Do you find your back aching and nagging you when you first get up in the morning or after sitting in a chair? You may even notice your back start to bother you with standing for more than 10 minutes or having to walk distances. Back pain can come in different sensations from dull aches, to sharp stabbing pains or even radiating pain into the legs. The bottom line is with a healthy spine, back pain can be prevented and even reversed.
You Can Prevent Back Pain By Keeping Your Spine Healthy! Health & The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Do you find your back aching and nagging you when you first get up in the morning or after sitting in a chair? You may even notice your back start to bother you with standing for more than 10 minutes or having to walk distances. Back pain can come in different sensations fromdull aches, to sharp stabbing pains or even radiating pain into the legs. The bottom line is with a healthy spine, back pain can be prevented and even reversed.
INSIDE: • Discover Why Having a Healthy Spine Prevents Back Pain • What can you do to maintain your spine health?
Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Discover Why Having a Healthy Spine Prevents Back Pain
Is your spine healthy? Compare yourself with the ideal healthy spine below to see if your spine has the following: • Good posture and spinal curves • Strong abdominal and core muscles • Strong spinal and gluteus muscles • Good flexibility and balance with side- bending and rotation • Good nutrition and rested well at night
How can you improve your spinal health? You think about eating right, exercising and having a healthy heart, but what about your back? Your spine is what gives you the ability tomove around, protects your spinal cord and allows you to breathe properly. In fact, almost every function in your body is directly connected to the health of your spine. Therefore, it stands to reason that you should care for your back like you do your heart. Anybody with back pain can tell you that it interferes with your life, but with the right help, back pain can be a thing of the past.
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Find a neutral spine.
trolled manner. int.
Start position Exercise Essentials Try these simple exercises to help keep you loose and pain-free... Share this with a friend or family member to help keep them healthy, too! Lean backward Start position Lean backward Execution: Bend forwards in a very controlled manner. Think about moving joint by joint. Return to the start position. Start position
ntrolled manner. oint.
Think about moving joint by joint Bend fo
Think about moving joint by joint Lumbar Segmental Extension Preparation: Sta d with g od p sture. Find a neutral spine. Execution:
CHILD’S POSE Kneel on the floor, buttocks over heels. Stretch arms forward far as you can. Let head and trunk sag to the floor and hang heavy. Keep buttocks over heels. Relax. Do this for 1 minute. Then repeat 2 more times Lumbar Segmental Extension Preparation: Stand with good posture. Find a neutral spine. Execution:
Think about moving joint by joint LUMBAR SEGMENTAL EXTENSION Stand with good posture. Find a neutral spine. Bend backwards in a very controlled manner. Think about moving joint by joint. Do not push into pain. Return to the start position. Repeat 6 times.
SIDELYING Lie on your side. Place a pillow between your knees for support. Relax. Do this for 1 minute then repeat on the other side.
Bend backwards in a very controlled manner. Think about moving joint by joint. Do not push into pain. Return to the start position.
Think about moving joint by joint
ees for support.
Start position
knees for support.
Lie on side. Use pillows for support.
Start Bend backwards in a very controlled manner. Think about moving joint by joint. Do not push into pain. Return to the start position.
Buttocks over heels, stretch arms
Start position
Think about moving joint by joint Lean ba
Sidelying
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsur of doing.
Lie on side. Use pillows for support.
Buttocks over heels, stretch arms
Lie on your side. Place a pillow between your knees for support. Relax. Who do you know that needs our help?
Think about moving joint by joint Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely
Sidelying
Lie on side. U
Lie on your side. Place a pillow between your knees for support. Relax.
9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyl
Lie on side. Use pillows for support.
If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Physical Therapy Specialties today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly for a Physical Therapy Consultation.
Call Today! 925.417.8005
WATER EXERCISE FOR BACK PAIN THERAPY
• Blood flow will improve to your muscles. Hydrostatic pressure of water helps with increasing oxygenated blood flow to the muscles which helps to speed up the healing process. Working in water also improves your heart and lung function because they have to work against the pressure of water. • Your perception of pain decreases in the water. The environment of our 92 o F pool is pleasing and soothing to the body. Your muscles will have a chance to relax and you will enjoy the time spent in the pool. Call for a free consultation to see if water exercise is appropriate for you 925.417.8005.
Back pain canmake it hard tomove around— sometimes it hurts somuch that one tries to rest by sitting and lying down. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help in the long run. The cycle of resting makes one weaker and then even less tolerant to daily activates. Instead of falling into that rut, head for the pool! Aquatic therapists and exercise coaches use gentle and safe techniques to alleviate back pain and help it from becoming worse. Back pain is generally the cause of weak back muscles and/or abdominal muscles. Working out in the pool can strengthen those muscles as well as all the surrounding muscles helping to better support your spine. Working out in water has many benefits, the special properties can make exercising less painful andmore enjoyable. The water helps to unload your spine, which assists in taking stress off your back allowing you to move easily, usually without pain.
