Back Pain Stretches & Exercises for Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain relief Stretches and Exercises
Dr Barry Marks, Chiropractor, Orange, CA 92868

Therapy Ball Abs

In order to keep your back healthy and strong, you need to keep the “front” of your back tight. That means your abdominal muscles (abs) must be firm.

Try this alternative to regular sit-ups or crunches.

• Lie flat on your back with your legs resting on a large Swiss/Therapy ball.
• Reach your arms out and curl your shoulders up off the floor, hold for 1 second.
• Lower your shoulders and repeat.
• As in all ab routines, go until you cannot do another. Rest for 10 seconds then repeat. 2-3 sets like this should be sufficient.

You may substitute a chair or the side of a sofa for the ball.

To really work your abs, try different exercises and mix things up to work all aspects of the abdominal wall. Try a set of Therapy Ball Abs, followed by a set of Regular Crunches then a set of Oblique Crunches.

For more information about back stretches and exercises check out Free Back Pain
Remedies Book

Back Pain Caused by Car Accidents in Orange County, CA

Orange County Car Accident Back Pain Info
by Auto Accident Specialist Dr Barry Marks, Chiropractor Orange, CA 92868

Back Pain due to Car Accidents

If you are having back pain as the result of an auto accident injury, in addition to the information on this blog, go check out my auto accident specific site at http://occaraccident.wordpress.com

While whiplash neck injuries are more common after a car crash, low back injuries also occur with great frequency.  Low back pain due to low back disc herniation or disc bulges are not uncommon. Many crash victims note their back pain comes on gradually and is delayed sometimes by weeks or even months, which is often due to discs being injured and slowly breaking down.

Back sprain is the most common type of lower back injury after a car crash and is characterized by pain at the junction between the lower back and tailbone that causes pain to be felt running across the lower back. This involves injury of the facet joint ligaments and cartilage and misalignment of the affected spinal bones.  With proper chiropractic treatment, most of these cases will resolve in time.

Pain that does not resolve, worsens or begins to run into the buttocks or down the leg is a sign that a disc was most likely injured and has slowly failed. Symptoms like these require an MRI for evaluation of the discs and nerves and recovery will be much slower.  Treatments such as DRX9000 spinal decompression may be successful at rehabilitating the injured discs and relieving the pain. Failure of that to cure the lower back pain, surgery may be the next option.

Lower back pain is a fairly common occurrence after a car accident. Proper evaluation and treatment are crucial to return the spine to normal and to avoid chronic pain.

For more information on auto accident injuries visit: http://orange-car-accident.com

Stretching Exercises for Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain Stretches  from Orange County Lower Back Pain expert
Dr Barry Marks, DC | Orange, CA 92868

Back Extension:

This stretching exercise for lower back pain may help alleviate the following causes of back pain: disk herniation, bulging disc, back strain and subluxation. It is not recommend for facet syndrome.

1. Stretch your back into this position and hold for a count of 5
2. Release tension slightly
3. Repeat 10-20 times.

This stretch for back pain can be a beneficial part of a lower back pain treatment program to relieve your lower back pain and strengthen your core muscles for lasting back pain relief. 

For more back pain stretches and exercises for back pain follow these links: 
http://spinaldecompression.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/back-pain-remedies-do-100-sit-upscrunches-per-day/
http://spinaldecompression.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/back-pain-remedies-stretching-exercises/

To learn more about lower back pain treatment and a possible Cure for Lower Back Pain try this link.

For a Free Home remedies for Back Pain E-book follow this link

Back pain medications…safe?

Back pain treatment information
Orange, CA
Back pain specialist Dr Barry L Marks, DC
Author of “Cure for Lower Back Pain”

Many regard taking medications for lower back pain to be safe and with little risk. Afterall, it is the first course of treatment in traditional medical treatment of back pain.

But are medications really safe?

Here are a few drug facts to consider:

• According to Canadian researchers, approximately 32,000 hospitalized patients (and possibly as many as 106,000) in the USA die each year because of adverse reactions to their prescribed medications. (Source: AMA, 1998), Nov. 25, 1998, Vol. 280, No. 20, from the web at http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v280n20/ffull/jlt1125-1.html, last accessed Feb. 12, 2001.)
• OTC medications as a category are responsible for more than 150,000 hospitalizations every year, according to the Food and Drug Administration, and almost 1000 OTC medications have been linked to liver toxicity, which causes about 2000 deaths annually in the United States (Ford MD et al 2001).
• More than 30,000 cases per year of acetaminophen overdose are reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (Bartlett D 2004).
• NSAIDs results in approximately 107,000 hospitalizations annually for gastrointestinal complications and 16,500 deaths for arthritis patients (Peura DA 2002).

Obviously popping a pill is not without risk. If you are suffering from back pain or arthritis be sure to investigate proven alternative methods that minimize your exposure to dangerous drugs.

