April 2022 Healthy News from Chiropractic Solutions Words Describing Back Pain and Exercises to Strengthen the Multifidi Are Important
“Why are you asking me all these questions, doc?”
Our San Jose chiropractic patients are central to our practice. Chiropractic Solutions wants to understand each of our patients and your pain experience well, treat you well, and be sure you are satisfied with your care and outcome. That’s why we ask you to describe your pain to us, sometimes a few times and in a variety of different ways! Words mean different things to different people: “discomfort” to one may mean “pain” to another while “stiffness” is “pain” or “discomfort” to a another. It is true! Researchers did a deep-dive into these different words and their meanings to patients. An example with regards to the description of “feeling”: pain was sharp/shooting, discomfort signified dull/tingling, stiffness signified tight/restricted. (1) It is beneficial for Chiropractic Solutions to know our patient’s experience with pain to better meet expectations and enhance satisfaction with care. Patients who went to an integrated hospital for care of their musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms assessed their pain as 5/10 (10 being greatest pain) and indicated multiple pain locations (9 of 17 participants), low back pain (13 of 17), and neck pain (8 of 17). Those are very typical of rationales patients pursue chiropractic care! In this setting, because patients trusted their main physician, patients were satisfied with the collaboration among the various healthcare team members. Patients valued consistency in care from a single caregiving chiropractor. (2) Chiropractic Solutions knows our patients appreciate - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
San Jose CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Strengthen Multifidus Muscles While Standing
Back pain. It’s a simple description that may stem from many factors including the muscles of the spine, those seen and unseen. The multifidus muscles are such unseen muscles, smaller, deep muscles that run beside the spine from the neck to the sacrum. These muscles aid movements like lateral (side) flexion and rotation of the spine when contracted. (3) Recently, researchers proposed that the multifidi may be a possible source of back pain since they are found to be stiffer in low back pain sufferers. Low back pain is associated with lumbodorsal musculature (which includes the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus sufficiently which may avert low back pain caused by muscle fatigue. (4) “Superman” (on-the-floor) exercises are well known. Standing back extension and “superman” exercises are newly documented to be equally beneficial to strengthen these multifidus muscles. (5) That’s great news! San Jose back pain sufferers can do simple, standing exercises like this anywhere! The multifidi benefit!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paula Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes the benefit of improving muscle strength and function as part of back pain treatment via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
Schedule your next San Jose chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be strengthened via proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. Chiropractic Solutions will ask you questions, and you are welcome to ask Chiropractic Solutions questions, also!