Back Pain: Exercises to Help Healing

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When it comes to back pain, your first thoughts may be to take over-the-counter pain medication and rest whenever possible. Two bad options. First, medication is only going to temporarily relieve the pain, if at all, and may be accompanied by various unpleasant side effects attributable to drugs. Second, rest may actually hurt more than help. While you're seeing your chiropractor, there are a few things you can do at home to help the healing process. Believe it or not, it's based on the simple principle of movement.

When you stop moving, everything tightens up, circulation slows down, and pain chemicals accumulate in your muscles and joints. It's like waking up after sleeping in a cold room on a lousy mattress with a draft. You need to move. Here are two simple exercises to get you started (discuss these with your doctor first):

Exercise #1: Backward Bending (extension of the lumbar spine). An exercise called the McKenzie extension is the first thing you should try if you have sciatica (pain running down your leg). If these exercises work, your pain will diminish and may centralize, which is a good thing. Centralize means your pain goes less far down your leg, and you may feel it closer to the spine. Bending backward may not feel good at first, but you should feel better immediately afterward. If you feel worse afterward or the pain goes farther down your leg, stop, as this is not the exercise for you.

How to Do It: Lie face-down on the floor, arms bent at your sides (sort of like a starting push-up posture). Straighten your arms up slowly, lifting your upper body off the floor as you do so. Your legs and feet should stay on the ground. Hold for 3-5 seconds, then slowly lower your upper body back down. Repeat 10 times, as often as once per hour

Exercise #2: Flexion Exercises (bringing the leg toward the chest). People with lower back pain can also feel better with various types of leg flexion, bringing the bent leg toward the chest, or doing contract-relax and then bringing the bent leg toward the chest. These people usually have sacroiliac joint problems. (The SI joints are located on either side of the spine in the lower back.)

How to Do It: Lie on your back with one leg bent and then other flat on the floor. Bring the bent leg up toward the chest. Wrap your arms around the leg and then try to lower it toward the floor for 3-5 seconds, resisting with your arms. Relax, and then pull the bent leg up farther toward the chest. Repeat the entire process three times.

To reduce your risk of injury, consult with your doctor before doing these exercises for the first time, particularly if your pain is new and/or you would like further explanation of how to perform the exercises correctly.

To Your Health - May 11, 2010 [Vol. 4, Issue 11]

Rotator Cuff Injury and Shoulder Tendonitis

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What is a Rotator Cuff Injury?
Have you ever been working out at the gym, pushing a heavy weight and heard a popping sound in your shoulder. Or what about skiing down the slopes, and landing shoulder first in the snow at the bottom. Or maybe just having a friendly game of tennis, when all of a sudden there's a sharp pain in your shoulder.

These are all signs of the same thing; a shoulder injury. Whether you want to call it a rotator cuff tear or tendinitis shoulder, it's really all the same. A tear, strain or inflammation in the rotator cuff muscles and tendons.

If you suffer from rotator cuff injury or are seeking to prevent its occurrence it is important to follow the information in this article. In addition, making stretching a part of your fitness regime will have a significant impact. To get you started on a safe and effective stretching routine.

Frozen shoulder is a slightly different condition affecting the shoulder joint where the surrounding capsule becomes inflammed.

Anatomy of the Shoulder Joint

The shoulder joint is a truly remarkable creation. It's quite a complex formation of bones, muscles and tendons and provides a great range of motion for your arm. The only downside to this extensive range of motion is a lack of stability, which can make the shoulder joint vulnerable to injury.

Lets have a quick look at the shoulder joint in a little more detail. The shoulder is made up of three bones, and the tendons of four muscles. (Remember, tendons attach muscle to bone.) The bones are called the "Scapula," the "Humerus" and the "Clavicle." Or, in layman's terms, the shoulder blade, the upper arm bone and the collarbone, respectively.

The four muscles which make up the shoulder joint are called, the "Supraspinatus," the "Infraspinatus," the "Teres Minor" and the "Subscapularis." It is the tendons of these muscles, which connect to the bones, that help to move your arm.

What Causes Rotator Cuff Injury?

There are two major causes of most shoulder injuries. The first being degeneration, or general wear and tear. Unfortunately, the shoulder is a tendinous area that receives very little blood supply. The tendons of the rotator cuff muscles receive very little oxygen and nutrients from blood supply, and as a result are especially vulnerable to degeneration with aging. This is why shoulder problems in the elderly are common. This lack of blood supply is also the reason why a shoulder injury can take quite a lot of time to heal.

The second cause of most shoulder injuries is due to excessive force, or simply putting too much strain on the tendons of the shoulder muscles. This usually occurs when you try to lift something that is too heavy or when a force is applied to the arm while it's in an unusual or awkward position.

Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Injury

There are two common symptoms of a shoulder injury, pain and weakness. Pain is not always felt when a shoulder injury occurs, however most people who do feel pain, report that it's a very vague pain which can be hard to pinpoint.

