Back Clinic Chiropractic Spine Care Team. The spine is designed with three natural curves; the neck curvature or cervical spine, the upper back curvature or thoracic spine, and the lower back curvature or lumbar spine, all of which come together to form a slight shape when viewed from the side. The spine is an essential structure as it helps support the upright posture of humans, it provides the body with the flexibility to move and it plays the crucial role of protecting the spinal cord. Spinal health is important in order to ensure the body is functioning to its fullest capacity. Dr. Alex Jimenez strongly indicates across his collection of articles on spine care, how to properly support a healthy spine. For more information, please feel free to contact us at (915) 850-0900 or text to call Dr. Jimenez personally at (915) 540-8444.
Chiropractor, Dr. Alexander Jimenez�Finds Prescription Painkillers Most Common Treatment for Patients Seeking Care for Back Pain More than half of Americans suffer from back pain, as well as for those that seek treatment, doctors turn most often to prescription drugs
Ann Arbor, MI, May 19, 2017 � Many Americans (51 percent) have experienced back pain in the last 12 months, and of the 58% of those who sought treatment from a medical professional, 40 percent said they were recommended prescription painkillers, according to the Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll.
Truven Health Analytics�, element of the IBM Watson Health business, and NPR run a national poll that is bimonthly to gauge opinions and attitudes on a broad variety of health�issues.
Following Are The Poll�s Findings:
Back Pain Plagues�Americans: Fifty one percent of Americans said they’ve endured from back pain in the last 12 months, and 46 percent of people who experienced pain said they are still in distress. Over half (58 percent) of back pain sufferers sought attention, with 70 percent visiting a medical doctor and 14 percent seeing a chiropractor.
Prescription Pain Killers are the Most Common Treatment: Of the 70 percent of back pain sufferers who sought care from a medical doctor, 40 percent were prescribed prescription pain killers, a rate that tended to decrease with increasing age of the patient. Other treatments prescribed were exercise/physical therapy (31 percent), shots (20 percent), massage (17 percent), steroids (17 percent), over-the-counter painkillers (13 percent), operation (12 percent), or another form of treatment (37 percent).
Almost a Third Stay in Pain with Treatment: Among all respondents, 25 percent said their back pain remained the same and five percent said their pain got worse. Forty-five percent said their pain improved, and 25 percent said it went away entirely.
�Experiencing back pain is extremely common among Americans, and there are a number of factors that may contribute to it, some of which are treatable without prescription pain killers, � said Anil Jain, MD, Vice-President and Chief Health Informatics Officer, Value-Based Care, IBM Watson Health. �These data reveal that when care is sought by the patients, they are generally prescribed painkillers. Compounding this challenge, back pain sufferers that are prescribed opioids for pain may be particularly at risk for dependency and addiction. Checking inappropriate opioid prescriptions for long-term pain is a focus of efforts by suppliers to fight the current opioid epidemic.�
To date, the Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Survey has investigated numerous health topics, including vaccines generic drugs, data privacy, narcotic painkillers, and sports-related concussions. NPR archives reports on the surveys online in the Photos health blog here. Truven Health keeps a library of survey results here.
The Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll is powered by the Truven Health PULSE� survey, an independently funded, nationally representative, multimodal poll that collects information about health-related behaviours and approaches and healthcare use from 80, 000 U.S. homes annually.
The results represent responses from 3, 002 survey participants interviewed from March 1 � 16 , 2017. The margin of error is /- 1.8 percentage points.
About NPR
NPR is an award winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 900 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to generate a more educated public�one challenged and invigorated by way of a deeper understanding and grasp of ideas, events and cultures.
About Truven Health Analytics, section of the IBM Watson Health Company
Truven Health Analytics�, a part of the IBM Watson Health� company, supplies market-leading performance development solutions built on advanced analytics, data integrity and domain expertise. For over 40 years, our insights and alternatives have already been providing hospitals and clinicians, employers and health plans, state and government services, life sciences companies and policymakers, the facts they must make confident choices that directly alter the health and well-being of people and organizations in america and around the world. The firm was acquired by IBM in 2016 to help form a new business, Watson Health. Watson Health aspires to improve lives and give expectation by presenting innovation to deal with the world�s most pressing health challenges through cognitive insights and data.
Seeing a doctor of chiropractic, otherwise referred to as DC, chiropractic physician or a chiropractor, can be a beneficial step towards effectively treating low back pain. Below is a quick description of how they help patients resolve their low back pain and what chiropractors do.
