Archive:
- 2020
- 2019
- November (11)
- Keep your neck comfortable while you fly.
- Back pain is hard to diagnose. Here’s why.
- Neck spasms can be triggered by awkward movements or stress-related muscle tension
- 3 Techniques for Coping with Chronic Sciatica
- Protecting Your Neck Over the Holidays
- 11 Tips to Relieve Headache with Neck Pain
- 5 Unusual Office Chair Solutions
- 5 Tips For Preventing Tech Neck Pain
- How Soft Tissue Injuries Can Cause Neck Strain
- How to Use Tennis Balls for DIY Lower Back Pain Massage
- 21 Ways to be a Savvy Chiropractic Patient
- October (11)
- Best Yoga Poses for Sciatica Relief
- Immediate Treatment for a Back Muscle Strain
- 9 Lesser-Known Tips for Easing Neck Pain
- 3 Hamstring Stretches to Relieve Lumbar Herniated Disc Pain
- How Massage Can Ease Sciatic Pain
- What really happens when you pull a lower back muscle?
- Here’s how back pain is caused by movement
- Try these exercises to ease upper and middle back pain
- Is My Pain Sciatica or Something Else?
- Can Neck Pain Cause Dizziness?
- 2 Reasons Why Walking Is Good for Your Lower Back
- September (8)
- 5 Things You Should Know About Chronic Pain
- Is Your Upper Back Pain Related to Your Arm Numbness?
- Heat, or ice? When to use each for back pain relief.
- These 3 yoga poses can help loosen up your aching back.
- Here’s how to plan for driving long distances with back pain.
- These two everyday things might be triggering your sciatica.
- The underlying cause of leg weakness.
- Neck stiff? This could be why.
- July (8)
- 3 Things That Might Be Causing Your Sciatica
- Should I Nap During the Day?
- Consider these neck pain tips for the next time you fly.
- Summer tips for staying healthy.
- Clearing up the confusion about text neck and skull horns
- How to find the right seat to support your back.
- Here’s what you need to know about neck strains.
- Feel better by doing this just one hour each day.
- June (12)
- How to Get Sciatica Pain Relief Through Exercise
- 6 Strategies to Baby Your Back
- Best Laptop Setups
- Before you take the open road this summer, learn how to protect your back
- What’s causing my stiff, sore back?
- This may be the reason your upper back or shoulder blade hurts
- 6 things you should know about getting a good night’s sleep.
- It’s Men’s Health Week. Here’s a helpful guide for guys with spine pain.
- Try these 3 beginner stretches to ease your sciatica pain.
- Traveling this summer? Keep these 3 tips in mind.
- Here’s how to know if your lower back pain is serious.
- Did you know there are different types of pain that can affect your back?
- May (6)
- Here’s how to keep your back healthy and happy next time you golf.
- These 9 tips for soothing neck pain may surprise you.
- Don’t let these summer activities aggravate your back pain.
- Too much rest could be bad for back pain. Here’s why.
- If you like to use a heating pad to soothe back pain, keep these tips in mind.
- Pull a back muscle? Follow these steps for pain relief.
- March (8)
- Do your back a favor and try this for 60 minutes every day
- The 2 neck pain symptoms you need to get treated for right away
- Here’s what you need to know about cervical osteoarthritis
- Stress may cause lower back pain
- Learn the 3 most common reasons for sciatica pain
- How to Support Someone With Chronic Pain
- 3 Ways to Improve Forward Head Posture
- Don’t do these 6 things if you have a herniated disc.
- 2018
- December (9)
- Here are 6 surefire tips for lowering your stress before bedtime.
- Do you have osteoporosis? Here’s how you can best protect your spine.
- If you have sciatica pain, these are the yoga poses to try.
