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Extreme Back Pain and Understanding How and When the System Breaks Down!
How Your Back Works and When the System Breaks Down
Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.
—Robert H. Schuller
Let’s look at the spinal system—muscles, connective tissue, joints, bones, and nerves.
The spine is a very complex system and, to understand how it works, you need a basic comprehension of how its components work. No one component is more important than the other, as they all have to function and integrate properly in order to limit damage. The bones provide rigid support, while the muscles and connective tissue stabilize the joints, and the master system that controls all of the muscles is comprised of the nerves. All of these components have to work in a coordinated manner.
- The lower back is made up of vertebrae, bones that are stacked one on top of the other.
- In between each of the vertebrae is a disc, the cushion between the bones of your spine. The discs carries 70 percent to 80 percent of your body weight.
- The ligaments are strong connective tissue that attaches the bones together.
- Tendons are strong connective tissues attaching muscles to bones.
Any dysfunction of the above can lead to abnormal movement, wear and tear, or bony and soft tissue decay, thus leading to pain.
The back anatomy includes small nerves that control tiny muscles, holding your spine in alignment. The muscles control the joints, so it is very rare if you have an isolated nerve problem. When you have an injury or dysfunction of the spine via micro or macro trauma, the nerves that control the muscles do not fire properly. The muscles stop moving the joints of your spine, create joint misalignment or improper movement, and allow stagnation of fluid that lubricates your joints. The body slowly deteriorates—weeks, months, years pass, and potentially culminates into back pain or possible degenerative disc disease. This can set up a high probability category for disc herniations, disc bulges, nerve pain, muscles spasms, chronic pain, and impairment. As you see, it is a complicated system.
Check out my next blog and we will take a look at different conditions that cause back pain.
For 10 days only, I’m running a very special offer!
What does this offer include?
Everything I normally do in my new patient evaluation. You’ll get…
- An in-depth consultation about your health and well-being where I will listen…really listen…to the details of your case.
- A complete neuromuscular examination, full set of specialized x-rays (if needed), review of your MRI, and a thorough analysis of your findings so we can design your plan to being pain free.
- You’ll get to see everything first hand and find out if this amazing treatment will be your neck pain solution, like it has been for so many other patients.
Call today and we can get you scheduled for your consultation, exam and x-rays as soon as there’s an opening.
Tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Back Pain Evaluation so she can give you proper credit for this special offer.
Sincerely,
Jake Morgan, D.C.
Also, don’t miss out on getting your copy of my book. 21st Century Back Pain Solution!
NOW available my new book Texas Auto Accident Survival Guide.
Back Pain Is Your Body’s Alarm Saying Something Is Wrong…So Listen!
How Your Back Works and When the System Breaks Down
Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.
—Robert H. Schuller
Let’s look at the spinal system—muscles, connective tissue, joints, bones, and nerves.
The spine is a very complex system and, to understand how it works, you need a basic comprehension of how its components work. No one component is more important than the other, as they all have to function and integrate properly in order to limit damage. The bones provide rigid support, while the muscles and connective tissue stabilize the joints, and the master system that controls all of the muscles is comprised of the nerves. All of these components have to work in a coordinated manner.
- The lower back is made up of vertebrae, bones that are stacked one on top of the other.
- In between each of the vertebrae is a disc, the cushion between the bones of your spine. The discs carries 70 percent to 80 percent of your body weight.
- The ligaments are strong connective tissue that attaches the bones together.
- Tendons are strong connective tissues attaching muscles to bones.
Any dysfunction of the above can lead to abnormal movement, wear and tear, or bony and soft tissue decay, thus leading to pain.
The back anatomy includes small nerves that control tiny muscles, holding your spine in alignment. The muscles control the joints, so it is very rare if you have an isolated nerve problem. When you have an injury or dysfunction of the spine via micro or macro trauma, the nerves that control the muscles do not fire properly. The muscles stop moving the joints of your spine, create joint misalignment or improper movement, and allow stagnation of fluid that lubricates your joints. The body slowly deteriorates—weeks, months, years pass, and potentially culminates into back pain or possible degenerative disc disease. This can set up a high probability category for disc herniations, disc bulges, nerve pain, muscles spasms, chronic pain, and impairment. As you see, it is a complicated system. Moving on, let’s take a look at different conditions that cause back pain.
