Sorry to ruin the suspense, but for those of you who like instant gratification: the short answer is "yes." The fact is that 80% of the population will experience low back pain at some point in their life. Some amount of those will go on to get spine surgery. Out of those, more than half will experience the same type of back pain that caused them to get surgery within less than 6 months! Furthermore, recent studies showed that rehabilitation…
We already know how important exercise is for maintaining our health. This is especially true as we begin to experience age-related physical decline in areas such as strength, agility, balance and stability. However, many of our fitness endeavors and goals tend to neglect that last category. Improving balance and stability should be a priority to reduce injuries and improve movement confidence. Sometimes, I get patients in the office who inform me, "Oh, I can't do that exercise. I can't get…
At one point or another you've probably twisted in your chair and heard the sound and sensation of a pop somewhere in your body. It surprises you, but does not hurt. Your muscles relax and you can breath more deeply. What just happened and why does it feel good? Most people would describe this as "cracking your back" but let's be clear: your bones are not cracking! Don't worry, you didn't break anything (probably). In medical lingo, this sound is…
Pregnancy is one of the most special times in a woman's life and her body will undergo one of the most transformational changes she will ever experience. Making sure the body continues to move well and feel well is critical in this period. Chiropractic treatment has been shown to make for easier pregnancy, birth and recovery. It's easy to see how through all these body changes that you may require some maintenance to remain comfortable. However, one time period that…
So it turns out that working from home during the pandemic lockdown tortured our backs. A recent study shows that more than a third of people have experienced increased back pain during lockdown. The study claims that 25 to 44 year-olds were more likely to claim back pain caused by inadequate work from home set ups. Back pain (36 percent) is the biggest problem, followed by headaches (34 percent), joint pain (27 percent), neck pain (26 percent) and muscle pain…
About 80% of Americans suffer debilitating low back pain at some point in their life. This fact is staggering, yet it doesn’t have to be this common. The key to staying out of this group of low back pain sufferers comes down to one word: Prevention. If I had to choose one common problem amongst all low back pain sufferers, it would be bad low back position during common activities such as brushing your teeth, bending over, picking up a…
The popularity of using a standing desk has many people asking, "how long should I stand for? Does everyone need a standing desk?" Recently a study came out from The British Journal of Sports Medicine with the title of “Associations of occupational standing with musculoskeletal symptoms: a systematic review with meta-analysis.” The full abstract can be found here: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/3/176 The essence of the study’s findings are outlined in the objective and conclusion here: Objective: Given the high exposure to occupational…
Too often patients are let down by their healthcare providers. As the patient, you deserve to be guided back to health appropriately and efficiently. Too many injured and ailing people are not receiving comprehensive evaluation, and therefore not receiving appropriate conservative care, nor are they given a game plan to prevent the pain or injury from returning in the future. There are many types of ailments and illnesses, but for the purpose of this article we will be discussing musculoskeletal…
This is a topic I've been meaning to write about for a long time. Every January I kick myself for not writing it sooner because I end up sounding like a broken record. Insurance plans restart and we get a new influx of patients who are confused or misinformed about what kind of coverage Medicare provides for chiropractic. Here I present to you, chiropractic Medicare explained. Chiropractic Medicare coverage is completely different than coverage for other types of doctors and…
People often ask this question at the clinic and the answer is “it depends.” On how old you are, your fitness level, and most importantly, your goals. Your program needs to be specific to your particular goals. There are no "one-size-fits-all" exercise programs. I do have some thoughts about what types of exercises are available to those over 40 in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter. Over 40? If you're over 40 your exercise goals differ than when you were in…
