PHYSICAL THERAPY N E W S L E T T E R
WHERE IS YOUR BACK PAIN COMING FROM?
Your spine is a complex part of your body – it requires proper posture, flexibility,coordination,andstrength, inordertodo its jobcorrectly.When one of these elements is altered, your spine can emit painful responses that can settle in other nearby parts of the body. AccordingtotheNational InstituteofHealth,approximately80%ofadults will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is actually the most commonly reported location of pain across the globe. But how often is the source actually another part of your body? Pain Is Usually Connected Your spine is a lengthy structure, and pain can travel along it. Let’s say youarepronetoneckpain–perhapsyouhaveaslouchedposture from sitting at a desk all day and the pressure radiates in your shoulders. Or, maybe you’ve had a previous injury, such as whiplash, that still elicits painful stings every now and then. Now, let’s say you begin feeling pain in your lower back in addition to your neck pain. Why does this happen? Basically,thepainsareconnectedtoeachother.Yourheadweighsabout 10-12 pounds, which is roughly the weight of a bowling ball. When you slouch, or compensate pain by realigning your body, your back muscles have to work extra hard to keep you from toppling forward. Have you ever been so tired that your head begins to bob and it jolts you awake? That’s because your head is heavy! The weight from the motion wakes you back up because your body isn’t used to carrying it in that way. This is also why pain in your lower back may occur as a result. Your back muscles are working in overdrive and may be constricting to try and
hold you up. If you notice neck and back pain at the same time as one another,trysittingupstraighter– itshouldhelpeasesomeofthestress! Is Your Neck The 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 turning your entire body, as opposed to just your head? If so, you could experience back pain along with your neck pain. When you have limited motion in your neck, your body compensates by twisting more than it usually would, thus over-rotating your lower back. This could cause a source of pain or general discomfort in the area, due to abnormal overuse. If you are experiencing neck pain, back pain, or a combination of both, our physical therapists would be more than happy to meet with you for a consultation to discuss how they can help. Call us today to talk to an expert about how we can relieve your aches and pains! If you’re suffering from back pain, call your Physical Therapist at Total Performance Physical Therapy to schedule your appointment today!
Learn more by visiting our website at TotalPerformancePT.com or schedule your consultation today by calling 215.997.9898 !
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