Staying active is key to staying strong, so don’t get stuck on that sofa or nice warm bed when you have back pain. Water is beneficial regardless of age or fitness level, our therapists and water exercise coaches are extremely qualified to design a treatment plan that best suits your needs. If you suffer with back pain from injury or nagging arthritis but aren’t yet ready tomake that plunge into water exercise, here are some of the benefits that might make you think twice: • Water supports up to 90% of your body weight, putting less stress on your joints and spine, increasing range of motion in ways that gravity prevents on land. • You will strengthen your muscles without further risk of injury. Moving in water will challenge and increase your strength because water offers 12 timesmore resistance than air—but you will hardly feel it.
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“I drive my car with both hands. I am continuing PT. Hope lives.” Patient Spotlight What our patients have to say!
“Physical Therapy Specialties is the place where HOPE lives. I have been a patient here for years, having had many orthopedic surgeries, including a total spinal reconstruction in 2007. The staff was knowledgeable, caring, and was always committed to my recovery. In January 2018 I had a shoulder replacement after a fall. The fracture caused severe damage to the nerve plexus to my arm and hand, rendering my left hand virtually useless. My rehab program started immediately. In October I still had poor function in my hand and my surgeon ordered an EMG consult with a neurologist. My husband or daughter had to drive me everywhere because I could not use my arm to drive. After the visit for my EMG I returned to the waiting room sobbing. The neurologist told me that my hand would not improve because the nerve damage was too severe. When I saw my surgeon, he disagreed. He scheduled a frozen shoulder surgery and encouraged me to continue PT. Now, in March 2019, I drive my car with both hands. I am continuing PT. Hope lives.” - Julie B.
IMPROVE Your health in our warm water therapy pool!
Talk to the experts! • Caitlin Cooper, PT • Kristina Chang, PT • Jennifer Freitas, PT • Stephen George, PT • Melissa Giustino, PT • Ida Hirst, PT • Michael Petrak, PT • Beth Powell, PT
I ncrease range of motion M ove freely P rotect joints R educe pain O btain cardio fitness V i tal ize muscle strength E nhance flexibility and balance
• Shabeeba Shafi, PT • Dina Stepanek, PT
Email us: Ida@pt-specialties.com CALL TODAY! 925.417.8005
Pool Therapy and Water Classes Offered Daily. Schedule is on our website.
Read these 6 things that you can do to make sure you are maintaining a healthy spine in order to protect your self from future pain and injury. #6 should be done at Physical Therapy Specialties. What can you do to maintain your spine health?
Your spine is a complicated structure of vertebrae, discs, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. Every second of every day your spine is moving in a delicate balance, even while you breathe! Take care of it and it will take care of you.
4. Improve Your Flexibility and Strength Your spine and body is designed tomove. Keep your spine flexible by stretching for 10minutes every day. It is best to get up and move around when possible at work. Stretch your spine out by reaching overhead and leaning over to one side, then the other. Also, work on gently
1. Eat Right Nutrition is critical to having a healthy body. The same goes for your spine. Protein rebuilds spinal muscle tissue, ligaments and tendons. Healthy fruits and vegetables contain the vitamins and antioxidants to make the spine function. They rebuild bone, muscle and connective tissues that are constantly being used throughout the day. 2. Rest Throughout the day your spine is compressed with standing, sitting and bending. You can actually lose about ½ an inch over the course of a day. Adequate rest in a good position while sleeping, helps you maintain a healthy spine. It is ideal to start off lying in bed for the first 10 minutes on your side with your knees curled
twisting at the waist and don’t forget to stretch your hamstring muscles frequently. Spend 3-4 days a week working on your core strength with abdominal muscle exercises, squats and other exercises to keep your spine and core muscles strong. This supports your spine and allows you to move without stressing the discs or nerves in your back.
5. Improve Your Posture and Balance Make sure that you sit properly with a straight-backed chair and your feet flat on the floor. Avoid sitting on very soft couches for prolonged periods as this keeps your spine in a flexed position. Make sure that you keep your spine straight when lifting, using your legs and avoiding twisting. Keep your balance
tip-top to activate the small muscles of the spine and use your nervous system. Enhance your balance by standing on one leg at a time for 10 seconds 3-4 times a week.
up. This allows the discs to rehydrate. Then continue sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs or roll onto your back with a pillow under your knees. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
6. Have a Spine Check-up Have one of our medical specialists at Physical Therapy Specialties check your spine alignment and function every 6 months to ensure your back is moving how it should. Our physical therapists are the medical experts in helping your back operate as it should. If you are suffering with backaches and pains, come
3. Stop Smoking Many studies show that nicotine in cigarettes directly accelerates the breakdown of the discs in the spine and destroys connective tissues that keep the joints moving properly. In addition, nicotine increases the inflammatory response in the body, disrupting the body’s natural ability to repair itself.
in for a check-up sooner rather than later. Long term aches and pains can mean permanent damage is being done to your spine. Catching back pain early leads to a healthy spine for life.
Come Back In For A Consultation Whether you want to come in for a check-up, suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your health, a doctor referral is not needed. In the state of California you have direct access to physical therapy!
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See our physical therapists for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties
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