How To Reduce Your Back Pain For Free
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: Some of the best things in life are free. Since most people will experience back pain at some point in their life, here are some ways to reduce your back pain at no cost.
Try to stay active. Regular activity will aid in keeping your spine healthy and minimizing your back pain. You do not need to go to the gym every day, but you should find time to do 20 minutes of exercise of some type on most days. It can be simple things such as walking, doing simple body weight exercises, or stretching. If you do a little exercise every day, then when you need to do more activity, like cleaning up after a hurricane, carrying luggage through an airport, or playing sports with your friends, you will not be as sore.
Work at practicing good posture. Be mindful of how you are sitting, standing, or walking. Try not to slouch. Do not spend time looking down at your phone. Try to keep your back straight, with your shoulders back, and your feet flat on the floor.
Lift correctly. No matter how light you think an object is, use the correct mechanics to lift. Make sure that the object is in front of you if possible. Bend at the knees and not just at the waist. Keep the object close to your body. Finally, try not to bend and twist at the same time.
Stretch on a daily basis. Most areas of your body can be stretched appropriately in 1-2 minutes. Remember that you do not have to stretch every area of your body at the same time. Find little windows of time to stretch and it will not be overwhelming. If you need some good stretches, you can find some great videos here.
Finally, stay hydrated. This can be hard during our summers in Houston, TX, but this plays a major role in helping to maintain a healthy spine with well hydrated discs. Most people will need between a half to a whole gallon of water a day. Do not wait until you are thirsty, it is too late by then.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
How To Avoid Back Pain While Traveling This Holiday Season
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: During the holiday season, there is a good chance that you will be traveling either by land or air. By taking the correct steps, you can help to prevent or minimize your back pain. The goal is to arrive ready to have a good time and enjoy the people that mean the most to you.
If you need to drive a long way to reach your holiday destination, you know that spending hours behind the wheel will take a toll on your back muscles. To help avoid feeling achy and sore, practice good driving posture. Do this by applying the same principles that are used in workplace ergonomics. Adjust your seat and steering wheel so that your spine is in a neutral position, your hips are supported in the seat, your elbows have a slight natural bend, and your upper back is supported. In addition, stop every 2-3 hours so that you can stretch and move about. This will also help alleviate stress from driving in heavy traffic.
If your travels include flying, here are a few tips. Use luggage with wheels if possible. If checking luggage, place your heaviest items in your checked bags. If your carryon luggage has 1 strap, wear it across your body. If it has 2 straps, place them over both shoulders. If your flight is over an hour in length, get up and walk to the front or back of the plane to move your legs. Drink water and stay hydrated.
Finally, make an appointment at our Houston, TX office prior to your travels. We can make sure that any little spinal misalignment is corrected so that it does not get worse on your holiday. If all of your holiday cheer causes a problem while you are away, we can also fix it when you return.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Minimizing Back Pain While On Vacation
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Now that school is out, our thoughts turn to summer vacations and traveling. It can be an overnight camp for the kids, a trip to visit family, or a vacation to an entertaining location.
No matter where your travels take you, it means a new routine, a different bed and pillow, and carrying luggage. These things can lead to neck and back pain.
There are a couple things that you can do to minimize these pains. The first thing to do is to remember to do your stretches daily. Just because you are on vacation does not mean that you can skip your stretches. Remember to be as consistent with your stretches as you are with brushing your teeth. If you are driving, remember to take a break every 2-3 hours and get out of the vehicle and walk around for a minute or two. This will keep you from being in the same position for hours at a time while driving. If possible, take your pillow. Most hotel pillows are too thick. As discussed in a previous blog, your pillow should be as thick as your hand is wide. For most people it is 3-5 inches. Having the correct pillow will help you to achieve a more restful sleep. Finally, make sure to drink enough water. Eating out, drinking alcohol, and being more active can lead to dehydration. This increases your muscle soreness and discomfort. Making sure that you are staying hydrated with plain water will minimize those problems.
If you manage to hurt your neck or back while on vacation, contact your regular chiropractor. They can help you to find a doctor that will treat you with the same types of treatment. Different chiropractors can have very different styles of adjusting and types of therapies.
Take the time to take care of yourself so that you and your family can enjoy your well-deserved vacation.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Are Chiropractors Good For Treating Herniated Discs?
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: Herniated discs can occur anywhere in the spine, with the neck (cervical) and low back (lumbar) being the most common. Usually, people will be complaining of pain or weakness either radiating down their arm or leg along with neck or back pain.
Just because you are having pain or weakness going from your neck or back down your arms or legs does not automatically mean that you have a herniated disc. You can have a radiculopathy (pinched nerve) or sciatica from irritation of the nerve due to arthritic degeneration or trauma that does not affect the disc.
