Oh, My Aching…Leg?
September 11, 2009
Certain low back conditions give rise to more than just low back pain. For example, leg pain can be more intense than low back pain, even though the cause of the leg pain is coming from the low back. When this happens, many patients complain that they have “sciatica,” which refers to radiating pain that starts in the low back and extends down into the leg. When the intensity of leg pain is worse than the low back, it can make patients wonder, “…where is my problem really coming from?”
To understand this better, a short “anatomy lesson” is appropriate. The spine can be divided into two halves, front and back. The structures in the front half include the larger, heavier bones called vertebral bodies and the shock absorbing cushions that lie between the vertebral bodies called the intervertebral disks. The disk is like a jelly donut where the center is liquid-like and the outer portion is a tough, criss-cross pattern cartilage arranged like the rings on a tree stump. There are also ligaments that hold the vertebrae and disks tightly together. The back half of the spine includes the spinal cord, nerve roots, as well as the small joints of the back called facet joints. Every movable joint has a joint capsule that helps lubricate the joint and limits the amount of movement, along with surrounding ligaments. The larger, heavier vertebral bodies and shock absorbing disks carry the majority of the weight (approximately 80%) while the smaller facet joints carry much less weight (only 20%) but are more responsible for guiding the movements of our back.
When leg pain is present, it can be caused by either a pinched nerve, or, an inflamed facet joint.
When a nerve is pinched, the cause is usually from the intervertebral disk where the jelly-like center leaks out and presses on the nerve that goes down the leg, commonly referred to as a “herniated disk with sciatica.” This type of pain is quite specific, easy to describe and often extends below the knee to the ankle or foot. It can include muscle weakness, numbness in certain areas of the leg, and bending forward increases low back and leg pain while bending backwards reduces the leg pain (and sometimes the LBP).
When a facet joint capsule tears (technically, called a “sprain”), the pain is “referred” down the leg in a generalized, non-specific manner, usually described as a “deep ache,” often hard to describe and usually does not go below the level of the knee. Here, it feels better to bend forward and worse to bend backwards, of which neither movement changes or affects the leg in a specific way. Disk related leg pain carries a potential for surgery if all non-surgical approaches fail, while facet joint referred leg pain rarely requires invasive treatments or surgery.
To learn more about Leg and Lower Back Pain Relief, sign up for a free report, or click here to register for a Free, In- Office Evaluation. If you are looking for faster service, feel free to give us a call at one of our two New Jersey locations. For our Bayonne, NJ location, call 201-339-8889, and for our Scotch Plains, NJ location call us at 908-490-1800. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $245 Value).
Article by Dr. Eric Chludzinski, DC. Dr. Chludzinski is the founder of Hudson Center for Spinal Care located in Bayonne and Scotch Plains, New Jersey. In preparation for his career, Dr. Chludzinski attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science. He continued his studies at Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, GA graduating in the class of 2002 as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Dr. Eric Chludzinski services both Hudson County as well as Union County, both in New Jersey.
Preventing Low Back Pain
September 4, 2009
Scotch Plains and Bayonne Chiropractor Comments: While 80% of us will suffer a severe back pain episode at some point in our lives, most of us at any given time should be more concerned about preventing or aggravating back pain, rather than resolving a set-back. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are two aspects to prevention of back pain: keeping strong and flexible, and avoiding mistakes during movements.
As far as exercise is concerned, nothing is more beneficial to the spine than walking. Remember that your spine is your “core,” and the core is activated with fast-paced walking. Most of us don’t think of how the spine is affected with walking, instead focusing on the legs. Make walking part of your daily routine. Walk a few blocks or across town to run an errand, rather than getting into a car for these short trips. Park a few blocks away when you have to use the car, so that you can get in a few minutes of walking. Some of us spend five minutes circling in a parking lot just to get a space close to the front door or we get frustrated when we can’t find a space close to the gym! In contrast to sitting, which increases pressure on our disks, walking strengthens muscles and dissipates the pressure on our lower disks.
Keep the back flexible through slow stretching in all of the different ranges. Tight muscles at the back of the thighs-the hamstrings are an often neglected area that affects the lower spine tremendously. To stretch these muscles, stand upright and put on foot on the back of a chair or sofa. Slowly bend forward and hold this position for 30-40 seconds. It should cause a tight burning pain at the back of the leg. It should not cause a shooting pain down your leg, or increase pain in the lower spine. If it does, then see a health care provider immediately. When the hamstrings are flexible, this allows the pelvis to rotate forward when you bend over. If the hamstrings are not flexible, then the lower spine will bend too much to accomplish any lifting task.
