There are many contributing causes to low back pain. One of the most common or most talked about is a disc bulge or disc herniation of the lumbar spine. There are significant differences when it comes to injury and the severity of damage that can be done to the discs, which we will discuss in more depth.To make things simple, discs in the spine are made of 2 different materials. The inner portion, called the nucleus, is a “jelly-like” material which is held in place by the outer layer. The outer portion, also known as the annulus, is made up of multiple layers of thick fibers surrounding the nucleus. The fibers of the outer layer are strong, however, can become easily damaged with certain injuries.A disc bulge and a disc herniation are NOT the same thing. A disc bulge occurs when pressure or compression is applied to the spine. The nucleus remains in the center, protected by the outer layer. Imagine squeezing a balloon between 2 blocks, the more pressure that is applied, the thinner the disc becomes. It may also bulge out in different directions depending where the pressure is applied (front, back, center). A disc herniation can occur from the same types of injuries as a bulge, but the severity of the injury is worse. In the situation of a disc herniation, the inner nucleus will actually tear through the outer layers of the annulus.There are 4 different stages severity when it comes to disc injury. The first stage is a bulging disc, as described above. The second is a disc prolapse, or a disc protrusion, where the nucleus material has torn through multiple layers but is still contained. The third stage, known as an extrusion, occurs when the nucleus completely tears through the outer layer. The final stage is called a sequestration. In this case, small pieces of the nucleus may become separated from the rest of the disc and be “floating” in the spinal canal.So how common is disc injury anyway? One study published by the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 98 individuals who were asymptomatic (no back pain), and performed MRI examinations on the lumbar spine. The study showed that 64% of those in the study had some type of disc injury. Out of that who had damage, there were 52% with disc bulge at 1 level, 27% had protrusion, and 1 % had extrusion. 38% of those with disc injury had an abnormality at MORE THAN ONE disc of the spine. Did we mention these people had NO PAIN?!Spinal health and mobility is very important to the overall health of an individual. Joint restriction and compression can lead to significant damage, which can lead to pain and dysfunction. If YOU are ready to take charge of your health and care for your spine, contact Optimal Chiropractic in Post Falls for more information.Also, here's an article from the New England Journal of Medicine about the study on the Lumbar Spine for people with low back pain - http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199407143310201#t=article
Your Core | Optimal Chiropractic Post Falls & Coeur d'Alene
Strengthening your core will really help you long term, to have less lower back pain, and can even have positive effects to lessen neck and shoulder pain. At Optimal Chiropractic in Post Falls, we strive to improve your health and overall quality of life. We recommend specific exercises to help strengthen and heal your body. Patients who are proactive and exercise regularly will have significantly better results with chiropractic care. Strengthening your core is vital in improving your condition.I remember a conversation with a good friend of mine in High School. She was saying something along the lines of “the best way to build your abs when you’re not working out is to suck it in and hold your abs all day.” Oh boy, if I had a time machine I would go back and smack myself for listening to such awful advice! Then again, we were young and dumb.“Sucking it in” and holding tension in the abs is probably one of the WORST things you can do when it comes to core strength and stability. You may be asking, why? And the answer, is because it causes POOR BREATHING PATTERNS. That’s right, by holding tension in your stomach the upper abs are contracted which does not allow the diaphragm to fully expand during breathing. But why is that important? Because the diaphragm is probably the most important muscle when it comes to breathing and overall stability.The diaphragm is a very thin muscle which lays over the top of the stomach and liver, basically separating the heart and lungs from the abdomen. When you take a breath in, the correct movement is for the belly to expand which allows the diaphragm to lower down. The opposite happens when you exhale or breathe out, the stomach is supposed to come back in and the diaphragm elevates to the previous position.So how do you know if you are breathing correctly? It’s simple. Take one hand and lay it across your chest. Then take the other and place it on your belly. As you breathe, the top hand should have very little movement, and the bottom should move in and out as you inhale and exhale. “Chest breathing” occurs when tension is held in the abdomen. This causes muscles in the chest, neck and back to work EVEN HARDER to raise and lower the rib cage with EVERY breath. “I hold so much tension in my neck/shoulders”…well then let’s start by breathing properly to help them relax!A healthy core is a stable core, and the way to stabilize the core is to utilize the diaphragm when breathing!
How Much Does a Chiropractor Cost?
This is a common misconception among the public in regards to chiropractic care, and unfortunately something we hear on a regular basis. Many people are afraid the out of pocket expense for chiropractic is going to be too high, and as such, will live with pain and dysfunction for as long as possible until they can no longer stand it. Even when it gets to that point, often times they are in so much pain their first stop will be to their medical doctor or an urgent care clinic for some sort of medication to dull the pain.I cannot stress enough how important it is to treat these conditions from the start rather than waiting for them to “go away” on their own. Pain is caused by a direct injury or by dysfunction in the body which has likely been present for quite some time. In general, the longer the problem has been present, the longer it will take to correct it!Many insurance companies have coverage for chiropractic care, some for acupuncture and massage therapy as well! This can significantly decrease the out of pocket cost for the patient in many cases. Have a high deductible to meet first? Even a half dozen visits to a chiropractic office paying completely out of pocket is usually more affordable than a visit to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room, and usually saves a significant amount of TIME and HEADACHES (which, by the way, the Chiropractor could also treat!).Still thinking chiropractic is too expensive? Consider the alternatives…Medication? Surgery? Of course, there is always a time and place for everything. However, are these other options really getting to the root of the problem or potentially causing MORE problems in the future?Mask the symptoms with medication and it allows the current dysfunction to continue.Surgically alter the anatomy and completely CHANGE the function and response of the body.Unsure of your insurance coverage for chiropractic care? At Optimal Chiropractic, we offer a NO COST and NO OBLIGATION consultation and check for insurance benefits. Our goal is to make sure you have ALL the information to make the best decision for yourself and your family! Give our office in Post Falls a call at (208) 777-4305!
