HEALTH & WELLNESS
The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
ARE YOU E XPERIENCING LOWER BACK PAIN? CHANCES ARE, IT MAY BE CAUSED BY ANOTHER ISSUE Your spine is a complex part of your body – it requires proper posture, flexibility, coordination, and strength, in order to do its job correctly. When one of these elements is altered, your spine can emit painful responses that can settle in other nearby parts of the body. (Continued inside)
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WHERE IS YOUR PAIN COMING FROM?
According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 80% of adults will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is actually the most commonly reported location of pain across the globe. But how often is the source actually another part of your body? PAIN IS USUALLY CONNECTED: Your spine is a lengthy structure, and pain can travel along it. Let’s say you are prone to neck pain – perhaps you have a slouched posture from sitting at a desk all day and the pressure radiates in your shoulders. Or, maybe you’ve had a previous injury, such as whiplash, that still elicits painful stings every nowand then. Now, let’s say you begin feeling pain in your lower back in addition to your neck pain. Why does this happen? Basically, the pains are connected to each other. Your headweighs about 10- 12 pounds, which is roughly theweight of a bowling ball. When you slouch, or compensate pain by realigning your body, your back muscles have to work extra hard to keep you from toppling forward. Have you ever been so tired that your head begins to bob and it jolts you awake? That’s because your head is heavy! The weight from the motion wakes you back up because your body isn’t used to carrying it in that way. This is also why pain in your lower backmay occur as a result. Your backmuscles are working in overdrive andmay be constricting to try and hold you up. If you notice neck and back pain at the same time as one another, try sitting up straighter – it should help ease some of the stress! IS YOUR NECK THE CULPRIT? The most common combination of pain is in the neck and the back. If you are experiencing both, it is most likely stemming from the neck. We don’t typically think about it, but we use our necks for a lot of our daily activities. Even simple things, such as turning to grab something out of the cupboard or looking over your shoulder when backing out of a driveway, use a lot of neck muscles. When you do simple tasks such as these, do you find yourself turning your entire body, as opposed to just your head? If so, you could experience back pain along with your neck pain. When you have limitedmotion in your neck, your body compensates by twistingmore than it usually would, thus over-rotating your lower back. This could cause a source of pain or general discomfort in the area, due to abnormal overuse. If you are experiencing neck pain, back pain, or a combination of both, our physical therapists would be more than happy to meet with you for a consultation to discuss how they can help. Call us today to talk to an expert about how we can relieve your aches and pains!
HOW CAN I TELL IF MY NECK IS CAUSING MY BACK PAIN? It can sometimes to be difficult to determine if your back pain is rooted in your neck. This simple, at-home test can assist you in figuring it out: 1. Stand straight in front of another person. Theywill be your eyes regarding themovements you make. 2. Once they are watching you, turn your head as far as you comfortably can to the left. Repeat the same motion to the right. Have them take note of how far you are able to go. 3. Now, sit down in front of the same person. Repeat the same turningmotions froma chair or couch. Again, have themtake note of how far you are able to comfortably turn your head. 4. Ask if there were any differences in the turning movement. Did one side seem to turn further than the other? Was there a difference in standing vs. sitting? This test is helpful in finding out if your neck is causing (or is at risk of causing) pain in your lower back. If your movement is limited, especially sitting down, it means that the muscles in your back or upper back are tight. These constricted motions can cause pain in the lower back. HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP ME? Physical therapy is the leading recommendation for back pain. Physical therapists are trained to evaluate muscle and joint movement, and they can easily assist you in finding the root of your problem. They will thoroughly evaluate you to figure out why you are experiencing pain, determining the source and treating all affected areas. After your initial consultation, they will create a specialized treatment plan for you, based on their diagnosis of your specific needs. A physical therapist’s end goal is the same as yours – to get you feeling better, healthier, andmore comfortable! If you are experiencing lower back pain and think it may be caused by an issue occurring in your neck, give us a call today. We’ll get you moving comfortably again in no time.
Do You Have Difficulty With Pain?
WE CAN HELP: • Decrease your pain • Increase your strength • Increase your energy
• Increase your flexibility • Improve your health • Get back to living
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CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATES
We are committed in keeping our teammembers and patients safe in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
• Our clinics remain open and continue to serve our patients and communities. We are taking precautions by following CDC guidelines and offering 1:1 treatment times to minimize exposure while maximizing therapeutic benefits. • Our routine cleaning standards in the clinic already meet CDC guidelines. We are taking extra precautions to maintain safe and healthy treatment environments. We understand this is a challenging time for us, but we want to reassure you that we are committed to using preventative measures such as disinfecting our equipment and countertops, washing our hands frequently, and using alcohol-based sanitizer to prevent the spread of COVID, as well as cold and flu. In addition, we are emphasizing and encouraging proper hand hygiene among our patients. • To better protect patients and team members, we are screening each patient at check-in and asking that patients DO NOT bring guests or family members to their appointments. Only visitors deemed necessary to the patient’s care and well-being are permitted to enter our clinics, all essential visitors will also be screened. • In the coming days we will make Telehealth virtual appointments available as an alternative for our patients. This will allow patients to be seen by their therapist in the safety of their own home when appropriate. As this situation in changing rapidly; we will continue to keep you informed of any changes our offices are making to accommodate patient needs and the safety of the community.
Exercise Essentials Try this simple exercise to relieve back pain.
HAMSTRING STRETCH While in a crawl position, slowly lower your buttocks towards your feet until a stretch is felt along your back and or buttocks. Hold for twenty seconds and repeat as needed. This is a good stretch if you sit at a computer all day.
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
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The staff at Global Physical Therapy and Spine Specialities is focused on keeping our equipment and facilities clean for you. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we want to also encourage our patients to help prevent the spread of coronavirus by: Your Health In Mind!
STAYING HOME IF YOU ARE SICK
CLEANING HANDS OFTEN
AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE WITH UNWASHED HANDS
If you are feeling sick, we ask that you stay home and contact us to reschedule your appointment. Thank you!
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