The second aspect to preventing back pain is avoiding mistakes, such as lifting with your back, instead of your legs. This is especially true if an object is very heavy. Sometimes the object is light, but we lift in an awkward position, standing with most of our weight on one leg, then bending and twisting, such as getting grocery bags from a back seat, or moving and positioning a child safety seat. Especially avoid twisting motions of the lower spine while bending over. Also, use one of your hands to help brace your spine, which will decrease the pressure on your disks.
To learn more about Back Pain Relief, sign up for a free report, or click here to register for a Free, In- Office Evaluation. If you are looking for faster service, feel free to give us a call at one of our two New Jersey locations. For our Bayonne, NJ location, call 201-339-8889, and for our Scotch Plains, NJ location call us at 908-490-1800. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $245 Value).
Article by Dr. Eric Chludzinski, DC. Dr. Chludzinski is the founder of Hudson Center for Spinal Care located in Bayonne and Scotch Plains, New Jersey. In preparation for his career, Dr. Chludzinski attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science. He continued his studies at Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, GA graduating in the class of 2002 as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Dr. Chludzinski services all of Hudson County and Union County.
What Makes Lower Back Pain So Common?
August 28, 2009
Scotch Plains and Bayonne Chiropractor Comments: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common types of pain involving the musculoskeletal system. LBP sufferers may sometimes miss work or be unable participate in desired activities, social outings, and the like. It can be so disabling that out of desperation, they visit the ER.
There are many causes of LBP. Some of the obvious include over lifting/carrying, performing a task for too long or with too many repetitions, and sitting or standing in one position for too long. However, frequently LBP seems to occur for no apparent reason, or at least none that can be clearly identified. One of the most basic causes of LBP is simply standing on two, rather than four legs. When comparing a 4-legged to a 2-legged subject, arthritis of the spine and disc degeneration occurs much earlier in those of us with two legs. This is due partially because 2/3rds of our weight is supported by the low back and pelvis. Other less obvious causes of LBP include physical characteristics such as flat feet (fallen arches), a short leg resulting in a tipped pelvis, carrying too much weight, being out of shape/weak muscles, as well as hereditary factors. Non-physical characteristics include diet, exercise participation, lifestyle, stress and other psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and others. Hence, treatment must address the entire person, not just the low back since often, several of the characteristics mentioned here are present and often participating in the cause for LBP.
Because many of these characteristics are not properly attended to, LBP tends to be recurrent, where multiple episodes come and go over time. In years past, health care providers would focus the majority of their attention on the physical characteristics of LBP and when treatment results was ineffective, the blame was placed on the psychological aspects for which little, if any, treatment was offered. However, over the last 20 years, the shift towards treating the whole person or, adopting the biopsychosocial model (bio- = physical, psycho- = mental, and social = how LBP is perceived and affects daily social interaction) has been emphasized as the appropriate approach when managing patients with low back pain. No longer should the psychological aspect be ignored but rather, identified and treated so that this significant barrier to recovery can be properly managed.
To learn more about Lower Back Pain Relief, sign up for a free report, or click here to register for a Free, In- Office Evaluation. If you are looking for faster service, feel free to give us a call at one of our two New Jersey locations. For our Bayonne, NJ location, call 201-339-8889, and for our Scotch Plains, NJ location call us at 908-490-1800. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $245 Value).
Article by Dr. Eric Chludzinski, DC. Dr. Chludzinski is the founder of Hudson Center for Spinal Care located in Bayonne and Scotch Plains, New Jersey. In preparation for his career, Dr. Chludzinski attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science. He continued his studies at Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, GA graduating in the class of 2002 as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
Lower Back Pain and Consumer Reports
August 21, 2009
Scotch Plains and Bayonne Chiropractor Comments: We know that many people, in fact about 80%, hurt their back at some point in life. In a recent survey by Consumer Reports (CR) (see the May 2009 issue), over 14,000 subscribers had low back pain (LBP) but no surgery to treat it in 2008. More than half reported severe daily activity limitations for at least one week and 88% reported their LBP recurred throughout the year.
