Exercise and Chiropractic Therapy

Cardiovascular and strengthening exercises combined with chiropractic care are important in the management of low back pain

If a patient has a history of heart problems, it is important for the patient to consult with not only the doctor of chiropractic but their primary care physician to be certain that they can tolerate cardiovascular fitness-promoting activities. Specific instructions are given by the chiropractor with respect to proper exercise for the patient's condition before beginning any exercise program.

In general, a reasonable amount of exercise performed daily and utilizing enjoyable activities is recommended for patients undergoing chiropractic treatment.

Exercise Benefits

Many studies have reported the importance of exercises in managing acute and chronic low back pain, strengthening the low back, preventing and keeping back patients working, and to improve quality of life. The strength of the abdominal muscles was also found to be able to differentiate between those with vs. without chronic LBP.

Overall and when combined with chiropractic care, aerobic exercise helps promote proper digestion, keeps the muscles in proper tone and promotes better circulation. Walking briskly around the block at least once or twice is a convenient and popular activity.
Also, many forms of work and/or household tasks can function as an exercise program. The important point is to exercise!

Types of Exercises

There are many applicable back exercises that are available for patients also undergoing chiropractic care for lower back pain. One can classify the chiropractic patient into a flexion or extension biased category to determine the variety that is best for that patient. For example:

- If a patient feels best when bending over (flexion biased), exercises that promote low back flexion such as pulling the knees to the chest, posterior pelvic tilts, bending forward from a sitting position and others are usually helpful.

- If a patient is least symptomatic in extension, especially if leg pain centralizes or diminishes (extension biased), prone press- up type exercises usually yield the best results.

Other exercises that can help reduce lower back pain include:

-Strengthening of the pelvic (trunk) stabilizing muscles

-Stretching of the hamstrings, adductors, and other overly short or tight postural muscles

-Proprioceptive or balance promoting.

Benefits of Back and Abdominal Exercise

Weak and/or overly tight supporting muscles can have painful spasms and suffer injuries themselves,
which then prevent them from supporting the spine as needed. Compromised muscles can also lead to problems with bone structure of the spine due to poor posture from the weak muscles, thereby creating an increased risk of back pain/ injury.

Consequently, developing combined strength in stomach muscles and back muscles can:

- Reduce the likelihood of back pain episodes

- Reduce the severity of back pain

- Protect against injury by responding efficiently to stresses

- Help avoid back surgery in some cases

- Facilitate healing from a back problem or after spine surgery

- Improve posture.

Reported Efficacy of Exercise in Chiropractic Care

According to the Scientific Commission of the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP):

- Strong evidence supports exercise as being at least as effective as other non-surgical treatments for chronic low back pain

- Moderate evidence supports use of a graded-activity exercise program in occupational settings for subacute lower back pain

- Some evidence shows that exercises are no more effective than other nonsurgical treatments for acute lower back pain.

As with any chiropractic treatment, it is important for chiropractors to perform a focused reevaluation of an exercise program following its initial therapeutic trial to determine its effectiveness. Using spinal range of motion as a measurement of the effectiveness of exercise is just one way in which chiropractors can make such determinations.

Learn more about exercise and back pain. Visit http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/back-exercises

Low Impact Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise increases the blood flow in the body, which helps speed up healing, but high-impact exercises may cause additional stress or trauma to the structures of the spine.

http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/low-impact-aerobic-exercise

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Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise increases the blood flow in the body, which helps speed up healing, but high-impact exercises may cause additional stress or trauma to the structures of the spine.

http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/low-impact-aerobic-exercise

Stay Active in Spring!

For the millions of people who have chronic, long-standing low back pain, golf can still be an enjoyable sport. However, a regular routine of stretching and low-impact exercise is critical to maintain the ability to play golf.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sports-and-spine-injuries/playing-golf-low-back-pain

Biking is a popular form of aerobic exercise, and is often a favored form of exercise by people with low back pain conditions. Biking may be a good exercise option for many reasons:

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sports-and-spine-injuries/bicycling-and-back-pain

Chiropractic manipulation refers to a chiropractor applying manipulation to the vertebrae that have abnormal movement patterns or fail to function normally. Chiropractic manipulation (also known as chiropractic adjustment or spinal manipulation), is a common therapeutic treatment for lower back pain.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-manipulation

Spring is Here. Use These Tips To Keep Out of Back Pain

So it's finally getting nice out! Believe it or not, this is usually my busiest period of time at the office. Why?
Most people haven't done very much activity during the winter (unless you call watching Dancing withe the Stars activity).

We've gained weight, exercised less and generally taken poor care of our backs. Then, the weather gets nice and we decide that all that work in the yard has to get done in a day!

Guess what? Your back can't take it. This is the classic case of overuse. What we were capable of doing last fall when we were in better shape cannot be accomplished now without building back up to it. 

So, some words of wisdom:

1. Start easy the first day or two. Spend short periods of time and gradually work up to longer periods of time each day.
2. Start with limiting the amount of time you stay bent over, as well as limiting the number of times you repetitively bend over
3. Lift light loads the first few days and find someone to help you lift the heavier stuff (lawn mowers...etc)
4. Make sure your body is warmed up before the activity, especially if it's cool and wet out. Dress in layers and as you get warmer shed layers. Do some easy cardio in the house before heading out. 5 mins of cardio (jumping rope, aerobics...etc) will build the internal heat in your muscles which makes them more flexible and less likely to strain with yardwork. Some easy back stretching after the cardio is even better.
5. Avoid early morning yardwork. We are generally stiffer in the morning (especially as we get older) and it's generally colder in the morning which makes us even less flexible.
6. The best thing that you can do is hire a neighborhood kid (if you can find one who wants to work anymore) and let him do the strenuous stuff as you boss him around with your coffee in hand