Low Back Pain: 5 Mistakes You May Be Making in Marietta GA

Low back pain in Marietta GA is a common problem. It is a description of a condition that can be and often becomes a chronic condition to those who suffer from it. The pain and discomfort can come from a multitude of problems including muscle strain, joint or facet injury or dysfunction, disc herniation, osteoarthritis, and nerve irritation to name a few. This type of back pain affects about 80 percent of adults in their lifetimes and upwards of 60 percent of adults in any given year. It is often quoted as the number one cause of job-related disability.

While may treatment options are available for the low back pain sufferer, chiropractic, physical therapy, corticosteroids, and muscle relaxers to name a few, this article is not about its treatment. Today we discuss what you may be doing to cause or prolong you experience back pain.

Five Common Mistakes You May be making with your Lower Back Pain in Marietta GA

Stop thinking that your back can’t or won’t heal.
The truth is, despite the large numbers of people suffering from back pain, most cases resolve over time. In fact what we know is that regardless of the intensity of pain, the location of pain, and even the diagnosis of cause, the vast majority of cases will improve or completely resolve. This is true for cases of joint injury, muscle strain, or even disc herniation. The key is to do what you can to allow the “injury” to heal in the best “environment” possible.

You think you should rest it and “baby” your back.
Long gone are the days of Prolonged bed rest for back pain. Research has indicated that bed rest is one of the worst things you can do when suffering from back pain.

In most cases of back pain, even patients who have back surgery patients are encouraged to start moving as soon as possible. Disc imbibition ( how the lumbar discs “feed” ) and blood flow to the muscles of the spine (and the very small nerves around the vertebrae) are facilitated by movement. Thus limited mobility during bed rest inhibits this important healing process. ( think about it, how do you feel after a long time sitting in a car? ) When our discs do not have adequate motion, the nutrients needed for healing are not delivered, and our recovery can take longer. If we are not moving the spine, then the ability of the spine to rehabilitate and heal is hindered. This is also why chiropractic care can be so essential to facilitating the healing of spine conditions. Chiropractors in Marietta GA are trained to assist you in restoring proper motion to the spine. This has the potential to speed up the healing process, getting you active, and feeling good as quickly as possible!

Avoid the “wrong” exercises.
I can’t tell you how many patients of mine at Bradford Family Chiropractic with back pain have found that in the hopes of fixing their back pain, they prolonged it or made it worse with the wrong stretches and exercises. Here’s what we know about exercise and low back pain….if you do the right exercises, it gets better faster. Conversely, if you do the “wrong exercises ” it gets worse. This is not rocket science guys.

Let’s think about this for a second: there are conservatively speaking almost 2 dozen of individual muscles of the low back and hip ( superficially are the quadratus lumborum, glut Maximus, minimus, medius, latisimus dorsi, deeper layers include piriformis, superior and inferior gemellus, quadratus femoris, internal and external obliques, rotators, multifidi, spinalis, semi spinalis, illiocostalis and more). Can you tell me which one is injured? Or tight? Or strained? Or weak?

I am a big fan of yoga and Pilates in my healthy patients, however, despite the conservative nature of these routines, a “one size fits all” approach to an exercise routine is rarely effective in an injured patient. In my opinion, there is great value in being as focused as possible in our care plan. Simply put if you have a tight muscle, loosen it ( massage, foam roller, heat stretch, etc), if you have a weak muscle strengthen it, and if you have an injured muscle, treat it accordingly (passive range of motion, electric stimulation, cryotherapy etc).

To ensure you protect your back and (More importantly ) benefit from your workout routine, always consult with your spine specialist first before you start or continue an exercise program when dealing with a back injury. Our job is to fully assess your injury to determine not just what is the causes of lower back pain but what we do to protect and help it.

Limit the pain meds.
Pain meds DO NOT heal injuries. Pain meds DO NOT strengthen weak muscles. They simply make you not feel the pain despite the injury. I will say that there is a time and place for them, but they are vastly overused, overprescribed and despite the warnings, vastly underrated as far as their risks.

Fact: 130 Deaths every Day in the USA alone as a result of Opioids. Nuff said. Don’t be another statistic.

You jump into surgery too fast.
So as not to sound like a hypocrite ( just had a hip replacement in March ) surgery is an option. Just rarely should it be the first.

The Signs of Back Pain in Marietta GA

There are many clear and present danger signs and red flags related to low back pain. Your doctor in Marietta GA, be they a Chiropractor, Physiatrist, orthopedist, or physical therapist should be aware of these signs. If you are not demonstrating these red flags ( even if the pain is really bad guys ) most treating physicians will recommend time, therapy, meds, and patience before surgery.

Call our team at Bradford Family Chiropractic in Marietta GA today!