"What Jobs Cause a Bad Back and What Can I Do About It?"

"What Jobs Cause a Bad Back and What Can I Do About It?"
Back problems are commonplace in society. It is important to ask if there might be certain risk factors for back injury that should be avoided if possible. While we cannot pick our genetic make-up or even our current occupation (for most of us), how we interact with our daily tasks can be the difference between disabling pain and minor aches.

Some of the most strenuous jobs are those tied to the construction industry. Concrete-reinforcement workers and carpenters have more back pain than what is typically seen in office workers. But office workers can be a greater risk for carpal tunnel symptoms. Each of these jobs has unique characteristics that make certain locations of the spine more affected than others.

Lifting heavy weights (e.g. concrete, lumber), especially in awkward positions, makes the discs in the low back vulnerable to the load, which can exceed the strength of the ligaments. This is called a sprain, and in severe cases the disc can bulge or herniate. If the worker can use good ergonomics (e.g. symmetrical lifting), then the disc can more safely resist the load. It is also known that the spine is more stiff in the morning, and develops higher pressures in the disc when a worker lifts at this time of day. Taking this into account, one can do more light lifting in the early morning. In almost every case one should never lift anything, even a light object, by doing a twisting motion. This action is where the spine can easily be damaged. Getting a buddy to help with a lift is a solution that many do not try.

Sitting for prolonged periods can also be damaging to the spine. First, there is the inactivity, which causes muscles to become weak. The spine is designed for movement, especially walking. An apple a day is good, but a walk a day is better. Sitting also causes increased pressure in the disks of the low back. If you add vibration (e.g. bus drivers), the sitting seems to be much worse. An anti-vibration seat, frequent walk breaks, along with a chair that provides proper support, are the main counter measures.

Each job has its own unique ergonomic characteristics and should be assessed accordingly. Proper spinal posture while working is a key to overall good health and is the best prevention for back injury.

Walking For A Healthy Back?

Walking For A Healthy Back?
Scientists who have studied the architecture of the spine have concluded it is meant for walking. That may come as a surprise since we humans do very little walking these days. Our lives, over thousands and millions of years have gone from a day filled with walking and searching for food, to one that is largely sedentary. Many of us spend the bulk of our day working at a desk, and inactivity has become a major problem to our spinal health. It has been shown that prolonged sitting increases the pressures in the disk and leads to decreased strength of the spinal and leg muscles.

Many of us do not sit all day, but instead engage in heavy and repetitive lifting tasks. The heavier the loads we lift, the greater is the risk for spinal degeneration. Whether it is heavy lifting or sedentary life, the effects are the same: low back pain. Low back pain has now become an epidemic in society. Depending on which study you look at up to 90% of us will experience low back pain at some point in our lives.

A study of adolescents in Norway showed about 57% had back pain in the past year. We tend to think of our children as immune to back troubles, but the statistics show otherwise. Back pain seems to start in adolescence, and follows us into adult life.

When LBP was compared to activity levels, an inverse relationship was shown. This means that the less time children spent at the computer or watching television, the less likely they were to report back pain. Walking decreased the occurrence of back pain.

In a study of adults who engaged in regular, low to moderate exercise, such as walking, significant differences were noted when these people were compared to those with a more sedentary lifestyle. The group of patients who exercised had improved mood, reduced need for physical therapy, and used less pain medication. They also tended to have less work disability.

The positive effects of walking continue into old age. Those who walk regularly show less lower body disability.

There was a time when medical doctors thought bed rest for two weeks was a good treatment for patients with low back pain. However, over the past two decades, multiple research studies have shown this prescription will actually increase your low back pain.

Whether you have back trouble or not, it is important to stay active, and walking is one of the best ways to keep you pain free. You don’t need a gym membership to do it-just some comfortable shoes. It lowers your risk for back trouble, and is also the best activity to engage in during rehabilitation following an injury.

"Why Don't My Usual Stretches Help My Back Pain?"

"Why Don't My Usual Stretches Help My Back Pain?"
Like most health conditions, low back pain is a chronic problem. Patients with low back pain typically suffer off and on for years. Back pain seems to come on when we overexert or do something out of the ordinary, such as moving boxes or when returning to a sport we have not tried since our high school days.

Most patients will say that stretching seems to prevent problems and injuries from the activities of daily living. Both the weekend warrior and the daily athlete will attest to the benefits of stretching prior to the activity.

