Back and neck pain are two of the most common issues that American adults experience, putting a huge physical and economic burden on working Americans by being both two of the leading needs for medical intervention and two of the most common causes people have to miss work. While these may feel like two separate issues, it is somewhat common that neck pain and back pain are actually related. Core strength can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellness, and when your core is weak, it could add up to weakness in your neck and back.
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Getting To The Core Of Back & Neck Pain
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Health+Fitness Newsletter
Getting To The Core Of Back & Neck Pain
strength as needed. For example, in many situations, neck pain can be treated by improving core strength. Back Pain 101 Severe back pain impacts more than half of the population, and many of those with pain in the back as a result of injury end up dealing with that pain long term. One of the biggest problems with back pain is that once it develops, it is difficult to work around it, and many people begin modifying their movements as a result, causing their back to compensate for the injury by putting pressure on other muscles that eventually just leads to more back pain. For this reason, back pain can frequently become a Catch-22 — avoiding the things that hurt your back could actually lead you to develop more pain in the future. Working with a physical therapist is the best way to cut your back pain issues in half. Physical therapy can address back pain by helping to improve your range of motion, strengthen the muscles in your back and surrounding areas, and by using targeted massage to reduce tension. In many situations, working with a physical therapist to improve core strength can significantly reduce the severity of your back pain.
Back and neck pain are two of the most common issues that American adultsexperience,puttingahugephysicalandeconomicburdenonworking Americans by being both two of the leading needs for medical intervention and two of the most common causes people have to miss work. While these may feel like two separate issues, it is somewhat common that neck pain and back pain are actually related. Core strength can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellness, and when your core is weak, it could add up to weakness in your neck and back. Neck Pain 101 There are a lot of reasons why neck pain may develop, including everything from sudden incidents like a car accident or a slip-and-fall injury, to more chronic issues, such as regularly hunching over a desk at work or even practicing poor posture. One of the biggest problems with neck pain is that it often triggers headaches, as the pain is so closely connected to the spine and nervous system. What is more, addressing neck pain is sometimes difficult as there is so much potential to cause more damage to the neck. This is why working with a physical therapist to address neck pain is wise. A physical therapist can help treat neck pain by improving range of motion, using targeted massage techniques, and by improving
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The Connection Between Core Strength & Back Pain
Youmaybesurprisedhow frequently issueswith theneckandbackactually stem from issues with core strength. Your core refers to the muscles that make up your torso, including your abdomen. These muscles are called the core because they are at the center of your body, and they are necessary in just about every action that you engage in. Everything fromwalking and runningandswimming tosittinganddrivingrequireyou toengageyourcore. There are a lot of reasons to improve core strength outside of any existing neck or back pain. When you improve your core, you are likely to also improve your posture and thereby reduce your risk of developing further back pain in the future. Furthermore, the exercise that helps to improve core strength is often helpful in promoting weight loss, and for those who are overweight, this could also help reduce pain in the neck and the back. Sometimes, when your core is weak, it can cause you to experience added pressure on areas like your neck and back. There are a lot of ways that
working with a physical therapist can help you improve your core strength. You may be encouraged to practice core exercises, for example, which may include abdominal crunches or leg lifts. Light weight-training activities are also frequently helpful, as are balance-based activities like yoga. If you haven’t spent much time building core strength in the past, then working with a physical therapist is a great place to start. Your physical therapistwillguideyou throughproperposturesandmovements toreduce further risk of injury. For more information about how to start improving your core, contact us.
For more information about physical therapy for overcoming bodily pain, contact FYZICAL Therapy!
Exercise Essentials
FREE Educational Workshop Series Learn the 3 biggest mistakes people make!
Balance & Falls April 3 • 11:45 am - 12:45 pm Plainville YMCA Low Back Pain & Sciatica April 11 • 7 pm - 8 pm Southington Location Low Back Pain & Sciatica April 18 • 7-8 pm Bristol Location
Low Back Pain & Sciatica April 22 • 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Wallingford Location
Balance & Falls May 2 • 11 am Bristol Senior Center
PRONE PRESS UP Lie on your stomach with your hands beside your shoulders. Pushing upward with your arms, look up to the ceiling and arch your upper back. Repeat 6 times.
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Patient Success Spotlight “After a recent back injury I quickly resigned myself to an extremely limited range of motion and to accepting chronic pain. I’m so grateful I came to my senses and back to Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers. Within only a few days my pain was diminished and I started to be able to move in ways that would have been impossible because of the pain. Before I could barely put on shoes (I started wearing only shoes that I could slip on), getting dressed in the morning was painful and I had started to cancel plans with friends because I knew that a thirty-minute drive would be too much. Nicole was extremely helpful, and with a series of very simple, basic exercises and guidance I now have zero pain. I’m so relieved for the help, the quick recovery, and that I no longer feel like the pain and a limited life are inevitable.” - Amelia L.
Meet The Staff Staff Spotlight
Dr. Amanda Martin, DPT, CSCS
Experience and Specialties
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
Amanda has been with our company since 2015, gaining valuable clinical experience as a physical therapy aide while studying to become a physical therapist herself. She has had the opportunity to workwithathleteswhileonaclinicalexperienceatCincinnatiSports Medicine & Orthopedic Center and enjoys working with this patient
• Certified Balance Specialist, Level 3
• Sports Rehabilitation
population.AmandahasalsobecomeaCertifiedStrengthandConditioningSpecialist through the NationalStrengthandConditioningAssociation toenhanceherknowledge in theoptimizationof athleticperformance.Shealsoplansoncompleting theMcKenzie Institutecertificationprogram to increase her knowledge in the treatment of patients with spine and extremity injuries. When not at work, Amanda enjoys walking her dog Abbey and going to the beach.
• Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
Healthy Recipe Vegan Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
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INGREDIENTS • 1 head of green cabbage For the Filling • 3/4 cup brown lentils • 3 cups water • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa • 1 cup vegetable broth • 1 small onion, diced • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tsp smoked paprika
For the Sauce: • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree • 1 tbsp maple syrup, or sweetener of choice • 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar • salt and pepper to taste
Directions Beginboiling thecabbage in3 inofwateruntil the leavespeeloffeasily (about20min).Whendone,allow them to cool. While cabbage is simmering, bring lentils to a boil in a separate small saucepan. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 35 minutes, adding water to the pot as needed. Drain any excess liquid. While lentils simmer, place broth into another saucepan, add quinoa, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20 min until all of the water is absorbed (about 20 min). Cook onion with oil in a large skillet over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 5 min). Add 1 1/2 cups of the cooked lentils and 1 cup of the cooked quinoa, along with red wine vinegar, soy sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Make sure ingredients are mixed before removing from heat. Preheat the oven to 350°.Stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, then distribute about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of 9 x 9 inchbakingdish.Afterpeeling leavesoffof thecabbagehead,rollabout3-4 tbspoffilling into thecenter of each leaf until all filling is used. Place each roll into the baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the rolls, cover and bake for 1 hour. Let the rolls cool before serving.
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