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

Make Your Voice Heard: Help Veterans Receive the Care They Need

Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have introduced the Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act. The bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to phase-in the chiropractic benefit at all major VA medical facilities over several years. You, too, can help ensure the essential services provided by doctors of chiropractic are available to the brave men and women who have served our country by simply clicking the link below to urge your senators to cosponsor this bill!

To contact your senators, click http://cqrcengage.com/aca/app/write-a-letter?10&engagementId=78697

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Computer Generated Neck Pain

I've been sitting at the computer for some time now and I'm experiencing neck pain. I should know better!! Neck pain is a common symptom for people who spend considerable amounts of time on a computer but does it have to be? Absolutely not.

Many factors contribute to feeling pain but all are controllable. Neck pain results from strains that occur to the muscles and ligaments supporting our spine when the spine is not maintained in a neutral position for an extended period of time. This is particularly true of spines that are already compromised by previous injury, arthritis, misalignment, scoliosis...etc.

Your head weighs approximately 8-12 lbs. It sits atop a column of 7 stacked vertebrae making up the neck. Between each adjacent vertebra, a cushion-like tissue called a disc acts to absorb the weight of your head onto that portion of our spine. Our neck spinal column normally curves forward creating a "C" or reversed "C" depending on what side of a person you're looking at. This allows the spine to bend to further absorb the weight of your head. The ligaments attach the vertebrae together to help maintain them in place. We have a variety of muscles that attach not only vertebrae to vertebrae but also vertebrae to other bones such as our shoulder blades, collar bones, skull...etc. They act as guide wires to help balance the head on the spinal column.

Neck pain is most commonly caused, initially, by these muscles getting fatigued. When we maintain good posture, our head balances on this spinal column with very little strain to these supporting muscles. However, when we look down at a keyboard for an extended time or we slouch causing our head to extend back to see the screen, those same muscles must work much harder to prevent your head from falling off your shoulders because it has veered from its center of gravity.

The concept is best demonstrated by attaching a bowling ball (your head) to the top of a broomstick (your neck spinal column called the cervical region). If you then align it perfectly with its center of gravity, you could balance it on the tip of your finger. Let it fall away from that center of gravity and you must use considerable muscular effort by grabbing it with both hands to prevent it from falling further from its center of gravity. In the same way, look down at the keyboard and your neck muscles have to work much harder to keep your head from falling further which eventually leads to fatigue and pain.

So, what's a person to do?

Maintain good posture to minimize fatigue. Take mini breaks to reduce sustained positions that may lead to muscle fatigue. I recommend getting up every 15 mins to at least walk around the desk and stretch briefly before continuing to work at your desk. Any interruption of that prolonged position will help. Pay attention to proper ergonomics as well. Also, exercise regularly to "burn off" that building muscle tension.

Dr Rick Jardon