Canyon: Surgery Should Be The Last Option

Wellness Expert Newsletter by Canyon Sports Therapy

Wellness Expert Newsletter • Easing Into The Ski Season • Exercise Essentials • Patient Results • Posture Reduces Back Pain

Many patients with low back pain should consider physical therapy as a first line of treatment for their condition, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). An article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that in most cases of symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease, a common cause of low back pain (LBP), the most effective treatment is physical therapy combined with anti-inflammatory medications and concludes that physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs are the cornerstones of non-surgical treatment. Symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease develops when a disc weakens (often due to repetitive strain), is injured, or deteriorates from aging. As a result, the disc is unable to hold the vertebrae as it should and the lack of stability can cause back pain. Approximately 75 to 85 percent of adults will be affected by low back pain during their lifetimes. Physical Therapist intervention includes strengthening of core muscle groups, including the abdominal wall, which can have positive effects in patients with this condition. (continued inside)

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Consider Physical Therapy As A First Line Of Treatment! SURGERY SHOULD BE THE LAST OPTION (continued) Exercise and manual therapy including spinal manipulation, have been shown to alleviate pain in many patients. In addition, patient education to remain active and use appropriate body mechanics is beneficial. Physical therapists are trained to identify which of these treatment strategies will be most effective for an individual patient, which further improves the effectiveness of care. In addition to building the core muscle groups, hands-on therapy to mobilize the spine has been shown to be particularly effective. Physical therapists can help patients develop a safe and effective exercise program that is tailored to their specific needs and goals. Surgery should be the last option, but too often patients think of surgery as a cure all and are eager to embark on it. Receiving care from a licensed physical therapist can further improve the odds that a patient can maintain their quality of life and avoid surgery.

“Improved my strength and range of motion to levels higher than ever before!” PATIENT RESULTS

“My first visit to Canyon Sports Therapy was in January 2015. I needed treatment because I had torn a muscle in my lower back when I attempted to lift a heavy bucket of water, while leaning too far forward in an awkward location. This injury, along with being painful, left me almost unable to walk. The first two or three treatment sessions greatly alleviated my pain. As these treatments successfully progressed, I learned that treatment was available for injuries to my rotator cuffs, which I tore in three separate incidents dating back 15-30 years earlier. Since the first successful treatment of my back injury was completed in the summer of 2015, I have been successfully treated for two more back injuries caused by falls. Treatments to my arms and shoulders have improved my strength and range of motion to levels higher than ever before, thanks to Canyon Sports Therapy. All of the staff at this organization are extremely friendly and helpful, reflecting a culture that is inherent in the bosses John and Bea. Finally, I will be forever grateful to my therapist Andrea who has done a remarkable job of helping me restore my physical functionality to a level I had not believed was possible.” - K.W. OUR MISSION “To restore physical ability and bring out your inner athlete.” www.canyonsportstherapy.com

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing. Exercise Essentials Try this simple exercise to keep you moving...

THORACIC EXTENSION KNEELING PUSH UPS Loosens tight hips.

Kneel on knees with buttock touching heels. Place your hands and forearms on the ground in front of you. Push up to lift your chest and upper back only. Repeat 8 times.

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EASING INTO YOUR SKI SEASON by John Feig, PT,CEO

Approach any new season outdoor activity wisely. Our body responds brilliantly when subjected to progressive increasing stress. Plan to dose your activity by limiting your time as well as difficulty of the terrain you plan to take on. Begin your ski season on more gentle terrain. Allow your body the luxury of comfortably exploring its flexibility limits while at the same time subjecting your muscles to manageable forces. Temper — for at least the first few weeks on snow — your urge to take on advanced terrain. During this early period you are more likely to ingrain defensive movement patterns which may feel efficient but are, in reality, static and hard on ligaments, tendons and joints. Ending skiing when your technique begins to deteriorate will help prevent this. Proper conditioning will also help. The Best World Cup Skiers understand that their last run is what their brain remembers so they are quite careful to call it a day long before they fatigue and their skiing deteriorates. Tactful and graduated training ensures you will stay injury free and perform at your best.

Call Canyon Sports Therapy now 801-944-1209 to have one of our ski specialists evaluate your readiness for our rapidly approaching ski season. We can put you on a program to maximize your winter season.