For more on back pain treatment go to “Cure for Lower Back Pain”

Cure for Lower Back Pain… in only 5 weeks!

Orange, CA
Back pain diagnosis and treatment for lower back pain

Dr Barry L Marks, DC’s latest book, “Cure for Lower Back Pain” is now available.

Who needs this book?

• If you are suffering from severe back pain and leg pain from back muscle strain, herniated disc, bulging disc, sciatica, stenosis, facet syndrome or arthritis…YOU need this book.
• If you continue to suffer from back pain, leg pain and diminished physical activity….YOU need this book.
• If your life is hampered in any way by your back pain…YOU need this book.

“Cure for Lower Back Pain” will teach you:

• How to know if you have been accurately diagnosed
• What treatments are best for your particular condition
• Plus…special free bonuses including Free direct access to the author for a second opinion

For more details go to www.CureForLowerBackPain.com

Severe Back pain in 22 year old mother

Severe back pain treatment information by back pain specialist Dr Barry Marks, DC, Orange, CA 

This is in response to a question posted by Carmen…

 Hello,
My name is Alicia, but you may call me Carmen.

I am 22 years old, I have had back pain on and off ever since I had my son who is now 6. I recently went to the doctor for it and I was told it was a muscle spasm. I went through therapy which did seem to help but I don’t know if they diagnosed the pain correctly.

I don’t know what could be causing it but I am in pain again only this time there is a new pain with it.

In the past the lower back pain has been so severe that I had to walk at a right degree angle. this was when I was pregnant a second time.

Aside from then the pain has come unexpectedly, I could be getting up or walking when a sharp pain almost puts me on my knees. It felt like my spine was about to collapse.

Sometimes it was just instant and went away just as fast as it came and then sometimes, like when I went to the doctor, it last for weeks.

I am more concerned now because for the past couple of days the back of my leg has been aching along with my back. The pain is a little different than usual but not substantially.

All the pain is on the left side of my lower back/hip and the back of my thigh.

If there is anyone who can shed some light, I would appreciate it.

 

Hi Carmen,

Sorry to hear about your back pain. Back pain during and after preganacy are very common no matter what age.

Recurring severe back pain in a 22 year old is not though. The symptoms  you describe could easily be severe muscle spasm, and/or spinal misalignment as diagnosed by your other doctor, but there is always an underlying cause for this. Spasm is always secondary to something else. It is not a primary condition.

Common causes of severe spasm:

• Joint sprain and/or muscle strain which would require a physical action or injury preceding the spasm by hours or a few days
• Congenital (born with it) anomaly such as a short leg, malshaped vertebra or other structural defect of the spine or pelvis
• Disc disease such as degenerative disc disease,  a bulging disc or a herniated disc which commonly occur during pregancy and/or on delivery

Here’s what you need to do:

1. A thorough examination by a low back specialist who deals with disc disease such as a chirorpactor, not just your family MD
2. X-rays to rule out any structural anomalies of the bones and to look for tell-tale signs of disc disease
3. MRI lumbar spine to rule out disc bulge, herniation, etc which cannot be detected on x-ray

Once this evaluation is completed, your specialist should have enough information to render a “working diagnosis” and commence some type of care. After a period of time a re-eval should be done to assess whether the treatment is working or not.

Carmen, once the evaluation is done, please feel free to send me the results and I will review them and give you my opinion on what your next steps should be.

Warmest regards,

Dr Barry L Marks, DC
http://www.orangespinaldecompression.com

Back Pain Quick Check: Disc Pain vs Joint Pain

Back Pain Treatment Information from Back Pain Specialist,
Dr Barry L Marks, DC  Orange, CA

Have back pain, but don’t really know what the basis of your problem is?

Been to the HMO doc only to have a clumsy exam (if any) and your doctor says “I think it’s sore muscles…” then hands you a prescription?

Here’s a quick back check that you can do at home to see what type of pain your are experiencing.

Back Pain Quick Check:

1. Sit on the edge of a couch or your bed
2. Site nice and straight with your shoulders back slightly and your head looking forward: note how your back feels
3. Now slump your shoulders forward and lean slightly forward at the waist and strain down slightly: note how you feel
4. Now get back to the erect position and then tighten your abs slightly and bend backwards at the waist: note how you feel

Analysis:

• If your back pain was relieved by sitting erect and worsened by slumping forward and straining down, you are likely suffering from a disc bulge or herniation that is irritating your nerves
• If however, your back was fine with bending forward, but was bothered by sitting erect and/or bending backwards, you are mostly likley suffering from a joint problem like  a misaligned spinal bone (subluxation) or facet syndrome (arthritis of the spine)

Disclaimer:

Of course this is a very rudimentary test, but it can give you insight into what is causing your pain. Obviously, you will want to consult with a competent back specialist to perform a thorough examination and take x-rays  and/or an MRI.

