Solving Low Back and Neck Pain When you get up out of the car, do you notice that you have trouble straightening up? Do you get low back pain or stiffness after sitting for too long? How about pain in your neck from driving? After activities, does your neck sometimes bother you? If you get neck or back pain like this, we might be able to help you! Let me explain. Your spine consists of 32 bones or vertebrae. They extend all the way from your tailbone to the base of the skull at your neck. They are all attached to each other by tough yet stretchable ligaments. In between are gel-filled discs that act as shock absorbers. The vertebrae also touch eat other at the back with two joints called “facets;” they form one long kinematic chain, which is just a fancy way of saying that what happens to one end of the spine affects the other end, and vice versa. Let me give you an example that really explains exactly what I am talking about. Let’s say you sit a lot for whatever reason; maybe you have a desk job; maybe you were very active all your life at work or at home, but now, due to pain in your feet or your back, a medical illness, or for whatever reason, you end up sitting more. And I’m not just talking about an older person; this can happen at any age. The more you sit, the tighter certain muscles get between the legs, groin, pelvis, and low back, so it becomes more difficult to straighten up after sitting. This happens over and over again; over time, it changes your low back. Your belly begins to stick out and your low back sinks in. Pain may develop and become chronic. This also affects your neck, because as your belly sticks out, your chest is pulled down and your shoulders are pulled down and forward—you look stooped. Your neck compensates by curving up so that you can keep your head up. You develop a crick in your neck that becomes chronic. All because you sit too much! You see, human bodies are designed to move. Back in the caveman days, we had to keep moving to find food and just to survive! Sitting too much causes problems. At TriState Hand & Occupational Therapy, we have found research articles that provide solutions to neck and low back disorders. We have created programs that can help manage your pain effectively and safely. Best of all, these programs can be done here in our clinic and you can learn to do them yourself at home! The program involves stretching very specific muscles attached to the bones in the spine that are being compressed by tremendous pressure. Don’t just do any exercise! For example, basic bent knee sit-ups increase low back pressure between the vertebrae by 730 lbs! Wow! If you have back and neck pain, don’t do sit-ups! Please! Instead, we can teach you to release the pressure in a safe and simple way that will help you be able to walk, drive the car, and return to a more normal lifestyle. I know we are TriState Hand & Occupational Therapy, but believe me, because of my own back, I have a become a dedicated student of solving back and neck problems, and you will be surprised by how good you can feel again. Call us at (301) 759-4263 or ask your doctor for a referral now. Stop suffering and retake control of your body! We can help you with your back and neck pain. Try therapy first at TriState Hand & Occupational Therapy! |
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