What to Expect from a Chiropractor
Chiropractors use a number of treatments made to manipulate joints, the back, and tissues of the body to relieve pain and improve functional ability. Normally, this could be referred to as spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), but you will find several other chiropractic treatment approaches.
A chiropractor tailors her or his treatment strategy depending on the individual needs of a patient, using a traditional philosophy of starting off together with the more natural, less-invasive treatments before moving on to even more aggressive techniques.
At every stage through the procedure, chiropractors preserve a rigorous emphasis on proactively communicating together with the patient exactly what’s going to happen. The chiropractor makes certain the patient comprehends everything that occurs during evaluation, an investigation, and also the proposed procedures, so that you can instruct the patient and receive direct acceptance to start the treatment process.
This emphasis on informed consent is essential because some chiropractic techniques may carry material hazard, which means there could a danger, however, trivial, that an injury could be maybe caused by a particular process.
Nevertheless, a chiropractor also informs a patient of the potential risks attached to abstaining in the process, entirely. Nevertheless, none of this is meant to scare a patient. Make sure that the patient, who has full control over his / her body can make an informed choice and constantly it’s simply thought to remove mistakes.
Chiropractic Procedures
A chiropractor will examine a patient thoroughly prior to making any type of identification or treatment plan. The evaluation can include various aspects, including:
Health history
Look in the characteristics of the pain, keeping an eye out for “red flags,” which suggest that additional diagnostic testing ought to be ran in order to exclude any potentially serious medical problems that may be connected with neck or low back pain-like neurological disorders, fractures, diseases, and tumors.
You will find lots of reasons why low back pain happens. A chiropractor will find out those motives to configure the most appropriate treatment.
Physical examination, including orthopedic and neurological evaluations
Analyze sensory nerves, the reflexes, joints, muscles, as well as other areas of the body.
Advanced Diagnostic Testing
Lab and imaging evaluations aren’t recommended for nonspecific LBP, however they might be required if there are signs of a serious underlying condition.
Severity and Duration of Afflictions
A chiropractor looks at the symptoms and afflictions of sickness or an injury and rationally classifies them based by how serious they are, and the way long they continue.
Symptoms are subdivided into levels of severity: mild, moderate, or serious. In terms of duration, pain (and other symptoms) might be referred to as:
Acute – lasts for less than 6 weeks
Subacute – persists between 6 and 12 weeks
Long-Term – persists for at least 12 weeks
Perennial/flare up – the same symptom(s) reoccurs sporadically or because of exacerbating the original harm
In case a patient is suffering from acute or subacute low back pain, a normal chiropractic therapeutic trial is 2 to 3 weekly sessions over the course of 2 to 4 weeks, going up to 12 complete sessions per trial. Often, this can be sufficient to entirely solve the pain. Other times, additional treatments may be necessary, especially if a patient is struggling with other issues.
Result measurements certainly are a useful tool to get a chiropractor since they could help determine in the event the treatments are showing significant progress.
Some ways a chiropractor can quantify the outcomes of the treatments include:
Having a patient speed the pain
So a patient can characterize the positioning and nature of the pain, using a pain diagram
Searching for increases (or declines) in day-to-day living practices, as in the capacity to work (employment), exercise and sleep.
Testing practical capacity, such as weightlifting ability, strength, flexibility, and endurance
Some patients’ low back pain may have lasted into and beyond the 12-week mark, which makes it long-term pain. During assessment, chiropractors will look for signs to determine if a patient is at an increased risk of developing long-term pain- the “yellow flags” of chronicity so to speak.
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: What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is an well-known, alternative treatment option utilized to prevent, diagnose and treat a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, a chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient�s strength, mobility and flexibility.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez examines why sciatica can be so painful.
Sciatica may be perceived as the worst form of nerve malady, but that�s more reputation than reality.
Nerve pain is one of the most extreme forms of pain. It elicits imagery of searing heat, electric shock, and lightning bolt -like shooting sensations. And, the most dreaded kind of spinal nerve damage is arguably the tell tale low back and leg pain of sciatica.
A question patients frequently ask is, � Why is sciatica so distressing?� That�s not the case, although they often consider there�s something exceptional about sciatica versus other kinds of spinal nerve malady.
�
Myth-busting Sciatica Pain
Many assume sciatic nerve compression delivers more pain than other pinched nerves through the body because sciatica requires the sciatic nerve, which can be the longest and largest nerve within the body. But in 99 percent of sciatica cases, it�s not the sciatic nerve that�s compressed�it�s the nerve roots in the lumbar spine (low back) that join as they leave the spinal column and form the sciatic nerve.
