APM: Getting To The CORE Of Back & Neck Pain

APM: Getting To The CORE Of Back & Neck Pain

Health & Wellness Newsletter

(520) 296-8513

GETTING TO THE CORE OF BACK&NECK PAIN NEWSLETTER

INSIDE: • Core Strength & Back Pain • Relieve Back Pain In Minutes • Patient Success Spotlight

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Health & Wellness Newsletter

(520) 296-8513

NEWSLETTER

GETTING TO THE CORE OF BACK&NECK PAIN

WHAT COULD THIS BE FOR??

Whether you have pain or have been suffering for a long time, seeing a physical therapist at Applied Physical Medicine can help you return to a more active and pain-free life. Give us a call at (520) 296-8513 today! Back Pain 101. Generalized lower back pain impacts 90% of the population, and more then 50% of those people categorize it as severe. While many of those with pain in the back have had an injury that has lead to this issue, some people have poos posture. One of the biggest problems with back pain is that once it develops, it is difficult to work around it, and many people begin modifying their movements as a result, causing their back to compensate for the injury by putting pressure on other muscles that eventually just leads to more back pain. Sounds like a Catch 22 — avoiding the things that hurt your back could actually lead you to develop more pain in the future. We have seen people who get their back worked on once every 2 weeks have stayed much more functional for the long term. We need to utilize a lot of manual therapy, and usually certain special exercises as well.

Hey, Family!! Noah here. We are going to be talking about back and neck pain in our newsletter this month. Did you know that 25% of all people who go to the ER go for back pain. That is a scary high number. 10% of all people in the ER come for head and neck issues. We are going to try and give you some pointers so you don’t fall into this statistic. We are going to discuss core and hip strength, neck and upper back strength, and of course mobility

NOAH ABRAHAMS PT, DPT

Neck Pain 101. There are a lot of reasons why neck pain may develop, including everything from sudden incidents like a car accident or a slip-and-fall injury, to more chronic issues, such as regularly hunching over a desk at work or even practicing poor posture. One of the biggest problems with neck pain is that it often triggers headaches, as the pain is so closely connected to the spine and nervous system. What is more, addressing neck pain is sometimes difficult as there is so much potential to cause more damage to the neck. Due to all these issues, getting in ASAP is super important. We usually need to treat the muscles, the joints, but also correct ailments for the previously mentioned poor posture. When getting headaches, they can also lead to dizziness. Don’t worry, we can fix that.

We are YOUR physical therapists, Noah

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CORE STRENGTH&BACK PAIN

You may be super surprised how common muscle weakness and muscle tension can lead to lower back and neck pain. You may even more surprised to hear how closely related neck pain and back pain are than you previously thought. For starters, the core is layered with abdominal muscles in a few layers, lower back muscles in a few layers, but also muscles that go from back to front, and from front to back, and of course from side to side. And, just to make the lower back more fun, there are tissues which attach on your legs and your spine, as well as your hips and your neck bones. Ok, it is complex, what can we do. We need to make sure the muscles are the proper length. Yes, that means some stretching or basic mobility exercises. You have to do them. (Look at my article below on compliance with exercise.) You also have to have the proper force distribution. That sounds fancy, but it basically means that the forces need to be balanced in all those patterns I mentioned above. Yes, strength exercises. You need to work muscles in all those planes to be balanced. But…You may still have pain. That means we need to look at the Facia system that is connected all throughout the body. Pain in your lower back can cause pulling in your neck and lead to headaches, and even TMJ. But, like I said. Easy to manage. Build the habit of coming to PT once every 2 weeks to manage your chronic back. It works.

- Noah

Thomas stretching for hip flexor muscle

Call us today to schedule an appointment!

THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING YOUR EXERCISES AT HOME

A 2014 article surveyed 20,000 people who attended physical therapy. Guess what they found? 84% of those patients did NOT do their exercises at home. Ugh, why would they not want to get better. But, what is worse is 75% of those people then lied to their physical therapist about it. That means they told their PT that they were doing exercises, even though they weren’t.

You and I are going to fix this right now.

I promise not to yell at you for not doing your exercises, but you have to promise to tell me if I give you too much to do. I promise to ask you how you much time you have to do exercises and make sure I fit anything I want you to do in that slot.

I promise it won’t be too many things.

With back and neck pain it is super crucial to build a program which you can commit to. We will do that with you, and make it work.

If you do this, you WON’T be a statistic, you will beat your back or neck pain forever.

- Noah

www.physicaltherapytucson.com

Patient Success Spotlight

DISCOVER HOW TO LIVE PAIN-FREE

At Applied Physical Medicine, you will receive hands-on therapy treatments by our friendly, caring health experts during focused and individualized sessions. It’s time to go to Applied Physical Medicine if: • You’re tired of living in pain • You want to feel better and move better • You have been in an auto accident or injured on the job • You want to prevent injury 1. Call and talk to your therapist 2. Discover why your pain has come back 3. Get your custom recovery program

I feel like I can get back to my work activities! “After a car accident, I immediately came in the next day to address the back pain. Noah, Matt, Dan, and Lalo listened to my concerns and gave excellent care. Through TENS, needling, and massage the pain and soreness were taken care of. Through the exercises and strengthening, I feel like I can get back to my work activities (keg lifting, beer delivery!) and back to things I enjoy like running. Thank you APM team!” - Rebecca S.

Relieve Back Pain In Minutes Try this movement if you are experiencing back pain.

SUPERMAN Lie on your stomach as shown. Lift your arms and legs off the floor slightly at the same time. Repeat 5 times.

www.simpleset.net

GUESS HIS NAME & GET A FREE PT EXAMINATION

A. Martin B. Jackson

C. Walter D. Bartleby

CALL TO SUBMIT YOUR ANSWER TODAY! (520) 296-8513

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.

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