Many indicated their sleep, sex life, and weight management all suffered as a result of LBP. What is important about these findings is that once you have LBP, you’re probably going to have repeat episodes. It’s the chronic, recurrent nature of LBP that makes it one of the most costly conditions to the injured employee, the employers, fellow workers, insurance companies, and the health care system in general. Of interest, most of the 14,000 LBP sufferers indicated they had tried 5 or 6 different treatment approaches. When rating the degree of helpfulness of each type of care and, their overall satisfaction with the various health-care professionals, the hands-on therapies were the top rated, with chiropractic leading the list at 59%. Physical therapists (PT) were next at 55% though later in the article a “very helpful” rating for PT was reported at 46% vs. massage therapy at 48%. Acupuncture was listed at third with 53%, specialty physicians at 44% and primary care physicians were rated the lowest at 34%. Medications by prescription “helped a lot” in 44% and about 22% were helped by over the counter medication. It is ironic that other reports have indicated that only about 15% of people with LBP go to chiropractors when research, consumer satisfaction as indicated here, and all of the international guidelines have recommended that chiropractic be considered as one of the first approaches in the management of non-surgical LBP. What is the hesitation?
Other interesting points in the article include that most of the LBP sufferers that elected not to seek treatment (about 35%) did so because of cost concerns or the belief that professional care would not help. Both research and the majority of the 14,000 who tried chiropractic said it helped and a LBP case was reviewed emphasizing this point. The case example emphasized the value of periodic chiropractic treatment for a worker in a heavy physically demanding job and the benefits he received from a treatment every few weeks, indicating this approach, “…is able to keep his back pain to a minimum.” Another important point was that 44% of the 14,000 consumers reported exercise was helpful, and this represented the top placed self-help measure. Moreover, 58% indicated they wished they had included more exercises to strengthen their back in the past year. Chiropractic management of back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions includes exercise training during the care rendered for LBP.
The article concludes with caution about back surgery, and references a separate CR survey completed in 2006. They reported 60% satisfaction in about 1000 LBP consumers that had surgery in the prior 5 years compared to hip or knee replacement satisfaction at 82%. Additionally, more than 50% reported at least one problem during recovery, 16% had no improvement at all, while 8% were worse. The recommendation of obtaining at least 2 opinions was suggested prior to undergoing surgery, preferably one from a non-surgeon.
To learn more, please register for a Free, In- Office Evaluation. If you are looking for faster service, feel free to give us a call at one of our two New Jersey locations. For our Bayonne, NJ location, call 201-339-8889, and for our Scotch Plains, NJ location call us at 908-490-1800. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $245 Value).
Article by Dr. Eric Chludzinski, DC. Dr. Chludzinski is the founder of Hudson Center for Spinal Care located in Bayonne and Scotch Plains, New Jersey. In preparation for his career, Dr. Chludzinski attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor
Subluxation and Low Back Pain
August 13, 2009
Bayonne and Scotch Plains Chiropractor Comments: Subluxation means a vertebral joint of the spine is out of its normal position. It’s the same as a sprain because the ligaments are stretched when this occurs. But how does a joint get out of its normal position? Usually, the culprit is some sort of trauma but not necessarily at the level of a high fall or a major car accident (although these trauma do cause problems).
Many times, the spine is injured because it is more vulnerable in awkward positions, such as when we bend forward and add a little twist to a lift. Perhaps it’s putting a baby seat into the back seat, or pulling weeds in the garden.
For many patients, it’s life’s trips and tumbles as a child that set the stage for a problem years later. We can all remember how we thought our spines were once invincible. The reality is something much less. Those jumps from the rooftop did have a consequence.
That small sprain of the ligaments did just enough to make the joints function abnormally. Over time the muscles adapt and our movements become less even. Then some twenty years later, a simple sneeze or less throws our back out. Some patients get back pain when they are under work stress or have to sit for long periods of time.
When your spine moves normally, you may have less pain when you exercise or move the spine in a stressful way. We can’t make the ligaments perfect, there will always be scar tissue, but we can optimize your life and improve its quality. Being in chronic pain is not much fun. While drugs can help many people and get them out of excruciating pain, they do have their limitations. Chiropractic can be a drug-free and natural alternative for health. The important thing is to get subluxations reduced or corrected.
To learn more about Lower Back Pain Relief, sign up for a free report, or click here to register for a Free, In- Office Evaluation. If you are looking for faster service, feel free to give us a call at one of our two New Jersey locations. For our Bayonne, NJ location, call 201-339-8889, and for our Scotch Plains, NJ location call us at 908-490-1800. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $245 Value).
Article by Dr. Eric Chludzinski, DC. Dr. Chludzinski is the founder of Hudson Center for Spinal Care located in Bayonne and Scotch Plains, New Jersey. In preparation for his career, Dr. Chludzinski attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science. He continued his studies at Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, GA graduating in the class of 2002 as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
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