Old Injuries Come Back to Haunt You—Back Pain Is Not Just “Old Age”
Your back takes a beating during your lifetime. Most back pain occurs due to two major categories: 1) micro or macro trauma or 2) too much stress to the back. This can include repetitive strains, such as sitting, or prior trauma or injures to the back, like a fall, auto collision, or any type of accident. But many people believe their pain and decline are from “normal aging,” so they believe it’s normal to have back pain. This simply is not true. Just because it is common does not make it normal. If that were true, all 360 joints in your body would hurt since your whole body is the same age.
The majority of problems or conditions in the spine are due to new or old injuries, categorized as macro trauma (for example, that skiing accident that hurt your back, lifting a too-heavy bag of dog food, or falling off a ladder). Other back conditions result from micro trauma—postural strain is one, such as sitting for six to eight hours daily; compressing your spine while looking down or at a computer at work for the last five years; exercising the wrong way; repetitive movements, like picking up your kids; or an occupation that requires a lot of bending or twisting. Many people can relate to one or two macro traumas to the back in life, and it is very difficult to avoid micro trauma. So it is usually a combination of events that have an effect on your back, and it can affect multiple sensitive structures. Trauma in either form—macro or micro—and muscle imbalances are the most common reasons for lower back pain.
Lack of Stimulation or Nutrients Can Break Down Your Back
We have talked about excess strain, as well as mechanical injuries from our past, but a sometimes overlooked reason for back pain is a deficiency, too little of something. This can be include having too little nutrients in your body, too little water in your diet, or too much coffee or other diuretics that deplete fluids and can lead to toxic buildup in the body. You must be adequately hydrated at all times, as the majority of the discs, your cushions, in your spine are made up of water. Too little vitamins or minerals, due to a poor diet lacking in fruits and vegetables, can put a stress on the joints, muscles, and nerves of your back.
Lack of stimulation of your back is related to not enough movement in the form of exercise that helps keep your muscles toned and joints lubricated. Too little movement of your joints stagnates the fluids that lubricate them. This will stagnate and limit nutrients, oxygen, and blood supply to the cartilage of your joints in your back, potentially leading to inflammation, as well as early onset of arthritis and pain. We all know that the obesity problem we have in the United States of America is partially the result of sedentary jobs and poor dietary habits, all of which contribute to multiple health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, and so forth. So as you already know, it is time to get moving!
Call anytime between the hours of 8 am and 5:30 pm Monday through Thursday and 8am through 12pm on Fridays. Tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Back Pain Evaluation and receive a huge discount!
We can get started with your consultation, exam and x-rays as soon as there’s an opening in the schedule. Our office is called Advanced Chiropractic and you can find us at 4549 Catclaw Drive Abilene,TX.
I look forward to helping you get rid of your pain so you can start living a healthier, more joyful life.
Sincerely,
Don’t forget to download your free copy of my book 21st Century Back Pain Solution
Escaping Back Pain
Treat the Cause, Not the Symptom
The best way to escape from your problem is to solve it!
—Tony Robbins
Treat the cause, not the symptom? Well, duh, Dr. Morgan—everyone knows that! Yes, most people might know it…but it is not always carried out. Identifying back pain is not as black-and-white as it might seem. Pain can be a nuisance, a dull ache, stiffness, or it can be debilitating. Back pain can be a tricky situation, and many sufferers continue to experience discomfort because the true cause of pain is never located. So, how do we track down the cause?
First, we need to discuss “referred pain.” You are familiar with referred pain, whether you realize it or not. A classic example is when someone is having symptoms of a heart attack—he might have pain in his left arm and neck, but the problem is not the neck or the arm; it is the heart. The same situation can occur in regards to back pain. Imbalances of the spine and movement dysfunctions can have direct effect on joint surfaces, thus potentially leading to joint degeneration or joint decay. In some cases, joint degeneration might be a direct source of pain, but the actual cause of pain is often secondary to muscle imbalance. Therefore, clinicians should find and treat the cause of the pain rather than focusing on the source of the pain. You might have pain that travels to your buttocks and think the problem is a pain in your buttocks, when it could actually be referred pain from your lower back. Conversely you might think you have a pinched nerve in your lower back, but it could be compressed in your buttocks or hamstring—treat the lower back all you want, but unless the problem in the buttocks or hamstring is addressed the pain might never go away.
