Low Impact vs. High Impact for Recovery

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

Cold Laser Therapy a.k.a. Low Level Laser Therapy

Cold Laser Therapy or Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to interact with tissue and is thought to help accelerate the healing process. It can be used on patients who suffer from a variety of acute and chronic conditions in order to help eliminate pain, swelling, reduce spasms and increase functionality.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/pain-management/cold-laser-therapy-pain-management-treatment

VIDEO: Exercise Through Pain?

Exercise can be difficult while in pain, but it is a key aspect in healing from the injury and preventing future episodes of pain. Muscle pain and aches can be normal, but flaring joint pain should be a warning to avoid certain exercises. Check out this video:

http://www.spine-health.com/video/video-if-my-back-or-joints-hurt-should-i-work-through-pain

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

Whiplash Treatment

Chiropractic treatment for whiplash focuses on removing restrictions to movement in the neck.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-treatments-whiplash

Can Massage Help Your Back Problem?

Most episodes of acute lower back pain are caused by muscle strain, such as from lifting a heavy object, a sudden movement or a fall. Massage can help work out the spasm/irritation caused by a muscle strain. Learn more...

Pulled Back Muscle Treatment

Back muscle strains typically heal with time. Many heal within a few days of initial injury, but healing can take as long as 3 or 4 weeks. See what initial treatments can help ease muscle strain discomfort during recovery. Learn more...

Treating Herniated Disks in the C-Spine

When a cervical herniated disc is treated, the first methods are often to use physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, activity modification, and possibly anti-inflammatory medications.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/conservative-treatment-a-cervical-herniated-disc

Back Pain: Chiropractic vs. Medical Doctors

Back Pain:

Chiropractic vs. Medical Doctors

Who Get Better Results and Who is More Cost Effective?

Chiropractic Proves 300% more effective

Chiropractic Proves 50% More Cost Effective

BY: Donald Capoferri DC, DAAMLP

William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP

Mark Studin DC, FASBE(C), DAAMLP, DAAPM

In 2010 a study of back pain patients insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee revealed patients receive nearly 3x better results at almost half the cost when consulting a chiropractor instead of a traditional medical doctor.

Statistics show that back pain, and more specifically lower back pain will affect 70-80% of all Americans.  Back pain is one of the top 10 most costly conditions treated in the United States.  Costs directly associated with examination and treatment are in excess $50 billion dollars per year.  Indirect cost of back pain include lost work day, reduced employee productivity and disability are $47 billion dollars.  That makes the total economic impact of lower back pain in excess of $97 billion dollars per year.

The study was conducted on 85,402 patients, all insured with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee.  This insurer was chosen because it provided equal access to both traditional medical and chiropractic care. The population of patients were diagnosed with the following conditions: Spinal disc disorders, Lower back pain, muscle spasms, joint mobility restrictions, Sacroiliac joint sprain/strain and lumbar spine sprain/strain.  The results of the study revealed those patients who initiated care with a chiropractor had a 61% “very satisfied response” when surveyed.  Those patient who initiated care with a medical doctor had a 27% “very satisfied response.” The patients who initiated care with a chiropractor incurred 40% less cost than those choosing traditional medical care.

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that chiropractic care is more effective and less costly than medical care for back pain.  In contrast to this and many other studies indicating the efficacy of chiropractic care for back pain, only 7% of U.S. back pain sufferers consult a chiropractor.  Using the data from this study insurers nationally would realize billions of dollar of savings if the population of back pain patients initiated care with a chiropractor first. 

Insurance companies that restrict access to chiropractic care at this juncture with statistical evidence, are paying more for care and delaying necessary, effective care for no apparent reason other than politics or prejudice. If all restrictions for chiropractic access were removed carriers would save money and offer a significant public health benefit. The statistics speak for themselves.

Reference:

Liliedahl R., Finch M., Axene D., Geertz C., (2010) Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated with Chiropractic Doctor vs. Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician:  Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insure, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 33 (9) pgs. 640-643

Manual Material Handling to Prevent Back Injury

Any job that involves heavy labor or manual material handling may be in a high-risk category. Manual material handling entails lifting, but also usually includes climbing, pushing, pulling, and pivoting, all of which pose the risk of injury to the back. Learn more...

Article: Chiropractic aids muscle recovery, helps prevent fatigue

Study: Chiropractic aids muscle recovery, helps prevent fatigue 

A New Zealand study found a 60% increase in muscle electrical activity readings and 45% increase in "drive" between the brain and muscle after a full spine chiropractic adjustment session. The findings were published in the journal Experimental Brain Research. PRWire (Australia)