Vigilance to Back Pain
Pain is often the first message we receive that something has gone awry in our body. It is our body’s feedback, our voice, our very own ‘text message’ to make a change, or else… this pain becomes a constant companion.
Back pain is that unwanted guest. Often occurring at that most unwanted time. Interrupting vacations, work obligations, and athletic events. Back pain is literally a pain in the ‘Butt’, and can make simple daily activities a challenge to just get ‘That Butt’ out of bed.
Are you experiencing back pain more frequently?
Is this pain becoming more intense?
Is your day to day activity being reduced as a consequence of back pain, stiffness and poor mobility?
The fact is…
Approximately 80% of Americans will experience back problems at some point in their lives.
Back pain can be experienced on a daily basis or may grow in frequent bouts. Learning to live with, and the threat of painful episodes must be confronted with a daily exercise routine, postural relief measures, attention to healthy lifestyle habits, stress management, and healthy nutritional practices.
The presence of back pain can signal the body providing the message that your health is out of balance.
Managing back and neck pain requires a daily vigilance to maintain this balance.
Chronic postures at work and home promote repetitive stress to spine muscles, joints, and discs. Choosing sitting options while working at your desk place the spine in a desirable alignment to minimize stresses to neck and back structures. Frequent postural relief measures can reduce the accumulation of structural fatigue and chronic tight/overused and weak/underused muscles and spine tissues that produce pain.
Decline in physical fitness to meet the demands for recreational pursuits such as golf, court sports, and dancing leaves the body ill-prepared for the stresses that act on the musculoskeletal system of the extremities and spine. You must prepare like an athlete if you are going to play like an athlete. This requires a commitment to focused exercises that are specific to the sport/activity and individual history of injury and diagnosis.
Dietary habits play a role in maintaining healthy body weight and the provision of energy and nutrients for an active lifestyle. Carrying extra weight adds stress to joints of the extremities and spinal structures. Eating foods that increase inflammation leads to chronic degenerative diseases that include osteoarthritis, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
Ask yourself,
If you were to go on a long hike how much weight would you like to carry, 20 lbs or 50 lbs, and what food would provide the best source of energy?
Chronic postural stress, a decline in fitness and preparedness for activity, and poor dietary habits are just a few areas that require attention to maintain an elevated level of function and active lifestyle while managing your pain.
If you are interested in learning more, and applying these and other concepts into your daily routine Bauer Physical Therapy would like to help.
There are a few short questions you can answer that will help in delivering this plan. Click Let’s Get Started(below)
Back Health Actions
The pain experienced in bouts of acute and episodic low back pain can result in weakness of spine musculature. This may result in progressive loss of spine stability. Overtime this may lead to joint and disc disorders of the spine.
Randy Bauer PT recently spoke at the Marina Spine Center Spine Conference-Spine Injured Athlete:From Injury to Return to Play in LA hosted by Robert Watkins III, MD and Robert Watkins IV, MD.
A few points were made in this presentation.
The keys to a healthy spine:
- Relief of postural stress from sustained sitting and standing.
- Avoiding bending that is combined with twisting.
- Maintaining leg strength and mobility required for bending and lifting.
- Developing and Maintaining spinal stability through appropriate and individualized exercises(this includes coordinating control of spine position in varied postures).
- Development of endurance before strength(body weight activities).
- Spine stabilization progression for safe return to athletic activities(goal of Level III
Contact Randy Bauer PT if you have questions by leaving a Message or Scheduling a Free 10 minute Consultation on the Bauer Physical Therapy FB Page.