But stretching is typically not a good treatment plan when the pain comes on. Why is that? Why is something so effective for preventing a problem and completely useless as a cure? However, some patients are lucky. Through trial and error, they may find that the stretching actually causes their back pain to get better. But over the years its effectiveness diminishes. Some patients will say that their normal pre-activity stretches actually make the pain get much worse.

Stretching is designed to lengthen muscles and tendons, but back problems typically affect the ligaments and the discs. The problem here is that the ligaments are stretched out, allowing the bones to creep into abnormal positions. So while stretching may help a tight muscle, its affect on ligaments can be detrimental.

Another factor to consider is that the delicate nerves of the lower spine cross the disk areas. With stretching, those nerves can lengthen and become even more irritated.

If you find that your normal stretches seem to have no effect on your pain or even make the pain worse, then that is a sign the ligaments have been damaged. Stretching will not help in this scenario and you will need to consult a chiropractic doctor who will perform an examination of the ligaments and discs.

The adjustments that chiropractors perform are designed to align the bones of the spine so that the ligaments do not remain stretched-out, producing pain. Over weeks, the bones begin to hold their normal position for longer periods of time and gradually the ligaments begin to shorten.

The doctor can also advise you on stretches that lengthen the muscles but do not cause further stretch to the already damaged ligaments of the lower spine.

Is Your Neck Causing Your Low Back Pain?

Is Your Neck Causing Your Low Back Pain?
For most of us when we hurt the low back from lifting, the pain starts at the lower spine. It’s usually not a difficult connection to make—that if it’s the low back that is strained, it is the low back that is injured. But, in some cases the back pain seems to creep up, or come out of nowhere. Sometimes you wake up with the pain and there was no trauma at all. In these cases it is even more important to examine the entire spine for the cause of the problem.

The nervous system is enclosed within the bony spinal column and skull. Nerve signals travel from the brain to all distant areas of the body: to organs, muscles, etc. All of these nerves pass through the neck region, even nerves to the legs. This is why an injury that affects the neck can have ramifications in the areas below. The nerve system is a communication link from brain to tissue, and when the nerve is pinched or irritated, there’s a break or miscommunication in the signal.

Most of us are aware that a person can become paralyzed from a bad neck injury such as a fracture. But what is less well known is that minor sprains of the neck can have an effect on muscle tension and pain in the low back. Some chiropractic techniques specialize in only adjusting the upper portion of the neck because this area can have a profound effect on the entire body.

How neck problems can affect low back is not well understood and is being researched. Some theories are that neck problems tend to cause changes in balance. People tend to sway a bit more when neck problems such as whiplash are present. Perhaps this lack of coordination of the muscles leads to poor recruitment of muscles when we lift.

Another theory is that if nerves are initially irritated at the top of the neck, they become more susceptible to pinch or irritation at other more distant regions of the spine. The spinal cord is also attached to the upper neck vertebrae. If twisting of the upper neck bones occurs, this can pull on the attachments which link to the cord. Disk protrusions in the neck can also compress the front of the cord, sometimes causing symptoms into the arms or legs.

A thorough examination by a doctor of chiropractic will determine if your low back condition is coming from a neck injury.

Is Your Back Healing OK?

Is Your Back Healing OK?
It’s a good question. We want to do the things that promote and speed healing and not do the kinds of things that cause more harm or are destructive. A lot of us know that a little rest when we injure the back is ok, but staying in bed for a week might not be a good idea. Studies have shown that bed rest for more than 2 days causes even more pain. Since our goal is to move, then lying down doesn’t seem like a worthwhile step towards that goal.

Some of us know that when the back flares up, ice is better than heat. Some of us still don’t, and instead throw gasoline on the inflammation fire by having a soak in the hot tub.

These things are obvious on the list of do’s and don’ts for the person with low back pain.

It seems like taking a pill for few days to help with pain is reasonable enough. Right? Maybe wrong.

For example, certain NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen) can make the scar formation in a muscle strain less effective. Instead of the scar being formed properly, it is in a more disorganized or scrambled fashion. If you have a poorer scar, the tissue will not be as strong and could lead to re-injury or a delay in your recovery. We don’t think about it but just not taking pain pills early on would help for a lifetime. Ice can be an effective pain killer and doesn’t come with medication-side effects.

Muscle relaxants are also prescribed for people with back pain. They are consumed by 49% of patients. The theory is that the muscle spasm should be relieved so that there can be less muscle pain. A study of patients who took muscle relaxants showed that these sufferers recovered more slowly. Unfortunately, the muscle spasm is there for good reason: to protect a delicate nerve.