When most folks refer to sciatica, they describe pain that shoots down the leg after the path of the sciatic nerve, but it�s actually one or two nerve roots compromised (commonly, the L4 or L5 nerve root). Doctors ascertain the exact nerve roots which are compressed by the positioning of the pain, like if the pain goes down to the side of the foot or the big toe.
Other Sources Of The Sciatica Stigma
It Affects Your Legs
One of the reasons sciatica gets so much attention is since the sciatic nerve�s roots feed to the legs, and we use our legs a lot. Sciatica may be perceived by patients as being more painful when compared to a compressed root in a less active portion of the human body, for example in the torso. In case you compressed or irritated another nerve of prominence or identical use to your own leg, it will be equally as distressing as sciatic pain.
Muscle Spasms Are�The Actual Culprit
Another rationale sciatica is associated with intense pain isn’t related to nerve compression muscle spasms. A patient with sciatic symptoms is hunched over and can�t stand up straight when, that�s a signal the patient has had a back spasm due to the nerve irritation. As sciatica changes your lumbar spine, the muscles that could spasm following nerve damage will be the large, postural back muscles. You�ll feel them when they spasm, because these muscles are so large. On the other hand, if a neck nerve root is compressed by you, you won�t find a muscle spasm that is potential quite as much because the muscles near the cervical spinal column are much smaller. (But spasms of neck muscles can nevertheless be really painful!)
Sciatica Is A Standard Enemy
The lumbar spine is prone to wear and tear on the intervertebral discs. When this happens, materials that irritate the encompassing nerves are leaked by the discs. Discs can also herniate, and that may irritate the nerve. Sometimes, the commonality of sciatica helps it be a catch all diagnosis when a patient doesn�t even have nerve root problem. For example, tweaking your back from lifting is generally a muscular problem, not a nerve issue.
Nerve Pain Is Created Equal
There are various causes of back malady, and sciatica is merely one. As they are all equally hazardous, sciatica isn�t especially unique when you compare it to other types of nerve malady. It can be really intense and debilitating, when nerve pain happens everywhere in the body. Lives are turned upside down from nerve pain, so don�t hesitate to see a spine specialist to simply help alleviate nerve pain in your neck or back.
When diagnosed with degenerative disc disorder, among the primary things that lots of patients ask is, “Am I going to need surgery to repair this?” For many people, the answer is no. You in fact need to meet some rather stringent demands in order for your doctor to recommend operation:
You have attempted several months�ordinarily about six months�of non-operative treatments, plus they haven’t helped reduce your pain. What this means is that you simply have attempted physical therapy, medications, rest, among others, and your pain is still interfering with your life.
Your disc degeneration is at two levels not just one. When you have multi-level disc degeneration, you might not be the best candidate for surgery as you may lose an excessive amount of mobility in your back if you have a fusion (that sort of surgery is clarified below).
You’re comparatively young. Recovery from operation could be a tough procedure, so that your body requires in order to manage it. Younger individuals are somewhat more effective at recovering than older folks that are more prone to complications from operation. There’s not a certain “you should not have surgery if you are older than this” age. Your physician will probably be able to create that recommendation.
Operation could be required immediately for those who have among these red flags:
Loss in bladder or bowel control
Cauda equina syndrome is an incredibly serious ailment. Your cauda equina�or “horse’s tail”�is several nerves that resembles, competently enough, a horse’s tail. It is situated at the conclusion of the spinal cord, and it is a surgical emergency when the cauda equina is compressed. You might have extreme low back pain, weakness in your legs, radiculopathy (pain that goes out of your back and into your legs), and incontinence.
Types of Surgery for Degenerative Disc Disease
Up until lately, surgery for degenerative disc disease has called for two main parts: removal of what’s causing pain and then fusing the back to control movement. When the surgeon removes tissue that’s pressing on a nerve, it is called a decompression surgery. Fusion is a stabilization surgery, and frequently, a decompression and fusion are done at the exact same time.
Traditional surgical options that are decompression include:
Facetectomy: There are joints in your spine called facet joints; they help stabilize your back. Yet, facet joints can put pressure on a nerve. “Ectomy” means “removal of.” So a facetectomy involves removing the facet joint to reduce that pressure.
Foraminotomy: If part of the disc or a bone spur (osteophyte) is pressing on a nerve as it makes the vertebra (through an exit called the foramen), a foraminotomy might be done. “Otomy” means “to make an opening.” So a foraminotomy is making the opening of the foramen larger, therefore the nerve can depart without being compressed.
