7 Tips to Get and Maintain a Healthy Back

At some point, most people will experience an episode of low back pain.  I see a lot of patients with both acute first time back pain and long term chronic back pain.  There are many self care regimens that patients can do on their own that will have them get more out of their Chiropractic & Acupuncture treatments.  Here are a few tips for anyone new or experienced with low back pain. 

The first few I call "The Basics".

1. Stay hydrated!

There is not one aching back that walks into my office fully hydrated.  Often, patients will report that they hadn't been drinking their water requirement for at least a couple days prior to the start of their low back pain. 

Water requirement: 1 quart of water per 50 pounds of body weight per day.  If you weigh 175 lbs that equals 4 quarts or 1 gallon of water a day.  If you weigh 149 lbs, your water requirement is 3 quarts of water a day.  (Note: 1 quart equals 32 ounces, and 1 quart is also very close to 1 liter) 

I recommend this water requirement to the patients at my office.  I find that it is easiest if they get a bottle to count your quarts or liters of water. 

I also request that my patients drink 1 quart of water within the hour or two before their appointment.  This helps relax their muscles and helps me give them the most effective treatment possible.

Bonus: Many patients report being less hungry once they regularly drink their water requirement!

2. Balance Your Blood Sugar

Your body has an entire system devoted to balancing blood sugar levels.  Why is this important?  Stable blood sugar control decreases pain and promotes healing and emotional balance in the body.  Diabetics are very slow to heal because of swings in blood sugar.  The extreme blood sugar highs and lows that are common in diabetes are responsible for damage to the small blood vessels of the body.  This helps explain why diabetics have complications that effect the eyes, kidneys and the capillaries of the feet and hands.  Diabetic patients that do not follow a balanced diet (higher protein, lots of vegetables, some fruit, and low in carbs and processed foods) tend to have the poorest outcomes with any disease or injury.

I coach my patients in proper diet and guide them towards a lifestyle that reduces their chances for diabetes, and improves their odds for a quick recovery from their problems.

I typically recommend eating every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day, including protein and vegetables.  This helps stabilize your blood sugar and allows for increased productivity, faster healing, and promotes level emotional states.

3. Get enough rest.

The amount of rest and sleep that each person needs is different.  However I typically recommend 7-9 hours of sleep a night, and some time to rest and relax in the evening,  especially 1-2 hours before bedtime.  Sleep deprivation prevents your body from healing, decreases your reaction time, and increases moodiness. 

If you do not get enough sleep, it also disrupts your circadian rhythm.  What's a circadian rhythm?  It is the clock by which your body wakes, sleeps, eats, uses the restroom, and any other daily body functions.  Your body will function at its best if you have regular sleep and wake times throughout the week (this includes the weekends).  Drastic changes in sleeping patterns, including night shift work, increases your body's chance for chronic disease.  Ever notice how tired you in the mornings once we "spring forward" an hour?  It takes some people weeks to adjust to an hour shift in their daily schedule.

Pain is a signal from your body that it needs attention.  Low back pain can linger as a result of sleep deprivation or a lack of rest.  Attention workaholics: resting means mental rest as well!  Sitting on the couch working on your Blackberry is not rest.

4. Proper lifting and ergonomics

It is critical that when lifting objects that you lift with your legs, and avoid bending and twisting your back at the same time. These are some of the biggest causes of low back pain I see at my office.

If you sit at a desk for work, it is also critical that you have your chair, monitor, keyboard, and mouse adjusted to the proper height and placement to avoid chronic pain and repetitive motion injuries.

I address these basics with each of my patients, as they are an important foundation for the care they receive at my office.

5. Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic Adjustments are highly effective in many patients with acute or chronic low back pain.  When I examine a patient with low back pain, many times there are misalignments in their spine in the areas where they have pain.  These misalignments create irritation and pressure on the nervous system, which commonly results in low back pain and reduced range of motion.

During a Chiropractic Adjustment, a Chiropractor realigns the areas that need attention.  Taking this pressure off the nervous system can produce an immediate improvement in some patients.  Patients with severe low back misalignments and swelling may be advised to ice the area after their appointment. 

I never recommend an electric plug in heating pad to be placed on an area with inflammation and pain.  While it may feel better at the time, usually within 30 minutes to an hour the pain is back, or even worse.

6. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a system of promoting healing in the body by stimulating points along channels in the body called Acupuncture Meridians.  There are certain points that are known to help with many different conditions, including low back pain.  There are 12 main Acupuncture Meridians where most patients problems will be found, and I digitally measure these pathways with a tool called Acugraph.  Check out the video of the Acugraph exam by clicking here.  Each patient is different, and their Acugraph will indicate which meridians are out of balance contributing to their low back pain.  This ensures that I give you an accurate up-to-date balancing treatment at each visit. 

7. Total Body Modification

Total Body Modification or TBM is a technique that encompasses the best of the best corrections for a variety of health problems, including low back pain.  There is a TBM protocol that helps rehydrate the low back, help reduce disc bulges, and strengthen a back that feels weak or like it can "go out" at any time.   There is another TBM protocol that helps low back pain due to too much stress in the body, especially emotional stress on the heart.  Adding these protocols to a Chiropractic or Acupuncture treatment often drastically reduces the number of treatments a patient needs to see improvement. 

For example:

I had a patient in my St. Louis office who is a Boilermaker, and would need an adjustment on his hip about once a month to remain pain-free.  One day I suggested adding a TBM session to his adjustment.  I didn't see him for 10 months.  He couldn't believe that he had been pain free for that long.  Let's just say I was impressed too!

If you or someone you know is suffering from low back pain, please get an evaluation by a Chiropractor.  It is important to receive a thorough evaluation and exam by a Chiropractor, to see if your low back pain is a good candidate for treatment. 

If you have any questions, please call my office and I will be happy to speak with you.

Better Health is only a Phone Call Away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

816-256-3603

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