Another thing that you have to consider besides poor scar formation and slowed healing, is the actual purpose of these medications. You have to also ask yourself why your body wants you to feel this pain. The body wants you to protect the area from movement. If you block the pain with medications, you may move too much, or too soon in the healing process, delaying your recovery.

A study that compared chiropractic adjustments to muscle relaxants in patients with low back pain had interesting results. There was also a sham adjustment group and a placebo medicine group. The authors concluded that chiropractic care had superior results.

The chiropractor can help guide you to when you can return to certain work or sports. By gradually integrating exercises into your daily routine as the function of the joints is improved, your injury can heal more naturally.

A Natural Solution To Back Pain

A Natural Solution To Back Pain
Getting your health back after a spine injury can be problematic if you do not approach it holistically. What is meant by holism? In general it is caring for the person as a whole vs. individual parts, and using techniques that assist different bodily systems. It can be treating the mind as well as the body. It is well known that depression is an important risk factor for back pain.

When dealing with a mechanical spinal problem, the doctor needs to consider the condition of the disks and ligaments, scar tissue, muscle strength, posture, movement, and alignment. A simple prescription, while effective at reducing pain, is not a good solution in the long run. For example, the scar in muscles that is formed after injury when NSAIDs (ibuprofen) are used is much weaker. The patient needs to also consider the side effects of stomach or gastrointestinal bleeding that can come with long-term use. Leaving joints problems to sit for years while masking the pain, will just make future rehabilitation more difficult and less effective.

Pain is a signal for your body to avoid certain movements and can be very protective. While muscle pain is good during rehabilitation, if there is ligament or joint pain, then you’re pushing it too hard.

Exercise and stretching without attention to joint injuries, will also not work over time. It’s hard to maintain exercise when there is joint pain. Chiropractic care can keep the spine and other joints flexible while you also approach the other aspects of spine function with specific exercises and stretching.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is also part of any holistic approach. If you’re overweight, this adds tremendous stress to your spine. In some cases it may be important to first get your weight down, before commencing an exercise program, or weight training.

In addition to proper weight control you have to also consider sound nutrition in terms of vitamin and mineral consumption. Most patients need to do better at eating green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and other nutritious foods. One has to avoid harmful fats, and chemicals/preservatives that are often present in highly processed foods. Supplements such as manganese and glucosamine chondroitin may help joint health. Although there are few studies on how effective these supplements help, the downside or side effects are quite minimal.

A doctor of chiropractic can advise you on integrating a holistic approach with spinal joint care, strength training, flexibility, and sound nutrition.

Low Back Pain and Your Emotions

Low Back Pain and Your Emotions
This article discusses how anger and emotional expression may affect your back pain. For years many medical doctors thought back pain was more of an issue in the brain than the spine. Research has shown this to be the case in many who are disabled from work. But mechanical sprain injuries of the spine are also critical to body function and how much pain you may experience. You just cannot separate the brain from the body and expect to tackle a difficult problem like low back pain.

Researchers at Duke University looked at this complex problem by measuring the amount of emotional expression, anger, and back pain in patients. The studies included 61 persons with chronic low back pain. The results were quite interesting. Patients who reported greater conflict regarding expressing emotions may be experiencing higher pain and anger.

Have you ever considered that how you express your emotions could effect how much the back hurts? Do you hold on to angry thoughts and feelings? Ignoring these issues does not make the problem go away. Covering-up your emotions with a cocktail of medications doesn’t seem like a good long-term solution, especially with the unhealthy side effects that can sometimes occur.

Of course, there is a difference between “blowing up” at someone and expressing emotions appropriately. Have you tried opening up to someone? A friend, or counselor can help show how your emotions can be dealt with constructively. Some patients have severe emotional conflicts and may require psychological support. Others can become more “in tune” with the emotional side of life through simple awareness. Does your back flare up around emotional periods of your life? We can help with the mechanical stresses of the spine, but to maximize your potential you have to consider emotions and the brain. By integrating a mind-body approach to health, the complexity of back pain is addressed more fully. This may get you more engaged with life, more active, and with a healthy outgoing attitude.

Being in chronic pain is no fun, for us and our friends and family. So if you think your emotions (or lack of emotions) may have something to do with your back pain, consult a competent health care provider who addresses the whole person. When patients can confront these issues in a calm and supportive environment, the need for medications is often reduced.