OSRPT_Are You Experiencing Lower Back Pain?

Ne w s

The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Orthopedic & Sport Rehab • Physical erapy Quality Rehabilitation rough Personalized Care

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING LOWER BACK PAIN? Chances Are, it May be Caused by Another Issue

then. Now, let’s say you begin feeling pain in your lower back in addition to your neck pain. Why does this happen? Basically, the pains are connected to each other. Your head weighs about 10- 12 pounds, which is roughly the weight of a bowling ball. When you slouch, or compensate pain by realigning your body, your back muscles have to work extra hard to keep you from toppling forward. Have you ever been so tired that your head begins to bob and it jolts you awake? That’s because your head is heavy! The weight from the motion wakes you back up because your body isn’t used to carrying it in that way. This isalsowhypain inyour lowerbackmayoccurasa result.Yourbackmuscles are working in overdrive and may be constricting to try and hold you up. If you noticeneckandbackpainat thesame timeasoneanother, trysittingupstraighter – it should help ease some of the stress!

Your spine is a complex part of your body – it requires proper posture, flexibility, coordination, and strength, in order to do its job correctly. When one of these elements isaltered,yourspinecanemitpainful responses thatcansettle inother nearby parts of the body. According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 80% of adults will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is actually the most commonly reported location of pain across the globe. But how often is the source actually another part of your body? PAIN IS USUALLY CONNECTED Your spine is a lengthy structure, and pain can travel along it. Let’s say you are prone to neck pain – perhaps you have a slouched posture from sitting at a desk all day and the pressure radiates in your shoulders. Or, maybe you’ve had a previous injury, such as whiplash, that still elicits painful stings every now and

(Continued Inside)

http://osrphysicaltherapy.com

IS YOUR NECK THE CULPRIT?

(Continued From Outside)

The most common combination of pain is in the neck and the back. If you are experiencing both, it is most likely stemming from the neck. Wedon’ttypicallythinkabout it,butweuseournecksfora lotofourdailyactivities.Even simple things, such as turning to grab something out of the cupboard or looking over yourshoulderwhenbackingoutofadriveway,usea lotofneckmuscles.Whenyoudo simple taskssuchas these,doyoufindyourself turningyourentirebody,asopposed to just your head? If so, you could experience back pain along with your neck pain. Whenyouhave limitedmotion inyourneck,yourbodycompensatesby twistingmore than itusuallywould, thusover-rotatingyour lowerback.Thiscouldcauseasourceof painorgeneraldiscomfort in thearea,due toabnormaloveruse. Ifyouareexperiencing neckpain,backpain,oracombinationofboth,ourphysical therapistswouldbemore than happy to meet with you for a consultation to discuss how they can help. Call us today to talk to an expert about how we can relieve your aches and pains! How can I tell if my neck is causing my back pain? It can sometimes to be difficult to determine if your back pain is rooted in your neck. This simple, at-home test can assist you in figuring it out: 1. Stand straight in front of another person. They will be your eyes regarding the movements you make. 2.Once theyarewatchingyou, turnyourheadas farasyoucomfortablycan to the left. Repeat thesamemotion to theright.Have them takenoteofhowfaryouareable togo. 3. Now, sit down in front of the same person. Repeat the same turning motions from a chair or couch. Again, have them take note of how far you are able to comfortably turn your head. 4. Ask if there were any differences in the turning movement. Did one side seem to turn further than the other? Was there a difference in standing vs. sitting?

This test is helpful in finding out if your neck is causing (or is at risk of causing) pain inyour lowerback. Ifyourmovement is limited,especiallysittingdown, itmeans that the muscles in your back or upper back are tight. These constricted motions can cause pain in the lower back. Howcanphysicaltherapyhelpme? Physicaltherapy isthe leadingrecommendation forbackpain.Physical therapistsare trained toevaluatemuscleand jointmovement, and theycaneasilyassistyou infinding the rootofyourproblem.Theywill thoroughly evaluateyou tofigureoutwhyyouareexperiencingpain,determining thesourceand treatingallaffectedareas.Afteryour initialconsultation, theywillcreateaspecialized treatment plan for you, based on their diagnosis of your specific needs. A physical therapist’sendgoal is thesameasyours– togetyou feelingbetter,healthier,andmore comfortable! Ifyouareexperiencing lowerbackpainand think itmaybecausedbyan issue occurring in your neck, give us a call today. We’ll get you moving comfortably again in no time.

Relieve Back Pain In Minutes Try this movement to relieve your back pain.