- 2 Common Mistakes That Provoke Sciatica Symptoms
- 3 Simple Ways to Indulge Your Spine
- 3 Symptoms That May Indicate You Have Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
- Exercise is key for better back health
- Smart, simple ways to keep your neck healthy this holiday season
- Here’s how to prevent and treat a stiff neck from sitting in an airplane
- 2017
- November (9)
- How Cooler Weather Affects Chronic Pain
- Try out 3 quick tips for helping your lower back.
- Warning: these 3 everyday things are hurting your neck.
- Sciatica symptoms flaring up? Try these easy hamstring stretches
- Here’s how heating your back pain can lead to relief
- See why resting for too long is actually bad for your lower back
- Here are 2 reasons to avoid phone use in bed if you have neck pain.
- Take control of your chronic pain with mindful meditation.
- Sitting Disease is the new health epidemic. Here’s how you can beat it.
- October (9)
- Taking a long drive? Here are 3 little-known tips to relieve lower back pain on road trips.
- How much do you know about the connection between sleep and chronic pain?
- How to know if your lower back pain is serious.
- The Importance of Aerobic Exercise for Easing Lower Back Pain
- Understanding Cauda Equina Syndrome
- 4 Experiences That Basically Sum Up Living With Chronic Lower Back Pain
- Poor posture causing your back pain?
- The truth behind cracking your neck
- An inside look at bone spurs
- March (12)
- 5 Tips for Flying Back Pain Free
- 4 Myths about Back and Neck Pain
- What You Need to Know about Neck Arthritis
- How to Treat Lower Right Back Muscle Strain
- Everyday Tips for Back Pain Relief
- Signs of a Herniated Disc in the Lumbar and Cervical Spine
- Minimize your back pain by incorporating these two tips into your daily routine.
- How Soft Tissue Injuries Cause Neck Strain
- 1 Hour to Ease Your Back Ache and Boost Your Mood
- 3 Things to Consider When Deciding Whether to See a Doctor for Your Lower Back Pain
- How to Exercise with Sciatica
- What You Need to Know about Spondylosis
- January (12)
- Weight Training Effectively Relieves Back Pain
- Is Piriformis Syndrome the Same Thing as Sciatica?
- 8 Crucial Insights for Back Pain Sufferers
- Understanding Spinal Anatomy Helps You Talk to Your Doctors
- 3 Lesser-Known Causes of Lower Back Pain
- Snacks, Supplements, and Scents to Help You Sleep
- Could My Back Pain be Caused by Stress?
- 5 Ways You May Be Coping With Pain All Wrong
- Should I Use Ice or Heat for My Lower Back Pain?
- How Posture Can Aggravate a Lumbar Herniated Disc
- 3 Simple Items That Can Help Ease Your Chronic Sciatica
- Which Mattress Is Best for Lower Back Pain?
- 2016
- December (9)
- 4 resolutions for better health in 2016
- 4 tips to cope with back pain as you navigate the joy and stress of the holiday season
- 3 tips to ease your sciatica symptoms during long car and plane rides
- What’s a Slipped Disc?
- 4 Big Reasons Why Back Pain Is Hard to Diagnose
- A Guide to Spinal Anatomy and What Can Go Wrong
- Put Your Knowledge to the Test
- Treat Sore and Strained Muscles
- 7 strategies to help you manage the upcoming holiday season.
- November (15)
- 3 little-known facts about chronic pain
- how to effectively use heat therapy
- Do you use your phone in bed?
- simple stretch to help relieve sciatic pain
- 3 common habits to prevent pain and stiffness
- 3 simple suggestions
- The New Health Epidemic: Sitting Disease
- 6 Questions to Ask During Open Enrollment
- Mindful Meditation vs. Chronic Pain
- Treating your Sciatica
- Simple clues to determine cause of neck pain
- 7 natural ways to relieve chronic back pain
- 3 hamstring stretches
- Keep your spine happy and healthy
- reality of living with chronic lower back pain
- October (12)
- 3 tips for a more pleasant trip
- Chronic Pain Quiz
- 3 Simple Tips for Chronic Neck Pain Relief
- Should I Worry About My Neck Cracking?
