Low Back Pain After Sitting At Your Computer?

These days, most people have to sit at their computer all day. They don't have the best posture in the world, and they don't always have the best ergonomic set up for their desks. They are also under a lot of stress. However, usually bad posture, stress, and poor ergonomics will lead to frequent headaches, neck and upper back pain... not low back pain.

Low back pain is usually reserved for those employees doing physical work, a lot of lifting, bending, and stooping. During the times that I've seen patients with more physical jobs, most of them presented to my office with low back pain. Now, the top half of their body provides the more abundant symptom.

So if you don't do physical work all day, why are you getting low back pain? I noticed the same two major muscle groups being tight and stressed over and over again. By stretching these two major areas, a lot of very common symptoms, including low back pain and sciatica seemed to get quick relief. Doing the stretches also seemed to make a difference long term in my patients' ability to get longer lasting results from their chiropractic care.

The first muscles you should stretch are your hamstrings. You sit all day and the seated position puts them in their shortest position. Standing up means your hamstrings are pulling on your pelvis and pulling things out of place. Keeping this muscle more flexible is key in helping your back pain.

People have the most trouble because they can't quite get it stretched. First step would be to get off the floor. That's usually too much! Stand up or sit in a chair and put your leg straight out on a chair. Slowly try to touch your toes. Just go slow and only as far as you can reasonably go without pain. Hold the stretch for at least thirty seconds. Repeat on each side twice. Usually people just don't hold their stretches long enough to do much good. Consistency will make the difference in getting more flexible.

The next muscles to stretch are your hip rotators. Relieving the muscles here takes a lot of strain off the sciatica problem. For this one, you can even do it while lying in bed or on the floor. Keep one leg straight while you pull your other leg up to your chest. You should feel a pull. You can further stretch this area by pulling your knee across your body to get better results. Again, hold the stretch for at least thirty seconds.

Chances are, you're not going to stop working on your computer any time soon. Taking a few minutes each day to do some stretching will make a world of difference. Seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis is also a huge help.

"Are You Doing The Same Thing Every Time?"

When patients have been a couple of weeks into any care program, they often ask, “Are you doing the same thing every time?” It’s a legitimate question, since from the patient perspective, it may appear that each visit is the same.

Each vertebrae can move up to 16 different directions. There’s forward, back, tilting to each side, and rotation to each side – plus every combination thereof. So the real value in visiting a chiropractor is our ability to determine which vertebrae is out of alignment and then move it back into the right place.

Your goal is likely to get out of pain (or eliminate some recurring symptom), so you want to create a change in the spine. In order for us to create a change, we’ll need to make virtually the same adjustment on a regular basis for a period of time until the vertebra learns to hold the correct position.

It’s likely that each adjustment is to the same vertebra and taking it in the same direction, and that’s by design. Each patient will have their own misalignment that needs correction so treatment (although appearing very similar) will be different for each patient based on which bones are out of alignment and how long it’s taking to make a difference.

So your visit will potentially be the “same thing every time” for awhile. Each patient, however, is getting the adjustments that are right for them.

Some patients may also need additional therapies, exercises, stretches, or some time spent alleviating muscle spasm and “knots.” We strive to give you just what you need and nothing more.

What If You Can't Afford Treatment?

With all the debate going on about government-sponsored healthcare and keeping costs down, chiropractic care remains one of the cheapest methods of solving many different health conditions.

For less than the price of a round of steroid injections, you can get weeks to months of chiropractic treatment that will typically have longer lasting and more beneficial effects — without the side effects.

Now, I understand that many people can have difficulty with starting a treatment plan that may include multiple visits in a week. That’s at least a co-pay every time they walk through the door. I don’t want to sound unsympathetic, but I know that people waste so much money on things that are harmful to their health while putting their health issues on the back burner that could easily be solved now.

Is it really that you can’t afford treatment? Or is it that you just don’t see it as a priority? Every situation is different and your situation may be that you truly cannot afford it, but I’ve encountered many patients that just don’t see their health as a priority and that’s unfortunate.

At our office, we bend over backwards to offer discounts and alternate payment options in an effort to help you afford care, so it’s always surprising when people don’t choose to take advantage. Others are thrilled that we offer choices and ways for them to get all the care they need now and then pay for it over time.

I can sleep at night knowing that people that really want the help will always get the help at our office. If you need chiropractic care and wonder how in the world you can afford it, know that there are offices out there that will give you the payment assistance you need to make it happen.

Embrace The "Pop"

Are you afraid of hearing the “pop” noise when you get adjusted? Do you cringe when someone “cracks” their knuckles around you? Maybe it’s time to just embrace it. Learn more about what the “pop” is and why you should be happy when you hear it.

When the chiropractor performs and adjustment, often (but not always), you’ll hear a noise that goes with it. It’s called a cavitation. It’s really just the sound of the joint getting freed up for just a fraction of a second. Gas is released and you hear the noise. It also is a good indicator that your spine moved — and that’s a good thing.

If you are using a hands-on chiropractor and never hearing any noise, it’s not to say that you won’t get better. The noise can vary in volume from patient to patient, and from visit to visit. Since the doctor is using the right force in the right direction, you’ll still get results.

I differentiate if for myself. Usually if I’m hearing “clicks,” that means to me that we’re getting some movement, but the joint is not going to stay in the right place for long. Once I start hearing “clunks,” I know that the adjustment will hold longer and the right results are sure to follow.

So, it’s just noise and it means you’re getting better. Why not just embrace the pop?

Can Chiropractors Help With TMJ?

I’m not sure why this is, but there have been a growing number of new patients coming to our office with TMJ problems. Issues with your TMJ (temperomandibular joint, a.k.a. your “jaw”) most commonly lead to jaw pain and headaches.

TMJ issues can arise from a trauma to the jaw, like when you play sports or you happen to get hit. A lot of the issues comes from just going to the dentist. Not that the dentist did anything wrong, it’s just that when you have to hold your mouth open for so long and the muscles get tight and pull things out of place.

Then the jaw starts to pop or click each time you open your mouth. A lot of this can be accepted for awhile, but when it starts to lead to pain is when people want to take action. Some patients arrive in our office dealing with a totally different problem. Then I’ll get a question like, “Can chiropractic help my jaw?” Then the conversation begins.

The treatment is usually focused on working the muscles of the jaw. Kind of like massage, but more specific to the jaw muscles. Usually one side is way tighter than the other. Loosening up the tight side goes a long way in easing the pressure.

The TMJ itself can be adjusted through chiropractic. In our office, we can adjust the joint by using our hands, or the use of a low-impact adjusting tool called an activator. Both methods work well and seem to relieve the pain and pressure in the jaw.