Success Story

“My Physical Therapists at OSR were very skilled physical therapists. They put together a detailed plan for me to follow both during and post-PT. I was there due to having a total left knee replacement. Some days were tough as they worked

Strengthens Core

QUADRUPED ALTERNATE ARM & LEG RAISE While on your hands and knees, slowly raise up an arm out in front of you. Then, slowly raise the opposite leg behind you, while keeping your back straight. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 3 times on both sides.

www.simpleset.net

on my range of motion and to break-down the scar tissue resulting from thesurgery.Onmy "graduationday,"as theycall it, Imeasured 0 degrees when straightening my leg, and was able to bend it a full 134 degrees. I realize I still have a lot of post-PT work to do over the next 10 months until my leg is fully healed, but I am currently able to use my left leg far better than at any time in the past few years. Thank you, OSR, for all your help and for caring about me not only as a client but also as a person." - Mark

http://osrphysicaltherapy.com

Tips For Better Heart Health!

Are You Ready to COMPETE?!? OSR at Anthem Days

Come and Visit Us at Anthem Days, March 28th and 29th! OSR will be partnering with Phoenix Rising Youth to host a friendly soccer skills competition on Saturday from 10am-2pm. Stop by our tent to compete, and for a chance to win prizes while supplies last!

1. Aim for lucky number seven. Young and middle-age adults who sleep 7 hours a night have less calcium in their arteries (an early sign of heart disease) than those who sleep 5 hours or less or those who sleep 9 hours or more. 2. Keep the pressure off. Get your blood pressure checked every 3-5 years if you’re 18-39. If you’re 40 or older, or if you have high blood pressure, check it every year. 3. Move more. To keep it simple, you can aim for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week of moderate exercise. Even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day, being sedentary for the other 23 1/2 hours is really bad for your heart. 4. Slash saturated fats. To help your heart’s arteries, cut down on saturated fats, which are mainly found in meat and full-fat dairy products. Choose leaner cuts and reduced-fat options. 5. Find out if you have diabetes. Millions of people don’t know that they have this condition. That’s risky because over time, high blood sugar damages arteries and makes heart disease more likely. GRILLED SHRIMP TACOS WITH SRIRACHA SLAW

PROUD TO BE OFFICIAL PARTNERS

LETS

osrptaz instagram.com/osrptaz

INGREDIENTS • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 3 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro • Juice of 3 limes, divided • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled & deveined • 1/4 head red cabbage, shredded • 1/4 c. mayonnaise • 1 tbsp. sriracha • 4 medium tortillas

GET

osrpt facebook.com/osrpt

SOCIAL

DIRECTIONS In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, cilantro, and 1/3 of the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to a baking dish and pour over mixture. Toss until completelycoatedand letmarinate20minutes.Meanwhile,makeslaw: Ina largebowl, toss cabbage with mayo, remaining lime juice and sriracha. Season with salt. Heat grill to high. Skewer shrimp and grill until charred, 3 minutes per side. Grill tortillas until charred, 1 minute per side. Serve shrimp in tortillas with slaw.

osrpt twitter.com/osrpt

http://osrphysicaltherapy.com

YOU'RE INVITED: ANTHEM DAYS MARCH 28 TH & 29 TH

SEE DETAILS INSIDE!

GILBERT CLINIC 3345 S. Val Vista Drive, Suite 101

PEORIA CLINIC 9784 W. Yearling Rd. Bldg. B, Suite 1520

NORTH PHOENIX CLINIC 2655 W. Carefree Highway

ANTHEM CLINIC 41125 N. Daisy Mountain Dr. Suite 121

Gilbert, AZ 85297 P: 480.857.7123 F: 480.857.8250

Peoria, AZ 85383 P: 623.412.2117 F: 623.412.2118

Phoenix, AZ 85085 P: 623.434.4655 F: 623.434.4657

Anthem, AZ 85086 P: 623.551.9706 F: 623.551.9708

SUN CITY CLINIC 10474 W. Thunderbird Blvd. Suite 200 Sun City, AZ 85351

GLENDALE CLINIC 5810 W. Peoria Ave. Glendale, AZ 85302 P: 623.219.4242 F: 623.219.4244

SCOTTSDALE CLINIC 9375 E. Bell Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85260

P: 480.265.2122 F: 480.264.7575

P: 623.219.4475 F: 623.219.4477

and

http://osrphysicaltherapy.com

FIND RELIEF WITH OSR PT!

For Your Lower Back Pain

INSIDE:

• Are You Experiencing Lower Back Pain? • Is Your Neck The Culprit? • Tips for Better Heart Health • OSR at Anthem Days: Are You Ready to Compete?!?

http://osrphysicaltherapy.com