Back Pain: Is Your Neck The Real 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 turningyourentirebody,asopposed to justyourhead? Ifso,youcould experience back pain along with your neck pain. Whenyouhave limitedmotion inyourneck,yourbodycompensatesby twisting more than itusuallywould, thusover-rotatingyour lowerback.Thiscouldcause a source of pain or general discomfort in the area, due to abnormal overuse. If youareexperiencingneckpain,backpain,oracombinationofboth,ourphysical therapists would be more than happy to meet with you for a consultation to discusshow theycanhelp.Callus today to talk toanexpertabouthowwecan 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. Standstraight in frontofanotherperson.Theywillbeyoureyes regarding the movements you make. 2. Once theyarewatchingyou, turnyourheadas farasyoucomfortablycan to the left. Repeat the same motion to the right. Have them take note of how far you are able to go.
3. Now,sitdown infrontofthesameperson.Repeatthesameturningmotions fromachairorcouch.Again,have them takenoteofhow faryouareable 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 ishelpful infindingout ifyourneck iscausing (or isat riskofcausing) pain in your lower back. If your movement is limited, especially sitting down, it means that themuscles inyourbackorupperbackare tight.Theseconstricted motions can cause pain in the lower back. How can physical therapy help me? Physicaltherapy isthe leadingrecommendationforbackpain.Physicaltherapists 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, and more 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. Get back to moving and feeling better! Call Axcess Physical Therapy at 815.614.2100 or visit www.axcesspt.com to learn more about our programs today!
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Exercise Essentials
Fun & Games!
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2 9 FOUR POINT TRUNK FLEXION & EXTENSION Start on hands and knees. Arch your back up to the ceiling as high as you comfortably can, and hold.Then, arch your back the opposite direction as low as you comfortably can, and hold. Repeat 6 times. 7 2 6 8 4
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n° 315825 - Level Hard
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6 Instructions: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear exactlyonce ineach row,columnand3x3box,and thesumof thenumbers in each area is equal to the clue in the area’s top-left corner. 4 7 7 9 3
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