Sometimes people have gone to their regular medical doctor, who ordered an MRI that stated that they had a herniated or bulging disc. They assume that since the MRI showed a disc complaint then that must be the cause of their pain. Well, 25% of the population has an asymptomatic herniated disc. The doctor needs to make sure that the herniation is clinically relevant. In other words, is the disc herniation on the same side as the problem and is it at the vertebral level where the symptoms are located.
With all of that said, chiropractors are very good for treating herniated discs, bulging discs, and disc protrusions. The only type of disc injury that chiropractors typically do not get good lasting results from are disc injuries with a sequestered fragment. These injuries usually only get temporary relief and require surgical co-management.
If the cause of your symptoms is a herniated disc, then chiropractors are the best non-surgical option. Most chiropractors will treat the herniated disc with physical modalities, stretches, and exercises, just like a physical therapist (PT). In addition, a chiropractor will include spinal manipulation to take the pressure off the herniated disc. The spinal adjustments will help to decompress the affected area. This combination of therapy and spinal manipulation gives the best lasting benefit. Most patients have relief of their pain in weakness in 4-6 weeks after 8-12 therapy sessions.
In our office, we will comanage the problem with your medical doctor if the pain is too great or if there is too much muscle spasm.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Chiropractic Relief For Sciatica
Bay Area Chiropractor Comments: One of the most painful things that patients come to my Houston, Texas office for treatment is sciatica. They cannot find a comfortable position to relax. They have sharp pain radiating down their leg. They are trying to find any relief.
Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, causing pain to radiate from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down the leg. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It starts at the lower portion of the spinal cord, passes deep in the buttocks, runs down the back of the thigh before dividing above the knee joint.
Some doctors and patients think that any pain that radiates down the leg is sciatica, but that is not true. That is why it is important that you are examined by a doctor that can make an accurate diagnosis and has the experience to treat the sciatica several different ways. You don’t want to waste your time doing things that don’t give you relief.
In my 34 years of being a chiropractor, I have been able to treat the majority of my sciatica patients with complete relief of their symptoms in 2-8 weeks. Most of the patients respond well to chiropractic spinal adjustments and physical therapy. Some patients respond better to doing stretches and exercises that can be primarily done at their house or at a gym. A few of my patients require co-management with a medical doctor that understands sciatica for medication management.
If the sciatica does not show a reduction in pain by at least 50% in 2 weeks, then ordering an MRI would be appropriate. We would then know if we needed to change the type of treatment being performed or if we needed to refer the patient to another provider.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Best Exercises for Low Back Pain
Houston Chiropractor Comments: A common question that I get from patients is “What are the best exercises to prevent low back pain?” The problem is most people want to start performing the exercises before their back is ready for them to begin.
Typically, you do not want to start exercises, besides light walking or swimming, before the pain and muscle tightness begins to go away. A common statement in rehabilitation is that movement is medicine. Slow walking, even just up and down a hallway or around a room, or swimming is very beneficial. This allows the small muscles of the spine to move which helps to minimize any swelling and reduce soreness.
The next step to reducing your back pain is to begin stretching it. The best low back stretches can be found on our website @ Videos – Beecher Chiropractic : Houston, TX Chiropractor .
After you begin to regain or improve your flexibility, you can now begin to strengthen your low back with exercises. The best exercises are bridges, pelvic tilts, leg raises, Supermans, and planks.
Bridge
- Performed by lying on the ground and bend the knees, placing the feet flat on the floor hip-width apart.
- Press the feet into the floor, keeping the arms by the sides.
- Raise the buttocks off the ground until the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.
- Squeeze the buttocks with the shoulders remaining on the floor.
- Lower the buttocks to the ground and rest for a few seconds.
- Repeat 15 times and then rest for 1 minute.
- Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Pelvic Tilt
- Lie back on the floor with knees bent and feet flat, keeping the arms by the sides.
- Gently arch the lower back and push the stomach out.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.
- Flatten the back and pull the bellybutton in toward the floor.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.
- Increase the number of repetitions daily, building up to 30
Leg Raises
- Lie on your back with the legs together.
- Keep the legs straight.
- Draw the bellybutton into the spine to engage the core muscles.
- Raise the legs about 18 inches, keeping it straight and extended.
- Hold the position for 2 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Perform 3 sets.
Supermans
- Lie face down on the ground and stretch both arms out in front of the body, keeping the legs stretched out and flat on the ground.
- Raise both the hands and feet, aiming to create a gap of about 6 inches between them and the floor.
- Try to pull in the bellybutton, lifting it off the floor to engage the core muscles.
- Keep the head straight and look at the floor to avoid neck injury.
- Stretch the hands and feet outward as far as possible.
- Hold the position for 2 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat 10 times.
Plank
- Lie face down on the ground and either place your hands or elbows on the ground in a push-up position.
- Press your body up just like you were doing a push-up
- Try to pull in the bellybutton and tighten the buttocks to engage the core muscles.