The Key to Your Low Back Pain
Why Do I Have Back Pain?Such a common question to be asked in our office. And often times, there may not be a simple answer. Did you know, from your skull to your “tailbone” there are 3 different layers of muscles in the back? There are the superficial, intermediate, and deep layers, which are all broken down further into muscle groups based on their attachment and region of the spine. There are even textbooks solely dedicated to low back pain (the one sitting on my desk now is nearly 1000 pages, titled: Low Back Syndromes), not even focusing on the rest of the spine.Low back pain is the most prevalent of all musculoskeletal conditions, and will affect nearly everyone at some point in their lives. Pain can be caused by a variety of factors, and often a combination of many different things before you even start to notice pain. In this blog we will focus on 1 single muscle which is often overlooked, but may very well be the culprit to your low back and hip pain.
The muscle I am referring to is called the psoas (oddly pronounced “so-as” or “so-ass” – for which I often get strange looks or giggles from patients). The psoas is a muscle located deep in the abdomen. It attaches to the front and side of the lumbar vertebra and even to the discs of the lumbar spine. It travels downward to the pelvis and is combined with another muscle called the iliacus, and together they attach to the femur or "thigh bone". As these muscles join together, they become known as the iliopsoas, but are commonly referred to as hip flexors.The main function of the hip flexors are to bring the thighs toward the stomach. There are simple things we do every day which may cause the psoas to be repeatedly shortened or remain in a contracted state. Sitting is one of the most common postures which causes this repeated shortening of the hip flexors. It is very important to get up and get your body moving throughout the day, especially for those working at a desk all day long.Even though the psoas is located deep within the abdomen, it is still possible to treat the muscle to help release tension and possible trigger points. These trigger points in the muscle may refer pain to the low back anywhere along the course of the muscle itself. It is not uncommon to have more tenderness when treating one side compared to the other possibly due to compensations which have developed elsewhere in the body. This muscle is also very important when it comes to overall stability of the spine and of the core, which we will discuss in a later blog regarding abdominal bracing for core stability.Treatment of the hip flexors is often overlooked or may be incorrectly addressed. Many of the patients we treat in our office report they do static stretches for the hip flexors and quads, but do not seem to notice a significant change. We often find that this is because they are not getting specific enough with the area they are trying to target, or are stretching incorrectly. Many other doctors and even some chiropractors who do not focus on soft tissue or do not look outside of the spine for dysfunction tend to miss some of the other factors, such as the psoas, for treating low back pain and hip pain.If you, or someone you know suffers from hip pain or low back pain, contact our office to learn how we can help you to achieve a pain free and healthy lifestyle.Looking for a Post Falls Chiropractor? Contact Optimal Chiropractic in Post Falls for more information (208) 777-4305. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/postfallschiro as well as Twitter and Instagram @optimalchiropf for updates in the office!
High Intensity for Greater Results
Many people work out for many different reasons, although most have the common goals of losing weight, to look and feel better, and to be in better shape for a better life. Many have the idea that cardio exercises, such as running, are the best way to slim down. When doing cardio, most people resort to jumping on a treadmill or an elliptical machine, and for the next 30 to 40 minutes of their life they try and "zone out". New research suggests there are better, more efficient ways to do cardio. That way is called High Intensity Interval Training, also known as HIIT training.HIIT training, in a nutshell, is a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise followed by short, and often active recovery periods. Generally these sessions last anywhere from 15-20 minutes. So wait, are we saying you can have a SHORTER workout that is going to be even MORE EFFECTIVE? Yes!There are many advantages to doing HIIT training, the first being efficiency. Regular 1 – 2 hour workouts can be accomplished in 15-20 minutes. According to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, 2 weeks of HIIT training is the equivalent to 6-8 weeks of long endurance running when it comes to improvements in aerobic capacity. This is important, because aerobic capacity is the rate at which muscles utilize oxygen and is a good indicator of cardiovascular health.
Another advantage that HIIT training provides is maintaining muscle mass. The general rule of thumb, is that high endurance workouts such as long distance running will actually burn muscle and does not build muscle. With HIIT training, muscle is maintained because the body will burn sugar and fat instead as a source of energy. Imagine a track and field distance runner versus a sprinter. Distance runners are more likely to be thin, with little muscle mass, while sprinters generally are more toned with more muscle mass.The last advantage that we will discuss today, is the fact that HIIT training will improve your cardiovascular or heart health as well as endurance. A 2006 study found that after 8 weeks of HIIT training, subjects could bicycle 2x as long as they could before initially starting the study. HIIT training has also been shown to stimulate HGH (human growth hormone) by up to 450% more up to 24 hours after the workout. HGH is good as it is known to burn calories, help muscle grow, and it decreases aging.Whether you are looking to get started in the gym to lose weight, or if the boring treadmill just isn’t working for you anymore, give HIIT training a try. There are many research articles to support high intensity training, and there are many workouts online to follow, which will help with new ideas and to keep things changing.If you are looking for new ideas, or would like some help getting started, give our Post Falls office a call. We work with many patients to correct their running and lifting form to prevent injury during workouts. We also have nutritional programs available to help our patients achieve their optimal health and wellness goals. Call Optimal Chiropractic in Post Falls, Idaho for more information at (208)777-4305.