April 2022 Healthy News from Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries Words Describing Back Pain and Exercises to Strengthen the Multifidi Are Important
“Why do you ask me so many questions, doctor?”
Our Manchester chiropractic patients are central to our practice. We want to understand each you and your pain experience well, treat you well, and ensure that you are satisfied with your care and outcome. That is why we ask you to explain your pain to us, sometimes a few times and in a variety of different ways! Words mean different things to different people: “discomfort” to one may denote “pain” to another while “stiffness” is “pain” or “discomfort” to a another. It is true! Researchers studied just what these different words mean to patients. An example of this is the description of “feeling”: pain was sharp/shooting, discomfort signified dull/tingling, stiffness was tight/restricted. (1) It's important for us to know our patient’s experience with pain to better reach expectations and boost satisfaction with care. Patients who visited an integrated hospital for care of their musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms assessed their pain as 5/10 (10 being greatest pain) and reported multiple pain locations (9 of 17 participants), low back pain (13 of 17), and neck pain (8 of 17). Those are very typical of rationales patients pursue chiropractic care! In this setting, because patients trusted their main physician, patients were satisfied with the collaboration amongst the various healthcare team members. Patients appreciated consistency in care from a single caregiving chiropractor. (2) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries knows our patients appreciate - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
Manchester CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Standing Exercise for Multifidus Muscle Strengthening Works
Back pain. It’s a simple description that may stem from a multitude of factors including the muscles of the spine, those seen and unseen. The multifidus muscles are such unseen muscles, deep, smaller muscles that run parallel to the spine from the cervical spine to the sacrum. These muscles aid movements like lateral (side) flexion and rotation of the spine when contracted. (3) Lately, researchers proposed that the multifidi may be a potential source of back pain since they are described as being stiffer in low back pain sufferers. Low back pain is linked to lumbodorsal musculature (which includes the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus well enough which may prevent low back pain initiated by muscle fatigue. (4) “Superman” (on-the-floor) exercises are well known. Standing back extension and “superman” exercises are newly documented to be equally beneficial in strengthening these multifidus muscles. (5) That is great news! Manchester back pain sufferers can do easy, standing exercises like this anywhere! The multifidi benefit!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paula Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes the value of increasing muscle strength and function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
Schedule your next Manchester chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be strengthened via proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries will ask you questions, and you are encouraged to ask Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries questions, too!