- Keep the head straight and look at the floor to avoid neck injury.
- Hold the position for as long as you can. Your ultimate goal is 2 minutes.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat 3 times.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Bed Rest for Low Back Pain?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: I recently had a new patient come in that had been suffering with severe low back pain for a couple weeks. They had gone to their family doctor for treatment and had been told to take muscle relaxants, pain pills and to stay in bed for a couple days with bed rest.
I instantly knew why this patient was still in pain.
Despite their medical doctor’s best intentions, his advice was severely outdated. Even when I was in chiropractic school in the mid 1980’s, this advice was being proven wrong. Some of the older doctor’s back then would advise patients to take 1 or 2 weeks off work with absolute bed rest when they had a severe low back complaint.
During the 1980’s studies showed that the key to a quick recovery was early movement. Patients were advised to begin moving as soon as possible and treatment incorporated stretching and exercise ASAP.
Treatment for different spine complaints change over time. It is always best to be treated by a doctor who examines and treats patients on a daily basis. At Beecher Chiropractic Clinic we treat hundreds neck and back pain patients every year and know what treatments get the best results in the shortest amount of time.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Ice or Heat?
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: A common question that I get is “When do I use ice and when do I use heat?” Most people have been told to use ice for the first 24, 48, or 72 hours and then to switch to heat from their coach or parent. This works for simple sports injuries, but isn’t always the best for every situation.
First, you need to know WHY you are using the ice or heat to begin with.
Ice is good for when there is swelling or inflammation from an injury or aggravation. The vasoconstriction from the ice will help reduce the fluid in an area and help to prevent swelling of the affected area. Don’t use ice for more than 20 minutes as it can injure areas with poor circulation and cause tissue damage.
Heat brings more blood to an area which helps to relax the muscles, reduce joint stiffness, and ease muscle spasms. This is good for sore and achy muscles. Don’t use heat on an open wound or cut as it can cause more bleeding.
An easy way to remember which one to use is “If you can point to a specific area and it is painful, then use ice. If you can’t find a specific area that is painful, but an area is sore and achy, use heat.”
If you are in doubt, use ice. 😉
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Things That You Can Do To Prevent Your Pain From Returning
Houston Chiropractor Comments: After you take the time and energy to correct your spinal problems and get out of pain, you want to keep it that way. Patients want a way to stay active without continued discomfort. Just like when you go to the dentist and get a cavity fixed, they remind you to brush and floss to help prevent future cavities. For your spine it is stretching and exercise.
When patients ask what is the number one thing that they could do to prevent hurting their spine or joints in the future, I say stretching. Just like the old adage that if you don’t use it you lose it. We need to continually take our joints thru their full range of motion. The older that we get the less we typically move. We spend most of our time seated, either in our car, at our desk or on our couch with our neck forward. This leads to joint restrictions and possible adhesions. Instead, be more child-like with your motion and move in different directions than normal. You should do some specific stretching every day. A common neck stretch takes 1 minute to go thru all of the different motions, low back stretches take approximately 3 minutes, wrist/forearm stretches for computer takes 1 minute. These stretches and more are located on our website www.beecherchiropractic.com /videos/ or on YouTube at Beecher Chiropractic. Yoga can also be very beneficial as well as Pilates.
You must also do some activity to strengthen your core support muscles. For your back, the best exercise is planks. It doesn’t matter what type of plank you do; they all have different areas that they address. If you cannot do a full plank, you can do it on your knees or even leaning on counter or wall. The neck will benefit from any type of isometric exercise. You can either press your head in to the palm of your hand in each direction or you can fold up a towel, place it against the wall and lean your head in to it. The more active you are, the more that you will use different muscles.
Just remember to stretch and exercise every day in some way. Your spine and joints will appreciate it.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Best Exercise to Prevent Back Pain
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: One thing that I have learned from being a chiropractor for almost 30 years is that if the stretches and exercises that you give people take more than a few minutes, they will not do them. I have covered the stretches in previous blogs as well as in my YouTube videos, but I haven’t discussed the best exercise to prevent back pain. Doing the stretches and exercise will greatly reduce the likelihood of you having your back pain return.
The best exercise is the plank. The easiest form of the plank is to get in a push-up position, but rest on your forearms instead of your palms. Ultimately you want to be able to hold this position for 1 minute. If you can not do 1 minute yet, hold it for 10 seconds and the rest for 5-10 seconds. Then hold it for another 10 seconds and keep repeating until you reach 1 minute. This is an exercise where proper form matters more than the length of time. If you have poor form and allow your back to sag it can actually aggravate your back pain. If you get bored with doing the simple plank there are a variety of modifications that you can do to challenge you.
The key thing is to just do it. Don’t do the plank periodically. Everyday you should stretch, plank and brush your teeth. 😊
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at www.BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
