Priority: Don’t Ignore Back Pain

Priority: Don’t Ignore Back Pain

Health &Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Don’t Let Down Those Looking Up To You! 6 BACK CONDITIONS NOT TO IGNORE

Do you feel aches and pains in your lower back? If so, you are not alone. Four out of every five Americans will suffer from back pain at some time in their lives. Without proper spine mobility, stability and alignment your back structures wear down over time, similar to tires that are out of alignment. There are many different back conditions, but here are a few common ones: (continued inside)

Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Imagine How Life Would Be Without Pain! INSIDE: 6 BACK CONDITIONS NOT TO IGNORE

• Will Your Back Hurt As You Get Older? • Relieve Back Pain In Minutes • Patient Success Spotlight • Healthy Recipe • Avoid Aches & Pains In The Garden This Spring

(continued from outside) 1. Lumbar or sacral radiculopathy: The result of pressure on a nerve exiting the spine. Pain, numbness and tingling can be felt down in different parts of the leg. 2. Sciatica: This comes from compression of the sciatic nerve by a muscle called the piriformis, deep in the buttock. Symptoms can radiate down the buttock and leg. 3. Spinal stenosis: This is a narrowing of the bony spinal canal which causes rubbing or pressure on nerves. Central canal stenosis is quite serious as it presses upon the spinal cord. 4. Lumbar sprain/strain: This is a common cause of low back pain due to injury of muscles and tendons. The rows of muscles that run up and down the sides of the spinal column, are the major muscle groups usually involved in lower back injury. 5. Fractures: These are due to trauma, or sometimes occur without any injury in people with osteoporosis.

6. Spinal cord compression: This is unusual, but very worrisome and may be associated with weakness and loss of bowel/bladder control. Medication and Bed Rest Most lower back pain sufferers try over the counter drugs and bed rest. However, most self-remedies will not provide the relief that you need. In fact, bed rest is the wrong thing to do, because it can weaken the spinal muscles further. Weakness in the spinal muscles is one of the main reasons for low back pain and puts you at risk for injuring your back with common activities such as lifting, bending or squatting. Most of us sit too much and this contributes to severe weakening of the back and torso muscles which are needed for a healthy back.

Palmayra, MO: 573-769-6166 Florence, SC: 843-536-4888

www.prioritypt.net

WILL YOUR BACK HURT AS YOU GET OLDER? If you think that growing older automatically leads to back pain, here’s some great news; it doesn’t! Many people suffer from pain, yet, they still believe their aches and pains are a natural part of aging. They’re not. Back pain is primarily caused by four main factors: • Spinal muscle weakness • Poor muscle or joint movement • Poor posture • Lack of spinal or pelvic muscle coordination Treating the Cause of Your Back Pain

The goal of our SPINE program is to find the root cause of your pain and correct it, not just treat the symptoms. By treating the root cause of the pain, you can achieve faster, long-lasting results. We provide the most advanced and effective treatments to each of our patients in a caring, friendly environment. Our highly trained and skilled physical therapists use proven hands-on therapy techniques to help people of all ages become free of pain and get back to the activities they enjoy. If your back pain prevents you from standing for long periods, bending down to pick up objects, or getting up and down from the floor to play with your children or grandchildren it’s time to call Priority Physical Therapy and restore your quality of life. Knowing the Right Expert to Help You PhysicalTherapists are medical musculoskeletal specialists, meaning we are the experts when it comes to the movement of the body and how the

muscles, joints and skeletal structure work with one another. Effective physical therapy experts recognize that the best treatments are not modalities that depend solely on ultrasound, cold or heat therapy, but rather a skilled hands-on approach to examination and treatment. Studies have proven that manual therapy and specific exercises produce better and faster results than traditional exercise based therapy. If you are suffering with back pain or know someone who is, call us today to discover how we can finally help you become pain-free and get back to the activities you enjoy. After all, you’re as young as you feel! Find out more about our programs by calling us today and discover how to relieve and reduce back pain.

Call us today at Missouri: 573-769-6166 or South Carolina: 843-536-4888 to schedule an appointment!

Healthy Recipe: HONEY GARLIC SHRIMP

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

INGREDIENTS • 1/3 cup honey • 1/4 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium) • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic • optional: 1 teaspoon minced ginger • 1 lb medium uncooked shrimp, peeled • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Stretches Lower Back

www.simpleset.net

STRAIGHT LEG RAISE While lying or sitting, raise up your leg with a straight knee. Keep the opposite knee bent with the foot planted to the ground. Repeat 6 times on both sides.

DIRECTIONS 1. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger (if using) together in a medium bowl. 2. Place shrimp in a large zipped-top bag or tupperware. Pour 1/2 of the marinade mixture on top, give it all a shake or stir, then allow shrimp to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or for up to 8-12 hours. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the marinade for step 3 (time-saving tip:while theshrimp ismarinating, Isteamedbroccoliandmicrowavedsome quick brown rice). 3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in the skillet. Discard used marinade. Cook shrimp on one side until pink—about 45 seconds— then flip shrimp over. Pour in remaining marinade and cook it all until shrimp is cooked through,about1minutemore.4.Serveshrimpwithcookedmarinadesauceandagarnish of green onion. The sauce is excellent on brown rice and steamed veggies on the side.

MISSOURI 573-769-6166

SOUTH CAROLINA 843-536-4888

www. prioritypt.net

DISCOVER HOW TO LIVE PAIN FREE

Common gardening activities, such as digging, planting, weeding, mulching, and raking can cause stress and strain on muscles and joints.This is especially true for senior citizens and people who are normally sedentary. Different body areas such as theshoulders,neck,back,andkneescanbevulnerable to injuryduringgardening. These tips can help prevent injuries: • Warm up before you garden. A 10-minute brisk walk and stretches for the spine and limbs are good ways to warm up. • Change positions frequently to avoid stiffness or cramping. • Make use of a garden cart or wheelbarrow to move heavy planting materials or tools.Be sure to keep your back straight while using a wheelbarrow. • Ifkneelingonbothkneescausesdiscomfort inyourback, trykneelingononeand keeptheotherfootontheground.Usekneepadsoragardeningpadwhenkneeling. • If kneeling or leaning down to the ground causes significant pain in your back or knees, consider using elevated planters to do your gardening. • Avoid bending your wrist upwards when pulling things or using gardening tools. Instead, keep your wrist straight and use your shoulder muscles to pull and lift. • End your gardening session with some gentle backward bending of your low back, a short walk and light stretching, similar to stretches done before starting. PATIENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHTS Concerned with the well-being! “The therapist was knowledgeable and concerned with the well-being of their patients.” - Frances Made me comfortable! “She made me totally comfortable in new surroundings. Thanks so much!” - Vonnie I would recommend anyone! “I would recommend anyone needing physical therapy to use Priority. Thank you!” - Susan It helped a lot! “I really appreciate Lauren’s encouragement and confidence in my recovery. It helped a lot! “ - Kirsten AVOID ACHES & PAINS WHILE GARDENING THIS YEAR.

At Priority Physical Therapy, you will receive hands-on therapy treatments by our friendly, caring health experts during focused and individualized sessions. It’s time to get Priority Physical Therapy 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