For more information on how you can receive a Free Back Pain Severity Exam by a noted Back Pain Specialist in Orange County, CA follow this link:
http://www.orangespinaldecompression.com

Cause of Lower Back Pain: Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease refers to the breakdown and malfunction of one or more intervertebral discs. “Discs” are the spacers and shock absorbers between the spinal bones.

Discs are naturally about 75% water. With physical exertion, gravity, injuries and chronic postural stress the discs begin to lose their water content and become dehydrated. When this occurs the disc begins to shrink or contract. Rather than their usual “rubbery” consistency, they become dried out and leathery.

Under pressure of your body and gravity, the discs begin to thin. This allows the vertebrae (spinal bones) to crowd eachother causing pain in lower back. As the condition deteriorates, more pressure is built up around the spinal nerves passing between the spinal bones, which can cause back and leg pain otherwise known as sciatica. In time, the nerves become more irritated and begin to become damaged resulting in not only sciatica, but more seriously, muscle and reflex weakness.

See a flash video of degenerative disc disease here: http://www.secretdiscsolution.com/flash/HERN.swf

Diagnosing degenerative disc disease is straight forward. A thorough history, physical examination and plain film x-rays will detect this common cause of lower back pain.

Morning back pain and stiffness that improves after a hot shower or period of walking and/or stretching is a characteristic symptom of degenerative disc disease. Physical examination will usually show painful and reduced back mobility with tenderness over the affected joints. X-rays will show the characteristic signs of thinning disc space(s), and lipping or spurring on the vertebral bodies.

Degenerative disc disease is a slowly progressive condition that deteriorates over time. It begins as dehydration and then eventually leads to nerve damage.

Cause of Lower Back Pain: Bulging Disc Herniation

Intervertebral discs are “spacers” between the spinal bones. They provide room for the joints to move allowing flexibility of the spine. They also provide room for the nerves to exit from the spinal cord to the rest of the body.

Discs are usually filled with water and are quite flexible, almost rubbery. Due to lifting injuries, repeated physical stress, automobile accidents, etc the outer disc fibers (annulus) become damaged allowing water to escape from the disc. In time, the disc become more and more dehydrated and begins to weaken. Just like a car or bicycle tire that’s sidewall is weak, a bulge forms. The bulge may put pressure within the canal that nerves pass through causing not only back pain, but also butt, thigh, leg or foot pain (sciatica).

The disc bulge may worsen and the outer fibers may actually tear open and allow inner disc material (nucleus) to protrude outward (herniation) into the nerves or spinal cord. In most instances, a herniation like this will cause back pain and sciatica, but also serious physical signs such as loss of muscle strength in the legs, shrinking of leg muscles (atrophy) and/or loss of reflexes. See video tutorial of disc herniation here: http://www.CureForLowerBackPain.com

Diagnosis of disc bulge and herniation are by careful phsyical examination and confirmed conclusively on MRI scan. Plain x-rays will NOT show disc bulges or herniation. A seemingly normal x-ray may show up as a severe herniation on MRI.

Is Your Disc Bulge ‘Focal’ or ‘Diffuse’? and Why it Matters…

The spine is made of 26 interlocking bones held together and made flexible by “discs” between each spinal bone.

Disc Function:
The disc is a flexible, yet very strong structure that bears the brunt of our weight by absorbing shock. Discs allow movement between the vertebrae or spinal bones. The discs also act as spacers to allow enough room for sensitive and important nerves to pass from the spinal cord to the rest of the body so that your brain can control and communicate with distant organs and tissues.

Disc Anatomy
A disc has 2 parts:
1. Annulus–outer fibrous tissue
2. Nucleus–inner gel substance

Disc Damage
When a disc is injured by acute trauma or by long-standing physical stresses, the outer fibers are weakened and allow the disc to bulge outward. The annulus may bulge or protrude in a small discreet area called a “focal” disc bulge or it may bulge across a wide portion of the disc, which would be called a “diffuse” bulge.

Focal bulges by their smaller and more localized nature cause more discreet neurologic symptoms like pain. Because the bulge is small or focused to only one area, the nerves involved are fewer.

Diffuse bulges however, take up more space and can cause more varied symptoms. You could one sided or both sided pain, you could have pain that appears to be coming from a different level altogether because of pressure on the spinal cord itself and not just a discreet nerve.

Obviously if you are going to pick and choose your bulge, you’d opt for a focal one. Unfortunately back pain sufferers have no choice. The “take away” point here though is if you know what type you have, it will help you to understand what your likely recovery is.

It’s also crucial for your doctor to take this into account to determine what treatment methods to use to cure your lower back pain and sciatica.

Learn what can be done to repair damaged discs and relieve the pain without surgery here:http://www.spinediscrehab.com/