjoy immediately to preserve freshness and antioxidants!

Does Poor Posture Cause Chronic Back Pain? | Eastside Chiropractor

Does Poor Posture Cause Chronic Back Pain? | Eastside Chiropractor

You slouch in your chair as you finish a report while at the office. When you get home, you want to unwind, so you spend a couple of hours weeding your garden with your back hunched forward. Then, at the end of the day, you end up experiencing back pain. Why? As it turns out, your posture may be contributing to back pain.

 

How does bad posture provoke back pain?

 

You may not feel any ill-effects after sitting with poor posture for a few hours, but over time the stress that poor posture puts in your spine can result in anatomical changes to the structure of your spine. This in turn can provoke back pain through the constriction of nerves and your blood vessels. In addition, the pressure from poor posture can lead to back pain by inducing issues with the intervertebral discs, your muscles, and joints.

 

Back pain caused by poor posture may have some of the following characteristics:

 

  • Back pain that worsens at certain times of the day
  • Pain that starts in your neck and goes down to your upper and lower back
  • Pain that subsides after shifting positions while sitting or standing
  • Sudden back pain which coincides with a new job, a new office chair, or even a new automobile

 

Maintaining Proper Posture

 

If poor posture can result in back pain, then it logically follows that proper posture can help you avoid back pain. Here is how to keep a good posture while lifting, sitting, and walking:

 

Walk Tall

 

It’s easy to forget about your posture when you’re working out or running errands, but your posture is no less important once you’re walking than when you’re sitting. While walking, it’s very important to look straight before you and to keep your head balanced straight above your backbone. In addition, remain tall (avoid drooping your shoulders) while you are walking, and make sure to land on your heel and then gently roll forward to push off the front of your foot.

 

Sit with Support

 

If you’re like most people, you sit for at least eight hours daily. With this much of your daily life spent sitting down, it’s very important that you sit with proper posture. One common posture mistake lots of men and women make is the “office seat hunch,” in which a person sits at the front of the seat and hunches ahead to reach their computer screen.

 

Rather than hunching forward, here is the way to sit with proper posture in your office:

 

  • Keep your back flush from the seat with your shoulders tall along with your mind level over your backbone.
  • When sitting at a desk, then keep your arms bent at a 75 to 90 degree angle at the elbows.
  • Keep your knees level with your hips or sit with your knees slightly over your buttocks if seated at a desk.
  • Keep your feet flat on the floor. If you are unable to reach the floor, you can utilize a footrest.

 

Lift Carefully

 

Improper lifting techniques may lead to injury on the joints, tendons, and disks in your back. To assist you when avoiding back pain, here are three simple guidelines for lifting both heavy and light objects:

 

  • Keep your chest forward. To ensure you keep your spine straight while lifting, bend your hips, not your back, and keep your chest out.
  • Lead with your hips. Lead with your hips to prevent putting additional strain on your back, when changing directions while lifting.
  • Keep weight near your body. Keep the object you are lifting close to your body.

 

These techniques can help prevent event ease symptoms of back pain associated with poor posture. However, if back pain becomes chronic or persistent, an underlying injury or condition may be causing the symptoms. Make sure to seek proper medical attention from a back pain specialist, including chiropractic care.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Wellness

 

Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.

 

blog picture of cartoon paperboy big news

 

TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: About Chiropractic

 

 

Back Pain Myths: Revealed

Back Pain Myths: Revealed

Back Pain Myths

Myth 1: You Only Have To Sit Up Straight.

Back pain myths are like any other, however, your mom was not totally wrong; hunching can certainly be bad for your back. But the opposite is true as well. Strain can be also caused by sitting up for too long without a break. If you work make sure that your chair is at a height where your knees are at a 90-degree angle, your feet can rest flat on the ground, and you have back support. Make sure that you stand up, stretch, and take a walk several times each day to keep from becoming stiff or causing injury.

Myth 2: You Need The Firmest Mattress Possible.

Back pain sufferers can actually experience increased pain if their mattress is too firm since it puts more strain on heavy points like the hips and shoulders. On the other hand too soft a mattress could lack the support required to allow proper movement. In both instances, the person wakes up stiff and in pain. Studies show that a medium-firm mattress provides the right amount of support to help prevent injury.

Myth 3: Back Pain Is Caused By Exercise.

A poll by the North American Spine Society revealed this as the number one back pain myth. Sure, if you don’t work out then try to win a competition, you could experience injury. You can help prevent back pain by preparing your body and workouts with proper warm-up and great stretching exercises. (Take a cue from professional athletes that factor stretching and warm ups in their everyday routine.) Strengthen your back by strengthen your core, through exercises focused on�strengthening your stomach and back muscles as well as cardio.

Myth 4: Back Pain Is An Unavoidable Side-Effect Of Getting Older.

Getting older does not mean life has to be painful. While there are aches and pains that come with an aging body, staying physically healthy (see Myth #3) through exercises that keep our bodies strong, flexible and limber are a huge benefit. There are several exercise options to try, T�ai Chi, Pilates, yoga and treatment options which range from acupuncture to physical therapy to advanced treatment options both surgical and nonsurgical. Bottom line is you do not have to live with back pain.

Myth 5: Back Pain Came Out Of Nowhere.

Another back pain myth is sufferers often claim one wrong twist or simply bending over was the cause of their injury. But that was likely the result of several other factors. Overdoing a workout, using poor technique when lifting heavy objects, bad posture, and especially weight gain can all put strain on the spine and lead to “out of nowhere” spasms. As with more serious conditions such as joint and disk disorders a spine doctor is recommended to find the source of the pain.

Myth 6: A Hot Bath Can Bring Relief

There are few things as relaxing as a nice spa, but doing so after injuring your back may actually make your situation worse by increasing inflammation. Doctors recommend applying ice to the area for 20 minutes at a time during the first two or three times in order to reduce pain and inflammation. An exception, people who suffer from chronic pain can find relief taking a warm bath. Play it safe and check with your doctor for the best treatment.

Myth 7: If I See A Doctor, I’ll Probably Have Surgery.

Most people will experience some level of back pain in their lifetime, but the overwhelming majority will find relief through modifications such as over the counter anti-inflammatory medicines, exercise, physical therapy, or even just by waiting it out. In actuality, spine surgery is recommended for a small percentage of patients and until all other treatment methods have been tried. These patients often suffer from degenerative spine or joint problems that cause pain that is chronic. Whether you understand the origin of your pain or not, a fear of surgery shouldn’t prevent you from seeking medical help.

F4C Jerry Rice Poster

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