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Natural Bridge Apex, KY
     Get your rakes out!  It’s time again to get your rakes and blowers out of your sheds and spend your weekends picking up those colorful extracts from your trees

     It is very surprising how many people end up calling the office early Monday mornings because of the acute low back pain they have earned while raking. This is usually due to raking in the incorrect posture for too long at one time. The weight of the leaves or needles is not usually the culprit. The most common cause of the low back pain is the repetitive twisting motion that many people do as they pull the rake towards themselves. Our backs are not designed to handle repetitive twisting motions, especially if lifting is involved.

     Commonly, you don’t even notice the pain while raking.  It often builds up during the night when your back is no longer moving. During this time, the inflammation or swelling accumulates and the joints become stiffened.  You then jump out of bed thinking your raked your whole yard and got off pain free when the acute muscle spasm and pain hits you.  You might even have a sharp pain that may or may not travel down to the leg or buttocks.

     The best treatment for this condition is to restore normal joint movement of the area and keep it that way long enough for it to heal. Chiropractors receive good results in my office by doing adjustments of the effected joints to restore their mobility. By having good mobility in the swollen and sore joints, the swelling can be flushed out, the circulation inside the joint is improved, and the joints heal much faster with less pain. It is important that people understand that only your body will heal the injury and that the chiropractor is just making that system work more efficiently and at a faster rate. Applying ice packs or even frozen peas for ten to fifteen minutes at a time, two to three times per day, will help decrease the swelling around the nerves and joints. In the unfortunate event that something more serious has occurred, such as a herniated disk, the chiropractor is trained to identify and conservatively treat it. If conservative therapy will not work, the appropriate referral to a specialist can be made. This is usually done in conjunction with your medical doctor.

     Of course, the best cure for low back pain is prevention. When you are raking, keep your back straight and pull the rake directly towards your body. Do not pull the rake to your side, as this will automatically encourage your back to twist. It is also important to not try to rake the entire yard in one day. Spread the job out over a few days. Some may laugh at this, but it is recommended that you actually warm up and stretch before starting to rake. Go for a light ten-minute walk and do a few repetitions of stretching for the low back before starting.  Lastly, an emerging trend in the leaf extraction business is with leaf blowers. Leaf blowers help decrease the amount of bending over and twisting that you would normally have to perform and even speed up the process.  Regardless of which method you take, it’s time to get started! Leaf removal starts November 1 (Hopkinsville, KY)!

     If you have any questions about back pain or a topic for my next blog, email me at landrumdc@gmail.com or visit my website, http://www.landrumdc.com
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Natural Bridge Apex, KY
  
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Although doctors of chiropractic treat more than just back pain, a large percentage of chiropractic patients visit their doctor looking for relief from this pervasive condition. In fact, 70 to 85 percent of all people have back pain at some time in their life.

A few interesting facts regarding back pain:

Low back pain is the fifth most common reason for all physician visits in the United States.1,2

Back pain is the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years old.3

Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.

Approximately one quarter of U.S. adults reported having low back pain lasting at least one whole day in the past three months2, and 7.6 percent reported at least one episode of severe acute low back pain within a one-year period.4

Low back pain is also very costly: approximately 5 percent of people with back pain disability account for 75 percent of the costs associated with low back pain.5

One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.6

Approximately 2 percent of the U.S. work force is compensated for back injuries each year.7

Americans spend at least $50 Billion per year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.8

If a person has back pain, what should they do?

If your back pain is not resolving quickly, visit your doctor of chiropractic. Your pain will often
result from mechanical problems that your doctor of chiropractic can address. Many chiropractic
patients with relatively long-lasting or recurring back pain feel improvement shortly after starting chiropractic treatment. The relief is often greater after a month of chiropractic treatment than after seeing a family physician.
The chiropractic approach is to find the cause of the pain and treat it directly. This may involve
realigning the spine or extremities by chiropractic adjustments, physiotherapy for the muscles
and ligaments, rehabilitative exercises, or a combination of these. Sometimes the doctor of
chiropractic will suggest exercises or activities to prevent a reoccurrence of the problem. This
may provide a long term solution to the condition through prevention.

During the first visit, the doctor of chiropractic will complete a thorough examination that
typically includes:
• Patient history
• Physical examination
• Diagnostic studies (when indicated)
• Diagnosis
• Education about the problem and discussion of a chiropractic treatment plan or – if
warranted – referral to the appropriate health care specialist
Chiropractic spinal manipulation is proven to be a safe, effective, and affordable treatment
option. Chiropractic care reduces pain, restores normal range of motion, and decreases the need
for medication.

Tips to Prevent Back Pain

Some back pain is caused by non-preventable factors (traumatic accidents, congenital defects,
tumors), but the majority of low back pain is preventable. Suggestions on how you can prevent
back pain include:
• Maintain a healthy diet and weight.
• Remain active.
• Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest.
• Warm up or stretch before exercising or other physical activities.
• Maintain proper posture.
• Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
• Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in your spine.
• Lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.
• Quit smoking. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation
to spinal tissues.
• Work with your doctor of chiropractic to ensure that your workstation is ergonomically
correct.

References:

1. Hart LG, Deyo RA, Cherkin DC. Physician office visits for low back pain. Frequency, clinical evaluation, and treatment patterns from a U.S. national survey.
Spine. 1995;20:11-9.

2. Deyo RA, Mirza SK, Martin BI. Back pain prevalence and visit rates: estimates from U.S. national surveys, 2002. Spine. 2006;31:2724-7.

3. National Institutes of Health

4. Carey TS, Evans AT, Hadler NM, Lieberman G, Kalsbeek WD, Jackman
AM, et al. Acute severe low back pain. A population-based study of prevalence
and care-seeking. Spine. 1996;21:339-44.

5. Frymoyer JW, Cats-Baril WL. An overview of the incidences and costs of low
back pain. Orthop Clin North Am. 1991;22:263-71.

6. Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms, Absenteeism and
Working Environment. Scan J Rehab Med Suppl 1985; 11: 1-98.

7. Andersson GB. Epidemiological features of chronic low-back pain. Lancet.
1999;354:581-5.

8. This total represents only the more readily identifiable costs for medical care, workers compensationpayments and time lost from work. It does not include costs associated with lost personal income due to acquired physical limitation resulting from a back problem and lost employer productivity due to employee medical absence. In Project Briefs: Back Pain Patient Outcomes Assessment Team (BOAT). In MEDTEP Update, Vol. 1 Issue 1, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville, MD, Summer 1994.
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