One of the things my patients with back, neck, or even shoulder pain often share, is poor posture. They never really want to hear this, because they already know it on some level, deep inside. The truth is, we live in a world of convenience and we sit down a lot to accomplish a majority of our tasks—whether it be work, eat, or play. Additionally, gravity is constant and unrelenting, pulling our bodies down, down, down, to the path of least resistance, at which point our passive soft tissue structures take over as a last resort. Over time, these structures become stressed or HOW IMPROVED POSTURE By Danny Hansen compressed in such a way that the body sends its pain signals to our brain as a caution that further damage may occur. This signal prompts us to change our body position—potentially l t

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to another harmful position—until the same thing happens again, and again, and the cycle continues. How do we break the cycle? With regional interdependence. If you ask an orthopedic healthcare provider which area of the back is more commonly injured they will tell you, “The lumbar portion.” You probably could have guessed that yourself. I once heard an aging individual with back pain joke, “If you don’t know what it is like to have low back pain, just wait.” There are many reasons why the low back is more commonly injured, but the one I am going to focus on has to do with, regional interdependence. In short, we use our lumbar spine (low back) more frequently and

“...the singl important thi teach anyon struggling wit or back pain, understand the of lumbopelvi

stress it more frequently, than any other part of our spine. Try this little exercise. Since you’re reading this you are most likely sitting down, and since your are sitting down, gravity has been exerting its will on you and your posture is suffering. So, SIT UP STRAIGHT! Isn’t that what your mom always told you? Good. Now, slump back down. Sit up straight. Slump back down. Sit up straight. Now after having done that, which part of your spine moved the most? Exactly, your lumbar spine! It is safe to say that we “depend” primarily on our lumbar spine for movement, especially when it comes to posture and “sitting up straight.” Notice when you sit up straight your thoracic spine (mid back) hardly even moved. So, what is regional interdependence as it relates to your spine? It is simply: getting you to move through all aspects of your spine, instead of just your lumbar spine. This is easier said than done and there are specific ways to gradually help an individual accomplish regional interdependence in their spine. However, the single most important thing I could teach anyone who is struggling with posture or back pain, would be to understand the importance of lumbopelvic control. Your pelvis is located at the bottom of your spine. Because of this proximity, movement that occurs at the pelvis directly affects the spine. Therefore, learning to have good lumbopelvic control is crucial in improving regional interdependence of your spine. Here is another exercise. Stand up for this one. Think of your pelvis as being a bowl full of water. Without moving any other part of your body, tilt your pelvis forward as if you were going to poor water out the front; this is an anterior pelvic tilt. Again, without moving your body, tilt your pelvis backward as if you were going to poor water out the back; this is a posterior pelvic tilt. Do this over and over until you get good at it and then notice what happens to your lumbar spine as you move back and forth. As you anterior tilt, your lumbar spine extends or arches; as

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CAN REDUCE BACK PAIN DPT, CSCS

u posterior tilt, your lumbar spine flexes or rounds. Mastering lumbopelvic control takes ractice and sometimes supervision from a trained physical therapist to get the correct uscle firing and activating. Don’t get too frustrated if you are not immediately successful. he point is, you are now aware of it and just by being aware, you have begun to improve. ow, how does this relate to posture again? Think about when you were a kid and you ved to play with blocks. The blocks that stacked the best were right on top of each other, at way, gravity couldn’t tip them over. One block was right on top of the other and they uld stay that way all day (unless you knocked them over). The same concept applies to ur spine. Your spine has natural curves which are important for injury prevention, fluidity

of movement, and shock absorption. With your muscles, you can straighten your spine out, stacking your vertebral bodies directly on top of each other to achieve ideal posture. To create regional interdependence in your spine you need to place every aspect of your spine in a “neutral position.” By using lumbopelvic control, you can keep your lumbar spine in a neutral position (not all the way forward and not all the way back). Use your glute muscles to do this, and then force the rest of your spine to move. Again, this is easier said than done. It takes practice and training, but when done correctly it can relieve most postural deficits and non nerve-related back pain. To finish up, try the first exercise again, except this time keep your pelvis and lumbar spine in “neutral” and try to sit up by straightening

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ur thoracic spine. This movement may feel restricted because of the lack of thoracic spine ovement used up to this point in your life, and needs to be gradually worked into, so don’t rce it. This is regional interdependence of your spine, unloading your lumbar spine and king your thoracic spine to move more. y successfully practicing these postural changes you can successfully combat gravity r longer periods of time because of better “stacking” of the spine. This will allow for etter postural and spinal alignment, and—more importantly—a huge reduction in back and oulder pain. Good Luck!

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