ShorelinePT_Is It Back Pain Or Sciatica

Newsletter for Shoreline Physical Therapy Sport & Spine Specialists

THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY NEWSLET TER

COULD YOUR BACK PAIN BE CAUSED BY SCIATICA?

Does life ever feel like one large pain in the back? Back pain is difficult to deal with on a daily basis, yet for so many people, this is a total reality. By certain estimates, as many as 85 percent of adults in the United States struggle with back pain at some point in their lives.

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Details Inside

INSIDE : • Understanding Your Back Pain • Exercise Of The Month

• 3 Natural Solutions To Beat Spring Allergies • What Is Teletharapy & Its Benefits?

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THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY NEWSLET TER COULD YOUR BACK PAIN BE CAUSED BY SCIATICA?

INSIDE : • Understanding Your Back Pain • Exercise Of The Month

• 3 Natural Solutions To Beat Spring Allergies • What Is Teletharapy & Its Benefits?

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individual’s pain responds to movements and postures, we can customize specific movement exercises and posture correction to immediately reduce pain. In fact, when using this method of treatment, we find that 80% of patients with back or leg pain have the ability to RAPIDLY REDUCE their pain and improve their daily function. Most patients in this group see significant improvement within 2 weeks. All by UNDERSTANDING their condition and implementing simple movements throughout their day. Education is the key, we EMPOWER the patient with the tools to get themselves better, and remain better. Understanding Back Pain Being educated about your back pain can help you make the right choices to overcome it as quickly as possible. One of the biggest problems with back pain is that it lingers. People can have episodes of back pain for years on end without seemingly any end in sight. One of the most common causes of this lingering pain is a lumbar disc bulge or degenerative disc disease (DDD). While DDD sounds like something awful, it is actually very common as we age, most pain free people over 60 years old have a form of DDD. Regardless, pain coming from a disc bulge or DDD is often RAPIDLY REVERSIBLE. The same evaluation and treatment described above can significantly reduce pain and improve function in a short period of time. Our MDT trained physical therapists can get you started on the road to recovery. And once you recover, you can reduce the frequency of episodes with a simple maintenance program!

Lower back pain is the most common type of back pain. Pain can be local to the lower back or even radiate in to the buttock, thigh or lower leg. Even stand alone pain or numbness in the leg can be referred from the back. Research says that two-thirds of people with back pain do not recall a specific injury that started their pain. The other one-third of back pain sufferers recall an injury such as lifting something heavy, falling, or being in an accident. Some common predisposing factors to low back pain include increased frequency of forward bending with work, prolonged periods of sitting during the day, and poor posture habits. Too many people consider back pain a normal experience in their lives and don’t immediately seek help that could make the pain an issue of the past. Working with a MDT trained physical therapist (all therapists at Shoreline Physical Therapy are MDT trained) is, hands down, the best thing that you can do when you are looking to overcome back pain. All physical therapy is not the same! Most physical therapists treat all patients with back pain with the same exercises to work on strength and flexibility without taking the time to truly understand how a patients back pain behaves and responds to movement and postures. In using this “cookie cutter” approach, the therapist is basically hoping the patient gets a little bit better. This is not how we treat low back pain and Shoreline Physical Therapy! At Shoreline Physical Therapy, our evaluation and treatment methods using MDT training are far superior to other forms of physical therapy. By LISTENING to the patient and THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATING how an

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Understanding Sciatica

3 NATURAL SOLUTIONS TO BEAT SPRING ALLERGIES

1. Limit your time outdoors. Each spring, trees release billions of tiny pollen grains into the air. When you breathe them into your nose and lungs, they can trigger an allergic reaction. Staying inside can help, especially on windy days and during the early morning hours, when pollen counts are highest. 2. Tweak your home. Simple changes make a difference. Shut all windows to keep out pollen. Use an air conditioner to cool your home instead of a fan, which draws in air from outside. Take off your shoes at the door and ask guests to do the same. That keeps allergens outside. Finally, don’t allow guests, or yourself, to smoke inside the home. It can make allergy symptoms worse. If you or someone you live with smokes, now is a good time to quit. 3. Keep it clean! Be sure to wash all surfaces regularly with single-wipe dust rags (if using cleaning rags, be sure to wash them in hot water after each use). If you find mold, use water and detergent to clean, then let it air-dry completely. Finally, wash all bedding once a week in hot water and dry in a hot dryer.

Episodes of back pain if left untreated can progress into sciatica. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that runs from the very bottom of your spine down the back or side of the leg all the way to the foot. Sciatica occurs if this sciatic nerve becomes compressed or inflamed. Severe arthritis or disc herniation are two main causes of sciatica. How can you tell the difference between back pain and sciatica pain? Sciatica is characterized by the following factors:

Try this movement if you are experiencing back pain. EXERCISE OF THE MONTH

• Pain usually on one side and radiates below the knee

• The leg pain develops more like a burning, tingling, or searing sensation, and not as a plain ache

Relieves Back Pain

• The sharp pain in the leg can make it difficult to sit, stand or walk

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TRUNK EXTENSION STRETCH

• The radiating pain can shoot down the leg even into the foot and toes

Start by lying face down on a mat. Move your hands underneath your shoulders. Push into the ground to bring your upper body up. Keep your legs, hips, and lower back relaxed. Do two second holds for 10 repetitions. Repeat as directed by your physical therapist.

Sciatica develops in the nerves that exit the lower back, so while the pain itself is generated from the back, most of the pain is felt in the leg. Sciatica symptoms can be a combination of burning, tingling, numbness, and at times weakness in the leg. If you are experiencing back pain or sciatica and haven’t talked to a medical professional about the concern, then now is the time to take action. Working with a MDT trained physical therapist at Shoreline Physical Therapy can get you on the road to recovery. For more information about overcoming back pain, contact us.

Did you know? We now accept payments online! To make a payment online, simply go to: securepayment.link/shorelineptnc

CALL US TODAY IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY PAIN 910-791-0396

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We can help people from the comfort of their home or workplace with an easy and secure video call. Save the time, hassle, and expense of traveling to our physical location! Teletherapy visits are available to current Shoreline Physical Therapy patients. Appointment requests must be initiated by the patient. Some insurance companies are now allowing new patients to be seen for initial evaluations through Teletherapy visits. Patients can conveniently book Teletherapy appointments by calling our office at 910-791-0396 to request an appointment. Here are just a few of the many benefits of Teletherapy:

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Coupon Corner!

• No Transportation Time or Costs • NoNeedToTakeTimeOffofWork • Eliminate Child or Elder Care Issues. • On-Demand Options

• Access To Specialists • Less Chance of Catching a New Illness • Less Time In the Waiting Room • Better Health

FREE PAIN CONSULTATION

For detailed information regarding Teletherapy, visit our site at shorelineptnc.com/teletherapy

Eric, Physical Therapist

910-791-0396 CALL TO SCHEDULE TODAY! NO PRESCRIPTION NEEDED

Hey! How is your progress going? Are you keeping up with your exercises?

Jane Doe

Yes! I’m getting stronger and my pain is almost gone!

Spots are limited so call today!

Call to schedule. Expires 06-30-20

Eric, Physical Therapist

That’s great to hear! Sounds like your recovery is on track!

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