Weakness, on the other hand, seems to be the most reliable symptom of a shoulder injury. Common complaints include an inability to raise your arm above your head or to extend your arm directly to the side or in front. In most cases, the larger the tear or damage to the tendons, the harder it is to move your arm and the injured area.

Treatment

The earlier a shoulder injury is treated, the better. The first 48 to 72 hours are crucial to a complete and speedy recovery. The first and most important course of action is the R.I.C.E.R. regime. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation and Referral.

After the initial injury has been treated with the R.I.C.E.R. regime, (for at least 48 to 72 hours) it's time to move onto the next stage of treatment. As mentioned before, the shoulder joint receives very little blood supply. So, what can you do to increase blood flow, and oxygen and nutrients to the injured area?

Firstly, heat! Heat is extremely good for increasing blood flow to a particular area. Heat lamps are the most effective way to increase blood flow, while heat based creams are probably a distant second choice.

Secondly, massage! Massage is one of the best ways to increase blood flow to an injured area, and of course the oxygen and nutrients that go with it. The other benefit of massage is that it helps to reduce the amount of scar tissue which is associated with all muscle and tendon, strains and tears.

Lastly, don't stop moving. Some doctors will often tell patients to keep the injured area still, and this is not always the best advice. Gentle movement will help to keep the blood flowing to the injured area. Of course, if pain is present, limit the amount of moving you do, but don't stop moving all together.

Prevention

Mark my words, "Prevention is much better than Cure." Anything you can do to prevent an injury from occurring is worth it. The prevention of shoulder injuries comes down to the conditioning of the shoulder muscles and tendons, which ultimately involves both stretching and strengthening of the shoulder joint.

Also, don't forget the common injury prevention techniques like, warming up properly and using a bit of old-fashioned common-sense. However, for the most part, stretching and strengthening are going to be your best defence against shoulder problems. Even if you don't have a shoulder problem now, the following stretching and strengthening exercises could save you from a major headache in the future.

Firstly, below you'll find two good stretches for the shoulder area. The first is quite a basic stretch, while the second is a more advanced stretch, specifically for the rotator cuff muscles and tendons. Please be careful, if you haven't been stretching your shoulder joint, the second stretch will put quite a lot of stress on the rotator cuff tendons. Warm-up first, then gently and slowly is the best way to proceed.

In the stretch to the left, simply stand upright and clasp your hands behind your back. Keep your arms straight and slowly lift your hands upwards. Hold this stretch for about 15 to 20 seconds, then repeat it 3 to 4 times.

In the stretch to the right, stand with your arm out and your forearm pointing upwards at 90 degrees. Place a broom stick or pole in your hand and let it fall behind your elbow. With your other hand, pull the bottom of the stick forward. Be especially careful with this stretch, it will put a large strain on the rotator cuff muscles and tendons. As above hold this stretch for about 15 to 20 seconds, then repeat it 3 to 4 times.

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance and getting rid of those annoying sports injuries. Don't make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won't be effective.

Secondly, the strengthening exercises. Instead of me trying to explain these, I simply found a great web site that has clear pictures and a good description of the four most common shoulder exercises. These four exercises help to strengthen all of the muscles and tendons located in the shoulder joint. You can find these exercises at http://familydoctor.org/handouts


Article by Brad Walker and The Stretching Institute™ Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved. Brad is a leading stretching and sports injury consultant with more than 20 years experience in the health and fitness industry. For more articles on stretching, flexibility and sports injury management, please visit:http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/

Taking Control of Neck Pain

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Common causes of neck pain include watching TV, using a computer, reading a book, or talking on the phone, especially with the receiver held on your shoulder or under your chin. Fortunately, this pain usually subsides within a short period of time, particularly if you discontinue the offending activity for a while. On the other hand, chronic neck pain, the kind that doesn’t go away or that keeps “coming back,” can be a far more serious and debilitating problem.

Current treatment of chronic neck pain runs the proverbial gamut, from anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medications to group gymnastics, neck massage and manipulation. Neck-specific strengthening exercises have also been suggested as a potential treatment option. In a recent study designed to evaluate this potential, 76 men and women with chronic neck pain received active care, home care, or simple recommendations on exercising.

Active care included postural control exercises, relaxation training to reduce muscle tension, and cervical muscle endurance/coordination training. Home care comprised a neck lecture and training on exercises to be performed at home. The third treatment protocol (the control group) received a lecture on neck care and general recommendations to exercise.

Patients in the active group reported greater satisfaction, reduction in pain severity, and improvements in working ability at three and 12-months compared with the home group and the control group.

Reference:
Taimela S, Takala E, Asklof T, et al. Active treatment of chronic neck pain: a prospective randomized intervention. Spine 2000: Vol. 25, No. 8, pp1021-27.


To Your Health