Laminectomy: At the rear of every vertebra, there is a bony plate that protects your spinal canal and spinal cord; it’s known as the lamina. It may be pressing in your spinal cord, hence by removing section or all of the lamina, the surgeon may make more room.
Laminotomy: Similar to the foraminotomy, a laminotomy makes a more substantial opening, this time in your bony plate shielding your spinal canal and spinal cord (the lamina). The lamina may be pressing therefore the surgeon may make more room for the nerves using a laminotomy.
All of the above decompression techniques are done from the back of the spine (posterior). Sometimes, though, a surgeon has to do a decompression from the front of the spine (anterior). As an example, a bulging disc or a herniated disc shoving into your spinal canal sometimes cannot be removed from behind because the spinal cord is in the way. In that case, the decompression procedure is normally performed from the front (anterior). The main anterior decompression techniques are:
Discectomy: It might be pressing on your own nerves in case you are in possession of a bulging disc or a herniated disc. In a discectomy, the surgeon will remove all or area of the disc. The surgeon can do a discectomy using a minimally invasive approach. Minimally invasive means that there are smaller incisions as well as the surgeon works with a microscope and very little surgical tools. You’ll possess a recovery period that is shorter when you possess a minimally invasive discectomy.
Corpectomy (or Vertebrectomy): Occasionally, surgeons will need to take the complete vertebral body out because disc substance becomes lodged between the spinal cord and also the vertebral body and can’t be removed by a discectomy. In other cases, osteophytes form between spinal cord and the vertebral body. In these situations, the whole vertebral body may need certainly to be removed to gain access to the disc material that is pressing on your nerve�that’s a corpectomy.
After portion of a disc or vertebra continues to be taken out, your back could be shaky, meaning that it proceeds in strange ways. That makes you more at risk for serious neurological harm, and you don’t want that. The surgeon will need to stabilize your spine. Traditionally, this has been done using a fusion, and it can be done from the back (posterior) or in the front (anterior).
In spine stabilization by fusion, the surgeon creates an environment where the bones in your back will fuse together over time (usually over several months or longer). The surgeon uses a bone graft (normally using bone from your own personal body, but it is possible to utilize donor bone as well) or a biological substance (which will stimulate bone growth). Your surgeon may use spinal instrumentation�wires, cables, screws, rods, and plates�to raise stability as the bones fuse. The fusion will cease movement between the vertebrae, providing long term stability.
New Surgical Options for Degenerative Disc Disease
A fruitful fusion restricts motion in the fused area. Now there’s a brand new surgical option that helps you keep freedom: an artificial disc. The surgeon will remove your disc (a discectomy), and insert an artificial disc in its area. The notion is that the artificial disc help you move more readily and with less pain and will keep your spine flexible.
Artificial discs have become new, but they’re a fascinating development in back surgery. But because they’re so new, there haven’t been many long-term studies in the US about the effectiveness of artificial discs. Short-term studies and studies from Europe are promising, though.
Risks of Spinal Surgery
As with absolutely any procedure, there are risks involved with spine surgery for degenerative disc disease. Before requesting one to sign a surgical consent form, your doctor will discuss possible risks along with you. Possible complications include, but are not limited to:
harm to nerves or your spinal cord
non-healing of the bony fusion (pseudoarthrosis)
failure to enhance
instrumentation breakage/failure
infection and/or bone graft site pain
pain and swelling in your leg veins (phlebitis)
urinary difficulties
Complications could result in more surgery, so again �make certain that you completely understand the risks along with your surgery before proceeding. The decision for surgery is yours and yours alone.
Recovering from Degenerative Disc Disease Surgery
After surgery for DDD, you will not immediately feel better. Should you have had a fusion, it will require some time (several months or longer) for the fusion to heal properly, and in the interim,, you could have pain in the region where you had surgery. Your incisions should heal in 7 to 14 days.
Your surgeon will provide you with special directions about what you’ll be able to and can’t do following surgery. Be sure to stick together with the healing plan and never overdo it or overstress your back. Report any issues�such as increased pain, temperature, or infection�to your physician 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: Preventing Spinal Degeneration
As we age, it’s natural for the spine, as well as the other complex structures of the spine, to begin degenerating. Without the proper care, however, the overall health and wellness of the spine can develop complications, such as degenerative disc disease, among others, which could potentially lead to back pain and other painful symptoms. Chiropractic care is a common alternative treatment option utilized to maintain and improve spine health.
