Zion Pain Management

Back Basics

Motion Keeps Your Back Alive

To stay alive and healthy, your back needs to move every day. The right kinds of motion nourish your back and help keep it flexible and free of pain. Moving improperly or too little, though can lead to many back problems-problems that often begin in your discs, the “shock absorbers” of your spine. Fortunately, almost every one with back problems can benefit from self-care---even those who need surgery.

When Back Pain Strikes

Whether it comes as the sharp pain of a sudden injury, an occasional twinge, or a constant daily ache, back pain can interfere with your life. Striking four out of five people sometime in their lives, back pain may develop because you move incorrectly or have a sedentary lifestyle-and move too little. Or you may have fallen into the “weekend athlete” trap, where you exercise only once in awhile. But whatever the cause, you can help reduce and prevent back pain with self-care.

Self-Care Can Help

Once you’ve had a medical evaluation to diagnose your spine or disc problem, you can learn how to use daily self-care. It may be all that’s needed to treat your back and keep it healthy. Under standing anatomy may help you see how the way you move every day can help or hurt your back. Learning good body mechanics helps you do simple everyday movements safely and efficiently. And with daily back exercises, you can strengthen your back and improve flexibility for easier movement.

Your Medical Evaluation

A medical evaluation is needed for you r doctor to diagnose your spine or disc problem and rule out other problems. This evaluation may include a medical history, physical exam, and diagnostic tests. After diagnosis, a team approach to treatment often works best. Each member of your team-you doctor, physical therapist, and you-plays a role in improving your spine or disc problem.

Medical History

A medical history helps your doctor evaluate your back pain and other medical problems. Your doctor may ask a variety of questions. What are your symptoms? Did your pain begin gradually or with an injury? What makes it better or worse?

Physical Exam

Your doctor begins to pinpoint the source of pain by observing your spine and posture in different positions. Your doctor also may check to see how flexible or strong your muscles are, and whether you have weak reflexes or pain-full or numb areas in your legs.

Diagnostic Tests

You may have one or more test to confirm your diagnosis and locate the source of your pain. These tests also may help your doctor determine the best approach to your treatment.

A Team Approach to Treatment

Once your doctor has diagnosed your spine or disc problem and prescribed the best treatment plan for you a physical therapist may join your health care team. An expert in body mechanics, spine care, and back exercises, your physical therapist can teach you specific self-care techniques. By regularly using them, you can help improve your spine or disc problem. Even in the rare cases when surgery is needed, self-care is a crucial part of recovery. If you have acute pain, however, treatment may also include rest or medication.

Understanding Anatomy: A Healthy Spine

Knowing how a healthy spine works may help you understand how moving wisely can protect your back and keep It free of pain. A healthy spine supports your body, while allowing it to move freely. It does this with the help of three natural curves, which keep your body balanced. Strong, flexible muscles support your spine and keep your curves in normal alignment. Keeping your lower back (lumbar curve) aligned is most important because it bears the brunt of your weight-and it moves the most. Soft, cushioning discs separate the hard bones of your spine, allowing it to bend and move.

Three Natural Curves

A healthy spine is made of vertebrae and cushioning pads of cartilage (discs) arranged in three natural curves that form an s-shape. When properly aligned, these natural curves keep your body balanced and support you when you move. They also distribute your weight evenly throughout your spine, making back injuries less likely.

Strong, Flexible Muscles

Strong, flexible muscles help maintain your three natural curves by holding your vertebrae and discs in proper alignment. This helps support your upper body. And if your abdominal, hip, thigh, and other muscles are strong and flexible, they can do the work of moving, taking strain off your back.

Lumbar Curve: The workhorse of your spine

Your lumbar curve is the hardest-working part of your spine. It carries more weight and moves the most. Aligning your lumbar curve helps prevent injury to your vertebrae, discs, and other parts of your spine.

Discs: The Cushions in Your Spine

Discs are soft cushions that separate vertebrae and absorb shock as you move. Each has a spongy center (nucleus) and a tougher outer ring (annulus), which contains pain fibers. The movement of fluid within the nucleus allows your vertebrae to rock back and forth on your discs, gibing you the flexibility to bend and move. Depending on how much you move, the size, shape, and flexibility of your discs change throughout the day.

An unhealthy spine often starts with an unhealthy habit like poor posture. Standing, sitting, or moving incorrectly puts extra stress on your spine and discs, causing pain. Over time, poor posture can even cause your discs to wear out early. Like wrung-out, brittle sponges, your discs lose their ability to cushion your spine, allowing a wide variety of painful spine and disc problems to develop. Unless corrected, they make your spine more vulnerable problems by changing unhealthy habits with self-care.

