Intecore: Life Without Back Pain

Intecore: Life Without Back Pain

The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Stand Up To Your SCIATICA Take charge of your natural treatment today!

StaffSpotlight

Nelson Guiang, PT, DPT Clinical Director & Physical Therapist

Nelson found out about Physical Therapy when he volunteered at the Los Angeles County + USC hospital in the summer of 2004. There he found out what Physical Therapy is all about and completely fell in love with the idea of helping people get back to their life while getting to use the various equipment in the gym. Nelson received his Bachelor’s in Kinesiology with emphasis in exercise science from Long Beach State in 2011. He went on to get his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Chapman University in 2015. Nelson completed clinical affiliations with various orthopedic clinics in Southern California as well as experience with working with people with cancer during his affiliation at City of Hope. He did his graduate research on studying the effects of posture-cueing garments on healthy people and hopes that it can be used in the future to help people with their low back discomfort. During his free time, Nelson enjoys spending time with his family, trying new food, snowboarding, and cycling.

AUGUST 2017 The Intecore Bulletin The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body “Move Like You Used To!” STAND UP TO SCIATICA

• Treat Natural Pain WithANatural Treatment • Patient Success Spotlight • RelieveBack Pain InMinutes INSIDE:

Do you experience pain in the buttock, leg, or even your foot? If so, you may be experiencing sciatica. Sciatica is a common form of back and leg pain that is often misunderstood by sufferers. People frequently have questions about what sciatica is, why it occurs and how to find relief from the intense pain it can cause from the low back down to the feet. If you are suffering from sciatica, it is important to find its root cause. Many people often think an x-ray or expensive MRI is first needed to figure out what is causing pain. Having a lot of tests doesn’t mean you will find its root cause. Recent studies show that nearly 1 million of MRIs done for sciatica fail to find a treatable cause. With a new imaging technique called magnetic resonance neurography, 69% of the patients were found to have a trapped sciatic nerve deep in the buttock by a muscle

called the piriformis. It is known that in about 25% of the general population, the sciatic nerve pierces through the piriformis muscle and can be susceptible to abnormal pressure and irritation. Why Does Sciatica Occur? If therearechanges inposture,musclestrengthorpelvic alignment, the nerve can be compressed which leads to the quite common low back and sciatic nerve pains. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in your body. Iteven reachesdown to the footand therefore,can be irritated anywhere along its path. With sciatica, the consequent ache can be felt anywhere from the base of the spine, the buttocks or the back of the thigh and legs. Even tingling sensations in the toes can be attributed at times to the impingement of the sciatic nerve.

Quote of TheMonth:

“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.” ~James Dent

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Seek Physical Therapy First! TREAT NATURAL PAIN WITH A NATURAL TREATMENT Bad Habits Can Increase Your Pain

Some seemingly harmless habits can also contribute to the irritation of the sciatic nerve. A frequent bad habit is crossing of the legs for extended periods, which puts pressure on the nerve. In addition, sitting for long periods is bad for your spine. It is possible for you to prevent or relieve sciatica simply by improving your posture. Physical Therapy Relieves Sciatica The specialists at Intecore PhysicalTherapy play a crucial role in evaluating and treating sciatica, as well as other common backproblems. Our physical therapists are medical experts with years of training to evaluate your back problem, finding the root cause of your sciatica. An individualized treatment plan is created to guide you through the recovery process and maximize your success. When coming to Intecore PhysicalTherapy, our friendly and knowledgeable therapists spend time with you. We train you on specific and easy exercises that will relieve the pain in your back and legs. In addition, our specialized hands-on therapy helps to gently loosen tight muscles and joints in your spine and legs. Your pain is quickly relieved and your flexibility restored, so you can feel like yourself again. Our cutting-edge treatments are doctor recommended and are specifically designed for you to reach your healthcare goals.

Knowing all this should give you a headstart in warding off painful sciatica. After all, it may be as simple as learning to stand tall. Journalofneurosurgery:SpineFeb,2005Volume2,Number2.AaronG.Filler,M.D.,Ph.D.,JodeanHaynes,B.A.,Sheldon E.Jordan,M.D.,JoshuaPrager,M.D.,J.PabloVillablanca,M.D.,KeyvanFarahani,Ph.D.,DuncanQ.Mcbride,M.D.,Jay S.Tsuruda,M.D.,BrannonMorisoli,B.A.,UlrichBatzdorf,M.D.,andJ.PatrickJohnson,M.D.