- Sciatica Symptoms
- Is Poor Posture Causing Your Back Pain?
- The National Pain Strategy
- First Aid Remedies
- Finding the Right Mattress
- Test Your Knowledge
- Which is better for your lower back pain
- Methods to Cope with Chronic Pain
- July (12)
- Five Ways to Keep Your Spine Healthy and Happy
- 7 Sleeping Tips for Chronic Pain
- Pokémon Go and Neck Pain
- Mobilizing the Spine Joints
- Avoiding Bed Rest
- Mild Nuisance that Comes and Goes
- Chronic Pain
- Aerobic Exercise
- Lumbar Herniated Disc
- Exercise and Chiropractic Care
- Treatment for Sciatica
- Top 12 Tips for Buying a New Mattress
- May (11)
- All About Spinal Decompression Therapy
- Exercise for Better Back Health
- Calcium is Needed for Strong Bones
- Sitting at work
- Neck Pain
- Sitting in Front of a Computer
- Home Exercise Equipment
- The Spine Can Produce Pain
- A Modern Spine Ailment: Text Neck
- The 3 Worst Things You Can Do To Your Neck
- American Chiropractic History of Treatment for Back Pain and Neck Pain
- 2015
- February (11)
- Evolution Chiropractic Medicine health care
- Depression Guide
- Differential Diagnosis
- Chiropractic Therapy and Exercise
- Back Pain and Neck Pain
- Stretching Exercises Sciatica Pain Relief
- Chiropractic-treatments Whiplash
- Back Muscle Spasm
- Chiropractic Examination and Treatments
- Leg pain and numbness
- Cervicogenic Headache
- 2014
- May (53)
- Back to the basics
- Evaluation Patient
- Reactions Following a Chiropractic Adjustment
- Chiropractic Adjustment Lumbar Spine Low Back Video
- Tai Chi theory
- Treatment a Cervical Herniated Disc
- Manipulation Under Anesthesia Pain
- Treatments Low Back Pain During Pregnancy
- Video What Causes a Stiff Neck
- How are you sleeping these days?
- Ice Massage Back Pain Relief
- Sacroiliac Joint Problems
- Cold Laser Therapy
- Aerobic Exercise
- Muscle Strain
- Compassion
- Chiropractic Treatment
- Strong Hamstring Muscles
- Axial Pain
- Myofascia
- Non Surgical Treatment Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction Video
- Lumbar Spine Anatomy and Pain
- Sacroiliac Joint Anatomy
- Osteoarthritis Treatments
- Snow Shoveling Techniques
- Chiropractic Examination
- Leg Pain
- Occipital Nerve
- Hamstring Stretching
- Back Muscle Spasms
- Joint Cavitation
- History of Chiropractic
- Subluxation
- Integrating Chiropractic Care Other Doctors
- Assessment of Back Pain
- Herniated Discs
- Persistent leg pain
- Stenosis
- Headache
- Joint Dysfunction
- Home Exercise
- Evolution Chiropractic Care
- Depression Guide
- Assessment of Lower Back Pain
- Exercise
- Lower Back or Buttock Pain
- Do-it-yourself massage ideas
- Soreness
- Ease your Back Ache
- Ice Massage
- Herniated Disc
- Fibromyalgia
- Welcome to Our Blog
Categories:
My Blog
Posts for: April, 2019
Our Sciatica Video Helps You Visualize the Pain
If you think sciatica is a confusing topic, you are not alone. So we're here with a video walk-through to help you better understand both the causes of sciatica and the associated symptoms:
See What You Need to Know About Sciatica
Sciatica is a symptom of an underlying medical condition, not a medical diagnosis.
Watch: Sciatica Animated Video
Video highlights
As you can see in the image above, your sciatic nerve is quite long. It stretches from your lower back down through the back of both legs and into your feet; making it the longest nerve in your body.
