Full Disc-losure: What You Need To Know About Back Pain
Low back pain affects roughly 30% of the American population annually. Back pain is typically separated into discogenic pain (damage to the disc) and non-discogenic pain. However, many causes and other structures can be involved in low back pain. Identifying the root cause of discomfort can be a major step toward decreasing pain and improving function. Low back pain can have many causes:
You’ve Pulled Your Back, Now What?
Something didn’t feel quite right. You were shoveling snow or helping a friend move a heavy couch, and there it went. Your lower back tightens up or seizes up on you. It was hard to move normally, and your back just felt “off.” You “pulled” your back; now what? Let’s first take a brief look at the anatomy of the lower back, then a couple of lower back injuries, followed by what to do next.
Heat or Ice for Low Back Pain? Why You Should Choose Movement Instead
Society has trained us that when we get an injury, or have an ache or pain, we should always choose either heat or ice to try and relieve the discomfort. One of the most common questions that physical therapists get is whether someone should use heat or ice to relieve back pain. The issue with both modalities is that they are passive, and one study found the depth of therapeutic levels of tissue temperature change is one cm. Most tissues that individuals are looking to target with their heat or ice are much deeper, so you are not effectively applying the modality to the depth you want. So, what is the best thing that we can do for our low back pain? Movement!
Why Your Posture May Be Causing Low Back Pain
Have you ever had low back pain while sitting slumped over in your office chair or on your couch while watching TV? Have you ever had low back pain after a day of cleaning your house or garage? If you answered yes to one of these questions, you may be interested to know that your posture can affect the amount of stress that goes through your low back during daily activities.
Limited Hip Mobility and Core Weakness: Causes of Lower Back Pain in Golfers
With the golf season now in full swing, many golfers may be experiencing some aches and pains from the first several rounds of the course. Low back pain is a specifically common aliment among golfers. Low back pain can be caused by numerous factors, but two areas of deficit are common culprits to low back pain among golfers. (more…)
Stretch of the Week: Psoas Opener
During the month of May we will be focusing on a crucial muscle involved in low back pain, our psoas muscle. Back in December we addressed our quads and hip flexors (please feel free to check back through our Stretch of the Week archive for those stretches!), which did get into the psoas a little, but this month we will try to isolate it. For the first week we will start with a gentle psoas opener, it’s a variation of what’s called a Bridge in the exercise world. (more…)