Poor Posture Backfires

Sooner or later, poor posture backfires, causing pain by putting your three natural curves out of alignment. Too much slouching (flexion) puts pressure on your annulus. A swayback posture (extension) can overload and inflame your facets. Your muscles tighten and may go into spasm to “splint” your spine, adding to the pain you feel.
Worn-out or injured discs can lead to a variety of other spine and disc problems. The most common problems happen when your discs tear, bulge, or rupture, losing their ability to cushion and absorb shock. The rest of your spine may weaken, as well, leading to pain, stiffness, and other symptoms.

How Discs Wear Out

Over time, your discs may wear out (degenerate) from natural aging. But poor posture can make them wear out and dry out, your vertebrae come closer together and become irritated. Bony out growths (bone spurs) may form, narrowing your foramen (a process called stenosis) and irritating nearby nerves.

Good Body Mechanics

Good body mechanics keeps your spine well aligned and moving smoothly just like a well-tuned machine. By keeping your three curves in alignment throughout the day, you minimize the stress on your spine and help prevent back pain and injury. Using poor body mechanics and moving the wrong way add stress to your spine and make injury more likely. But if you sleep, sit, or lift the right way, your weight is evenly balanced throughout your spine. You can also give your back a “break” by decreasing the amount of time you spend sitting-a stressful position for your lower back.

Wrong

Sleeping on a soft bed or couch takes your three natural curves out of alignment, which puts extra pressure on your back. Try not to sleep on your stomach, too, since that may strain your neck and back, especially if you use a pillow.
Standing bent over for long periods of time increases the pressure in your spine. And if you bend over with straight legs, you’ll lose your three natural curves. Wearing high-heeled shoes can give you a swayback, throwing your curves out of alignment when you’re walking.
Slouching puts your spine out of alignment and adds extra stress to your lumbar curve. It’s even more difficult to maintain your curves when sitting in chairs that don’t support your back. The same is true if you sit far away from the steering wheel when driving.
When you bend with straight legs and rounded back, you lose your three natural curves. Lifting this way makes your back bear the brunt of the work. If you lift an object far away from your body, you increase the pressure in your discs even more.
If you keep your feet and hips fixed in one position while turning, you are much more likely to twist your back. The joints in your back aren’t designed well for twisting. So this kind of motion increases your risk of injuring your discs.
When something is out of your reach, never stretch your arms and back to reach it. As you overreach away from your body, you eliminate your three natural curves. Then your back must work harder than it should.

Right

Sleep on your back or side on a fairly firm mattress. If you sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees to keep your curves aligned. When you sleep on your side, bend your knees to take some pressure off your back.
If you must stand for long periods, put one foot on a stool to take pressure off your spine and help keep your three natural curves aligned. If necessary, bend your knees slightly. Wear supportive, low-heeled shoes to cushion your weight and keep your spine aligned.
Keep your three natural curves aligned by suing chairs that support your back. A rolled-up towel or lumbar roll in the small of your back can also support your lumbar curve. To aid proper alignment when driving, position your seat so your knees are level with your hips.
Bending with your knees and hips helps you maintain your three natural curves. Let your legs do most of the lifting and hold objects close to minimize their weight. Even when you can’t get close, be sure to maintain your three natural curves.
Imagine your torso as one straight unit-from your shoulders to your buttocks. Turn with your feet, not your back. Point your feet in the direction you’re turning and step around the turn. As you do, maintain your three natural curves.
Again, get close to the “load.” Use a stool, if necessary. Tighten your stomach muscles to support your back and let your arms and legs do the work. Use a reacher for hard to reach items, or ask someone for help.

Back Exercises

Treatment for you spine or disc problem may include back exercises. They help you move wisely and well by building strong, flexible muscles to support your three natural curves. Regular back exercises also help keep your spine and discs nourished and healthy, easing pain and helping to prevent injury. Not only do they make your back feel better, but your whole body benefits, too. Your doctor or physical therapist may further tailor this basic program for you.

Back Saving Tips

A few simple steps can help save your back stress and strain and keep you moving without pain. Walking is great for you back, and it’s as simple

The Zion Pain Management Center is staffed by qualified personnel specially trained in the field of pain management. Our goal is to relieve or help you manage the pain you have been experiencing so that you may be able to enjoy a better life.