While sciatica symptoms are often felt through your leg, the source of the problem is actually in your lower back (where your sciatic nerve roots originate).
Causes of sciatica
Often, the underlying cause of sciatica is a spinal disc problem. This may be a herniated disc or a degenerated disc (caused by degenerative disc disease) that affects a sciatic nerve root adjacent to your disc.
See Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
Degenerative disc disease occurs when one of your discs start to break down, dry out, and flatten. This process usually occurs over time due to ordinary wear and tear.
See The "Degenerative Cascade" of a Degenerating Disc
Disc degeneration can release proteins (pictured above as small white dots) that may irritate the nearby nerve root.
Sciatica symptoms
Typically, sciatica symptoms are felt on only one side of your body.
You may experience numbness, tingling, or radiating pain through your buttocks, leg, or foot. Which symptoms you experience depends in part on your unique anatomy and which of your nerve roots is affected.
Sciatica may also be referred to as lumbar radiculopathy, which is the same thing.
See Radiculopathy, Radiculitis and Radicular Pain
Sciatica treatments
While treatments can vary based on the specific underlying condition causing your sciatica, most people can benefit from the following treatments:
- Heat and/or cold therapy
- Low-impact aerobic exercise
- Stretching
- Pain medicatio
See Sciatica Treatment
It is important to note that certain kinds of stretches and exercises can make your symptoms worse. So the first step in treating your symptoms is to have your doctor accurately diagnose the underlying cause of your symptoms.
After you uncover the underlying cause, your doctor can help you create a treatment program that is tailored to your specific needs.
The good news is that surgery is rarely needed to treat sciatica symptoms, and symptoms typically subside within 6 to 12 weeks.
Learn more:
Types of Sciatic Nerve Pain
When Sciatica Pain Is a Medical Emergency
Back Extension Exercises for Osteoporosis
People affected by osteoporosis face a heightened risk for small compression fractures in the spine. But you may be able to lower your risk of sustaining them. A study by the Mayo Clinic has shown that people who regularly strengthen their back extensor muscles experience significantly less osteoporosis-related fractures than people who don’t.1 Here are 3 exercises to help you strengthen these muscles and manage your osteoporosis:
Beginner back extension exercise
Strengthening the back muscles can help significantly decrease the occurrence of osteoporosis-related compression fractures. Read When Back Pain Is a Spine Compression Fracture
This exercise calls for you to bend your spine backward.
- Lie flat on your stomach with your forearms on the ground next to you, tucked in close to your sides.
- Raise your chest off the ground while keeping your hips, legs, and feet relaxed and in contact with the ground. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds before gently lowering yourself back to the ground
- Work gradually up to 30 seconds per repetition.
Aim to complete 10 repetitions.
See Pain Relief from McKenzie Treatment
Intermediate back extension exercise
Here’s a slightly more advanced form of the previous press-up exercise:
- Lie face down on your stomach and place your hands on the ground next to you, about level with the bottom of your ribcage (push-up position).
- Push through your arms, straightening your elbows. Lift the top half of your body off the ground while your lower body remains pressed against the ground.
- Arch or sag your back and try to relax your lower body.
This position is typically held for 1 to 2 seconds and repeated 10 times.
See Back Strengthening Exercises
Advanced back extension exercise
Here’s an advanced extension exercise that targets your upper back muscles:
- Lie face down on your stomach with a pillow tucked under your hips.
- Extend your arms back. You may want to clasp together your hands behind your lower back.
- Raise your head and chest off the ground.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds while looking at the ground.
- Gradually work up to 20 seconds at a time. Aim to complete 8 to 10 repetitions of this exercise.
One modification of this exercise instructs you to lift your legs off the ground as well. A doctor or physical therapist can help you find the variation that works best for you.
