The Heartland Spa (Illinois)
Along with autumn comes an onslaught of new activities that most lumbar spines have not seen in more than a year! Raking leaves, readying our gardens for the coming winter months and even preparing our homes for the holiday season can place stress and strain on joints and discs in the low back (lumbar spine) and cause pain. Once thought of as only “muscle aches or pain”, recent research has brought new enlightenment on the origin of low-back pain. We now know that muscles respond to joint and disc pain, as opposed to being the cause of it. This is why it is more important to keep your lower back joints mobile and flexible. Listed below are a few tips for good lower back health while performing autumn activities.
1. Always introduce new activities slowly. Do not attempt to complete 24 hours worth of work in 2 hours! Just as if we decided to take up jogging as a new activity, we would not want to run five miles our first day. We would want to break our bodies in over a longer period of time and set reasonable goals to attain.
2. Always do simple stretching procedures prior to any new activity. Although you may not be suffering from pain, achiness or tenderness in your spine don’t let that fool you! Our joints undergo stress, strain, and wear and tear through normal aging and normal daily activities. A single activity does not usually cause our spines to ache-it is usually cumulative trauma over time. We can reduce the amount of cumulative trauma in our spines by keeping lower back and leg muscles flexible. Simple stretches that include pelvic tilts, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and gluteal muscles can help prepare us for the activities. Stretching after activities can also have a calming effect on the joints and discs of the spine.
3. Try to be ambidextrous by using both sides of your body! Bending, lifting and twisting maneuvers performed repeatedly on the same side and with the same arm or leg tend to create cumulative wear and tear over time. Activities such as bending to the right, raking with the right arm, or stooping on one knee to the right should be balanced with activities which use the left side of your body as well. Being ambidextrous is also healthy for your brain!
4. First defense! At the first sign of back pain, place an ice pack in a wet pillowcase. Place that over the area of discomfort. In most cases, sitting aggravates the symptoms and should be avoided. Do not try to work through the pain because the level of injury may not be known and may aggravate the condition to a point where conservative care may not be helpful. If the pain is debilitating and causes spasming of one side of the spine, you should seek attention from your chiropractor as soon as possible. A good rule of thumb to follow is: avoid activities that aggravate the pain, allow the spine to rest (not sitting) and use cold applications three to four times a day for fifteen minutes. If the pain has not relented within 48 hours, it is imperative that you seek medical attention. These tips should be used to guide you and help you avoid common ailments as you prepare for new fall activities.
Dr. Thomas D. Koehler D.C. CCSP is a Chiropractic Physician and is certified in clinical Sport’s Medicine (Chiropractic). Heartland Spa
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