Proponents of mindfulness-based stress reduction claim it can improve relationships, mental health, weight and more. But, one complaint it’s unlikely to fix is lower back pain, researchers now say.
Lower back pain doesn’t respond to the programs, which embrace meditation, heightened self-awareness and exercise, according to a review.
Although short-term improvements were reported, “no clinical significance” was found in terms of overall pain or disability when mindfulness was compared to standard treatment, said study lead author Dennis Anheyer. Anheyer is a psychology research fellow in the faculty of medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.
About eight out of 10 American adults will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Roughly one in five of them will struggle with chronic lower back pain, lasting three months or more, which is a major cause of job-related disability.
Because no sure-fire treatment of back pain exists, many patients try complementary therapies such as mindfulness.
Mindfulness and Stress Reduction for Back Pain
Mindfulness programs, which are growing in popularity in the West, derive from the Buddhist spiritual tradition and are used to treat pain. They include sitting meditation; walking meditation; hatha yoga and body scan along with focusing attention sequentially on different parts of the body.
The seven studies that were reviewed involved close to 900 patients who had lower back pain for at least three months. Six of the studies were conducted in the United States; the seventh in Iran.
Some patients were offered standard back pain treatment, such as physical therapy and exercise routines that aim to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles; prescription and over-the-counter pain medications; ice packs and heat packs; and spinal manipulation and/or massage (chiropractic care). In some cases, surgery is recommended for chronic back pain.
Other patients engaged in mindfulness programs aimed at stress relief. Six of the programs were variations on an eight-week program developed at the University of Massachusetts. Most had a weekly 2.5 hour group session; one also had a day-long silent retreat.
Practitioners were also encouraged to engage in 30 to 45 minutes of meditation at home, six days a week. “We found that mindfulness-based stress reduction could decrease pain intensity at short-term, but not at long-term,” said Anheyer. Despite the negative findings, Michigan orthopedist Dr. Rachel Rohde isn’t ready to rule out mindfulness as a back-pain treatment.
The size of the research review was relatively small, said Rohde, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.
Also, “pain” is perceived differently by everyone, she said. In the case of chronic pain, people tend to try everything they can to feel better, making it difficult to figure out exactly what works and what doesn’t, she added.
The idea that changing the way you think can change the way you feel — the premise of cognitive behavior therapy — is used as a treatment for chronic pain, Rohde continued. “I think that mindfulness-based stress reduction is somewhat of an extension of this and probably would work very well for some and perhaps not so well for others,” she added.
The researchers behind the new review suggested that future studies look at specific components of mindfulness programs, such as yoga and mindful meditation. Yoga, they said, has been shown to increase function and decrease disability in patients with low back pain.
SOURCES: Dennis Anheyer, M.A., B.Sc., psychology research fellow, faculty of medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, department of internal and integrative medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany; Rachel S. Rohde, M.D., associate professor of orthopedic surgery, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Michigan Orthopaedic Institute, P.C., Royal Oak, Michigan; April 24, 2017, Annals of Internal Medicine
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 .
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Maintaining overall health and wellness through a balanced nutrition, regular physical activity and proper sleep is essential for your whole body�s well-being. While these are some of the most important contributing factors for staying healthy, seeking care and preventing injuries or the development of conditions through natural alternatives can also guarantee overall health and wellness. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment option utilized by many individuals to ensure whole body wellness.
Chronic low back pain can be a challenge to treat, but new research suggests that massage therapy may provide some relief.
“Current medical guidelines actually recommend massage therapy prior to the use of opioid medications for lower back pain,” explained William Elder, the study’s principle investigator. “Yet even with those guidelines, physicians and nurse practitioners are not recommending massage therapy,” said Elder. He’s with the University of Kentucky’s departments of family and community medicine and clinical services.
Low back pain is a common problem, and for most people, it’s short-lived. But for about 15 percent of people with low back pain, the problem becomes chronic and lasts more than three months, the study authors said. There aren’t a lot of effective treatment options for chronic back pain, and physicians often prescribe opioid painkillers such as OxyContin or Percocet to ease the pain. But those drugs come with a risk of addiction.
Other possible treatments include exercise, steroid injections, behavior changes, chiropractic, acupuncture and surgery, according to the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Massage for Back Pain
The new study sought to simulate real-world back pain and treatment. Researchers asked physicians to recommend massage for people with chronic back pain. Just over 100 study volunteers were then paired with an approved, experienced massage therapist in their area who assessed the problem and created a treatment plan. The study participants received 10 treatments, which they set up directly with their therapist.