See Exercise and Back Pain
These exercises may not only help to increase your bone mass but also strengthen your muscles, which can better protect you from a fall or other trauma. It is recommended you perform these exercises with the guidance of a health care provider.
See Physical Therapy Benefits For Back Pain
Learn more:
Vertebral Fracture Symptoms
Osteoporosis Treatment
5 Tips for Flying Back Pain Free
If you're like most people with back pain, you dread the thought of a long flight.
But sometimes plane trips are unavoidable, so here are 5 tips for flying back pain free:
See Lower Back Pain Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Sitting can cause pain from lower back muscle strain to flare-up.
Read: Pulled Back Muscle and Lower Back Strain
1. Move around regularly
Sitting in the same position for a prolonged period puts a great deal of stress on your lumbar spine (lower back). To minimize the impact of this stress, get up to walk and stretch your back every 20 to 30 minutes.
See Stretching for Back Pain Relief
To avoid any confusion, bring a doctor's note and alert the crew prior to boarding that you have a back condition and will need to move around. It is also helpful to make your way to the back of the plane to minimize disruptions.
See Diagnosing Lower Back Pain
2. Schedule smart
Booking a flight at a time of day when the plane is less likely to be full will make it easier for you to get up and move around regularly. Additionally, with no one sitting next to you it will be easier to move and stretch while remaining in a sitting position, and to change sitting positions as needed.
Watch: Seated Chair Hamstring Stretch for Low Back Pain Relief Video
It will also be easier to retrieve your belongings from under the seat in front of you without twisting and straining your lower back.
Watch: Lower Back Strain Video
As a general rule, flights that arrive between 6 and 7 a.m., as well as 1 and 2 p.m., are likely to be less full.
3. Support your spine
Bring a back roll or ask for extra pillows to put behind your back to help minimize slouching. Over the course of several hours, this can prevent significant pressure on your lumbar spine and associated pain.
See Different Types of Pillows
If you are on the shorter side, bring something to prop up your feet to keep your knees at a right angle. You may also want to splurge for a first-class or business-class seat.
4. Bring heat and/or cold therapy
When you first sit down in your seat, applying heat therapy can help help loosen up your muscles and minimize stiffness. After a few hours, applying cold therapy can help cool pain and inflammation provoked by excessive sitting.
See Heat Therapy Cold Therapy
To help avoid issues with security, you can bring small plastic bags to fill with ice at the airport. Additionally, you can purchase disposable heat wraps that deliver low-level heat over the course of several hours.
See Benefits of Heat Therapy for Lower Back Pain
5. Engage your mind
It seems too simple, but specific imagery techniques can help reduce your experience of lower back pain while flying.
See 11 Chronic Pain Control Techniques
One simple technique you can try is mental anesthesia. All you need to do is picture an injection of numbing anesthetic (like Novocain) going into your lower back. Additionally, you can imagine a soothing and cooling ice pack being placed onto your lower back.
See Chronic Pain Coping Techniques - Pain Managemen
I hope all of the above advice will help keep your back healthy and happy on your next flight.
Learn more:
Ice Massage for Back Pain Relief
Easy Exercise Program for Low Back Pain Relief
If you’re dealing with back pain, you might benefit from online resources that offer additional treatment options and increased engagement. A study published in the journal Nature found that participants who completed a 12-week internet-app-based care program reported less lower back pain and interest in surgery than before.1
A recent study found that participation in an internet-app-based care program may help improve lower back pain. Read Lower Back Pain Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
App-based program improves lower back pain
All study participants had lower back pain and were divided into two groups:
- Participants in the first group were given tablet computers with an app that provides remote access to sensor-guided exercise therapy, education articles, cognitive behavioral therapy, team discussions, symptom tracking, and personalized coaching.
- Participants in the control group received only three education articles.
See Early Treatments for Lower Back Pain
Throughout the study, all participants maintained access to treatment as usual, such as doctor visits, medication, and diagnostic imaging.