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If you, or a loved one, has back pain or sciatica, join us in a free informative workshop on common causes, treatments, and prevention of your back pain or sciatica. ‘Back Pain & Sciatica Workshop’ Aliso Viejo: Tuesday September 19th at 1pm Foothill Ranch: Tuesday September 19th at 1pm Orange: Tuesday September 26th at 6pm San Juan Capistrano: Wednesday September 27th at 6pm Call (949) 393-5346 to register. Space is limited - Call today to reserve your spot FREE BACK PAINWORKSHOP

Eating Right Never Tasted So Good! Healthy Eating

Basic Vegetable Smoothie Recipe

8 Ingredients • 6 oz water • 1 large tomato • ½ cucumber • 2 pieces celery • 2 carrots • handful of baby spinach

Directions Wash the vegetables, throw them in the pitcher (after washing), turn blender on low, and then turn it up to high for about 30 seconds. You may need to use the tamper to get it circulating at the beginning. Other possibilities to add include olive oil, Tabasco, or herbs like basil. If you want it to look more like V8 you could leave out the spinach and add another tomato.

• lemon juice from 1 lemon (or balsamic vinegar) • 6 ice cubes

AndrewVertson,PT,DPT,ATC PhysicalTherapist

IS YOUR CHILD’S BACK PACK GOING TO CAUSE INJURY?

Finding a Safe Pack Despite their potential problems, backpacks are great when used properly. Before you buy one, though, consider a backpack’s construction.

Look for the following to choose the right backpack:

Patient Success Spotlight

• Lightweight pack: get one that doesn’t add a lot of weight to your child’s load; for example, leather packs look cool, but they weigh more than canvas backpacks • Two wide, padded shoulder straps: straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders • Padded back: it not only provides increased comfort, but also protects kids from being poked by sharp objects or edges (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the pack • Waist belt: this helps to distribute the weight more evenly across the body • Multiple compartments: to help distribute the weight throughout the pack Although packs on wheels (which look like small, overhead luggage bags) may be good options for students who have to lug around really heavy loads, they’re very hard to pull up stairs and to roll through snow. Check with the school before buying a rolling pack; many don’t allow them because they can be a tripping hazard in the hallways. Using Backpacks Wisely To help kids prevent injury when using a backpack: • Lighten the load. No matter how well-designed the backpack, less weight is always better. Use the bathroom scale to check that a pack isn’t over 10% to 15% of your child’s body weight (for example, the backpack of a child who weighs 80 pounds shouldn’t weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds). • Use and pick up the backpack properly. Make sure kids use both shoulder straps. Bags that are slung over the shoulder or across the chest — or that only have one strap — aren’t as effective at distributing the weight as bags with two wide shoulder straps, and therefore may strain muscles. Also tighten the straps enough for the backpack to fit closely to the body. The pack should rest evenly in the middle of the back and not sag down to the buttocks. You may need to adjust your kids’ backpacks and/or reduce how much they carry if they : • Struggle to get the backpack on or off • Have back pain • Lean forward to carry the backpack If your child has back pain or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, talk to your doctor or a physical therapist.

“After falling down and breaking my finger I was worried I’d have trouble using that finger normally. At first, it was very weak and sore. Mike and Heather gave me exercises to do which gradually built my strength and range of motion. All that was expected however, I did not expect to look forward to my sessions! Because of the wonderful therapists and staff, I enjoyed coming and felt comfortable pushing to improve. Now my strength and range of motion is almost normal and is without pain. Thank you to the caring and supportive Intecore staff.” - Krysten “Thank you to the caring and supportive Intecore staff.”

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

Strengthens Core

www.simpleset.net

ABDOMINAL BRACING Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Place your hands on the front of your pelvis and contract your deep core. Straighten one knee. Return foot to the starting position. Alternate legs one at a time. Repeat 10 times on both sides.

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