More than half of the participants had less pain after 12 weeks and many continued to report reduced pain after three months.
The research also showed that massage therapy worked better with patients aged 50 years and older, although younger people benefited, too.
“These results are exciting because it shows that most doctors can refer their patients for massage as a treatment. It’s applicable to the real world,” said Elder. “Some medical providers have taken interest in massage, but most don’t know which type would be helpful. We learned that just referring the patient to a massage therapist and letting them work to select the therapy is effective,” he added.
Dr. Anders Cohen, the neurosurgery division chief at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City, recommends massage therapy to his patients as part of what he calls a comprehensive treatment plan.
“Massage is great way to break up adhesions and is great for soft tissue,” Cohen said. “If the back pain is a soft tissue issue, such as muscles and ligaments, it works great. Plus, there is the bonus of therapeutic touch.”
Reasons for Varying Back Pain Care
Patients in the study received the massage therapy free of charge. But, cost could also explain why some physicians recommend opioids instead. Cohen noted that massage prices vary, and may not be covered under some insurance plans. Study co-author Niki Munk is a licensed massage therapist who’s with the Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. She said the researchers saw that massage needs to occur regularly when someone begins treatment to reduce the pain.
Munk added that more research is needed on the ideal pain maintenance schedule. But the study authors think that once a level of comfort has been achieved, people can continue to manage their back pain through regular massage therapy on a schedule that fits their needs, such as once a month or every other month.
Munk also noted that selecting the right therapist is important.
“Look for a masseuse that you can establish a therapeutic relationship with over time,” she recommended. “Chronic low back pain is a complex issue that can’t be cured from just a one-hour massage. Find a therapeutic massage clinic and ask questions about the therapist, such as their initial training and continuing education. Also, make sure that the therapist sets up a treatment plan that will work for you,” Munk said.
The study was published online recently in the journal Pain Medicine.
SOURCES: William Elder Jr., Ph.D., professor, family and community medicine and clinical services, University of Kentucky, Lexington; Niki Munk, Ph.D., L.M.T., assistant professor, health sciences, Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Indianapolis; Anders Cohen, M.D., division chief, neurosurgery, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, New York City; March 14, 2017, Pain Medicine, online
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 .
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Maintaining overall health and wellness through a balanced nutrition, regular physical activity and proper sleep is essential for your whole body�s well-being. While these are some of the most important contributing factors for staying healthy, seeking care and preventing injuries or the development of conditions through natural alternatives can also guarantee overall health and wellness. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment option utilized by many individuals to ensure whole body wellness.
Poor posture is an incredibly common problem in today�s world. With the increase in technology and decrease in physical exercise, many people find their posture slipping more than ever before. While we know that good posture certainly looks better, is it really cause for concern? Take a look at these ways in which poor posture may negatively impact health, followed by some tips for improving it a little more every day.
The Effects of Poor Posture
Pain in the Back, Neck, and Shoulders – Poor posture can cause stiffness or pain in any of these areas. The longer you sit or stand with bad posture, the more pronounced these pains are likely to be.
Slow Digestion – Poor posture is almost always because of slumping or slouching the shoulders and core. This can cause the digestive tract to be pressed, which can make any sort of digestion painful and more troublesome.
Poor Self Perception – Our minds often take cues from the body. If slouching is a constant, our minds get the message that we feel poorly about ourselves, and our self-esteem and perception is likely to take a hit.
Solutions for Bad Posture
Exercise – Both regular exercise as well as posture specific exercises can help strengthen the body and improve overall posture. This might include moves that especially work the core, back, and shoulders.
Find Some Triggers – Bad posture is a tough habit to break. It can help to give yourself constant reminders. Ask a friend to remind you when they see you slouching. Post sticky notes all over the mirror or your desk at work. Set intermittent alarms on your phone. Do whatever it takes to bring good posture to the forefront of your mind.
Get Chiropractic Care – This is actually a great place to start for correcting poor posture. Chiropractors can eliminate painful areas of the spine that may be contributing to poor posture. They may also help to increase flexibility, improve mobility, as well as give you some simple everyday tips for getting your posture and basic spinal health in check.
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 .
Additional Topics: Preventing Spinal Degeneration
As we age, it’s natural for the spine, as well as the other complex structures of the spine, to begin degenerating. Without the proper care, however, the overall health and wellness of the spine can develop complications, such as degenerative disc disease, among others, which could potentially lead to back pain and other painful symptoms. Chiropractic care is a common alternative treatment option utilized to maintain and improve spine health.
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