Health blog Category: lower back pain
Strong Core means Healthy Back
Poor posture from core weakness contributes to neck, back, shoulder or hip pain which can then contribute to issues and pain further down the upper or lower extremities. This can make everyday things difficult, such as:
- bending over to tie your shoes.
- sitting while working or driving.
- simply getting dressed in the morning.
A strong core means a healthy back.
When most people think of the core, they think of the abdominals and doing sit-ups and generally know that one needs to have good core strength.
Chronic Back Pain, Could Poor Posture be to Blame…
Poor posture could be to blame for our chronic back pain. Irritation to the nerves that emerge off the lumbar spine can cause burning and shooting pain down the legs and into the feet. Chronic back pain can also cause poor posture, making it difficult to walk, sit, drive, and perform routine activities such as driving, laundry, and dishes; to name a few. Chronic back pain is a debilitating condition that will affect the majority of Americans at some point during their life. In fact, chronic back pain is one of the leading reasons people go to the doctor and employees miss work..
Read full blogDiscomfort interrupting workouts, sleep and work?
Q&A
- How does back pain usually start?
Many times back pain starts from a specific incident where you overexerted yourself, lifted something improperly, performed more of an activity than you were used to, sitting/standing more prolonged amount of time, or a traumatic incident. Often times it is a combination of several of these things. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt right away, but may begin to bother you several days later.
Read full blogTrouble Sleeping Through the Night because of Back Pain?
Read on for answers to common questions about back pain, how it starts and how to get rid of it for good!
- How does back pain usually start?
- Many times back pain starts from a specific incident where you overexerted yourself, lifted something improperly, performed more of an activity than you were used to, sitting/standing more prolonged amount of time, or a traumatic incident. Often times it is a combination of several of these things.
What Most People Assume Makes Up the Core
By Devin Wurman, DPT
The core must be one of the most complex features of the human body. Everything we do involves the core. What is the core exactly? A lot of people think it’s those wonderful six-pack abs. But really that’s not the core, that’s only a small component of the core. So what else makes up the core?
- Your abdominal muscles
- Your hip muscles
- Your back muscles
- The muscles that surround your pelvis
You need all those muscles to be working well together as a team in order to have good core strength.
Read full blogA Leading Cause People Miss Work
Back pain is one of the leading reasons people go to the doctor and a leading reason employees miss work so it’s a very important topic to understand.
There are four main reason our back pain could have started:
- Muscle strains due to heavy lifting or repetitive movements
- Pain that you can pinpoint on the muscle and does NOT radiate down the legs
- Arthritis: Narrowing of the space in the spine where nerves pass; excess bone that forms on the vertebrae; thinning of the discs between the vertebrae
- Structural: Scoliosis is an example of a structural issue that involves the curvature of the spine which can gradually get worse and become painful
- Bulging and herniated discs:
- Pain that is felt in the legs and not necessarily in the back itself
- As disc issues gets more severe symptoms can progress to numbness, tingling, and weakness
- Bulging discs involve the outer layer of the disc protruding out in the space where the spinal cord is
- Herniated discs involve the middle portion of the disc coming out into the space where the nerves are and causes compression.
Trouble Bending to Tie Your Shoes?
By: C. Ashley Border, DPT
Curious about why you can’t touch your toes or why the muscle in the back of your thigh keeps cramping or straining? Let’s direct our attention to the hamstring muscle! So, what in the world is a “hamstring”? This is the muscle that runs from deep in the buttock to the back of the knee. This muscle primarily bends the knee and extends the hip backwards, and is very important with walking and running.
The Key Treatment Techniques to Permanent Lower Back Pain Relief
Back pain is a debilitating condition that will affect the majority of Americans at some point during their life. In fact, the most recent estimates range from 60% to 80% (depending on the source), regarding the number of Americans that will experience back pain at one or more occurrences during their life span. It can be disruptive to both work and daily life, extremely debilitating and can progress to larger issues if not treated quickly and effectively.
Read full blogOffice Ergonomics: Is Our Desk in Ergo Shape…
Do you ever experience pain or discomfort while working at your desk? Do you experience headaches, eye strain, shoulder, neck or back pain while sitting at your workstation? If you answered yes, then your office may have some shaping up to do.
So what exactly is ergonomics? Ergonomics is defined as “an applied science concerned with designing and arranging items people use so that people and things interact most efficiently.” So, how do we apply ergonomics to our everyday workplace settings?
Four Common Disc Problems and What to Do About Them
Back problems plague much of our society today. You may know someone who suffers from back pain, or it may be you yourself. While several factors contribute to different types of pain, disc problems are a category of their own.
First, what is a disc?
A disc in your spine is a section of cartilage that resides between each vertebrae. It consists of thick fibrous tissue surrounding gel matter that allows for flexibility and shock absorption.
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