Participants who completed the digital program on average logged 44.8 workouts, read 9.2 online education articles, completed 1.7 cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, and posted on the app’s feed 6.3 times. Here’s what the study revealed:
- People who completed the program improved their pain outcomes by an average of 52% to 64%.
- Participants reported a 52% decrease in average interest in surgery to treat their lower back pain, while the control group showed a 53% increase in average interest in surgery.
At the end of 12 weeks, the people who consistently engaged with multiple non-invasive treatments through the app reported significantly less pain and interest in surgery than the people in the control group.
See Surgery for Lower Back Pain
Education, coaching, and community may help improve lower back pain
This study suggests that educational resources, group support, 1-on-1 coaching, and self-tracking—administered remotely through an app—may be helpful additions to standard lower back pain treatment protocol. However, this study was small and other studies have been inconclusive, so further research on the digital component of care is needed.
See Non-Surgical Treatments for Lower Back Pain
Actively engaging in your recovery, whether it’s through an app or not, can lead to health benefits. In addition to discussing your pain with a doctor, you may want to consider:
- Reading peer-reviewed articles on back symptoms or treatments
- Joining a forum and connecting with other people who have similar back pain experiences
- Trying cognitive behavioral therapy with a therapist or on the internet
- Performing exercises under the guidance of a health care provider
See Back Strengthening Exercises
If you have found limited or no success with non-invasive treatments for lower back pain, your doctor may discuss with you such options as injections, prolotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulators, or surgery.
The best office chair is largely based on personal preference, but there are several ergonomic features you may want to look for when making your selection. This quick guide will get you started.
When choosing an ergonomic office chair, consider features like lumbar support, adjustable armrests and height, high backrest and headrest, and a deep seat. Read Office Chair: Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair
Office chair features to look for
Typically a comfortable, supportive office chair is designed with several ergonomic qualities, such as:
Lumbar support. Your lumbar spine (lower back) naturally curves inward. Without lower back support it’s easy to round your back and flatten this curve when you sit for a prolonged period of time, which can strain the lumbar spine. An ergonomic chair should offer adjustable lumbar support. For some chairs with mesh backrests, adjustable lumbar support looks like a piece of reinforced plastic that is built onto the backrest and can be raised up or down. For padded chairs, you should be able to adjust the height of the backrest, which is designed with a supportive curve.
See Types of Lumbar Support and Ergonomic Office Chairs
Adjustable armrests. Armrests can help to support your elbows and take some weight off your shoulders, reducing neck and shoulder strain. Your elbows should rest lightly on the armrests and bend at about a 90-degree angle when using a keyboard and mouse. Look for armrests that have adjustable heights and can slide inward, so you can keep your arms close to your body.
Watch Video: 6 Tips to Improve Posture While Sitting
Adjustable height. An office chair that encourages correct posture should allow you to scoot all the way to the back of the seat with your feet flat on the floor, thighs horizontal and arms even with the height of the desk. It is thought that a seat height ranging from 16 to 21 inches off the ground is suitable for most people. An office chair that comes with a pneumatic adjustment lever can help you find the right height.
See Types of Lumbar Support and Ergonomic Office Chairs
High backrest and headrest. Look for an office chair that has a backrest that supports the natural curve of your spine. A backrest high enough for your upper back to stay flush against can help to keep you from hunching your shoulders. A headrest can also encourage you to keep your head back rather than drooping your neck forward, a position that load dozens of extra pounds of pressure on your cervical spine.
See How Poor Posture Causes Neck Pain
Deep seat. The seat should be deep enough so that you can sit with your back against the backrest while leaving 2 to 4 inches between the back of the knees and the seat of the chair. For extra customization, keep an eye out for office chairs that allow you to adjust the forward or backward tilt of the seat.
Test out a variety of office chairs before you make a purchase, and see which one offers you the most comfort and support. You may even find that you prefer an office chair solution with an alternative design.