There is way too much confusion in regards to addressing back pain. As the medical world evolves, we become so specialized to the point that many specialists have blinders on and focus on only one problem. In reality, the majority of the time there are multiple system breakdowns that need to be addressed. Instead the body becomes the territory of different specialists—for example, for ankle pain you might see someone to repair the joint or a therapist to strengthen muscles. They all do valuable work, but what gets lost is the realization of how the whole body or system works—bones, joints, muscles, nerves—and how they all coordinate and contribute to health and wellness, or to pain and dysfunction. Many back surgeries fail due to the fact that an already weak spine is now weakened even further. But, much of the time, failed lower back surgeries occur due to a lack of understanding the whole body system. Many traditional back pain treatments focus primarily, if not exclusively, on just getting rid of the pain. In the process the cause of that pain fails to be identified and addressed.
As you will see, back pain can be a minefield of potential problems. Read My book 21st Century Back Pain Solution! to learn about separate isolated problems with the back, when in reality it is usually a combination of dysfunction…and finding the true cause is key.
Call anytime between the hours of 8 am and 5:30 pm Monday through Thursday and 8am through 12pm. Tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Back Pain Evaluation.
We can get started with your consultation, exam and x-rays as soon as there’s an opening in the schedule. Our office is called Advanced Chiropractic and you can find us at 4549 Catclaw Drive Abilene,TX.
I look forward to helping you get rid of your pain so you can start living a healthier, more joyful life.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jake Morgan, D.C.
Five Deadly Sins Made When Dealing With Back Pain Mistakes to Avoid
Five Deadly Sins Made When Dealing With Back Pain
Mistakes to Avoid
Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health.
—Carl Jung
Mistake 1: Treat only the symptom.
Taking NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or other daily medications to control the pain is just masking the deeper cause of your symptoms. I have been treating patients long enough to know there is value in medications to control pain in acute situations or help you function in chronic situations. But believing a pill will cure your back pain is not realistic. Even small children know that when the fire alarm is going off, there is a fire—they don’t just put earplugs in their ears and ignore the alarm. The same concept applies to physical pain—pain is a symptom, a warning, that something is wrong that you need to address.
Mistake 2: Continue to do nothing.
Believing that there are no more treatment options or there is no one left to help you is The “I GIVE UP” Syndrome. Maybe you have tried treatments with minimal or no results, or did not follow through with treatment recommendations. Perhaps you were told that surgery is your only option left or that you will just have to deal with it the rest of your life. Even if no one has found the true cause of your problem, do you really think giving up is going to improve your situation?
Mistake 3: Hope it will go away on its own.
Well, many times it might improve, temporarily, but not taking action to determine why there is pain leads to reoccurring problems. Action is the key word.
Mistake 4: Do not follow doctors’ recommendations.
Back specialists treat spinal conditions every day, spent years studying disorders of the spine, and—unless you had an acute traumatic accident, such as a car wreck, that initiated your pain—know a gradual process occurs to develop back or neck problems. Specialists know it can take multiple treatments, education about your condition, and lifestyle changes, all of which take time. They know you can’t always just cut out the pain or permanently mask it with medication. Let me put it this way: As a general rule, it takes 90 days to change human physiology. This is why military or police training is usually around a 90-day boot camp. Back specialists know that, to change your body or lifestyle routine in a positive way, it takes about 90 days. So in order to change conditions in your spine, you’ll need a little patience—nothing wrong with that.
Mistake 5: Fail to take responsibility for where you are.
Many back pain suffers go to doctors looking for a quick fix. Most doctors are very smart and good at what they do, but they are not necessarily miracle workers. No one should care about your body more than you do. You must be part of the process in helping relieve your back pain. Own or take responsibility for improving your condition. It takes the right mindset to overcome your back pain, so don’t act like a victim.
“What is the difference between an owner and a victim?” you might ask. Keep reading….
Owners vs. Victims
- Owners take full responsibility for their outcomes, knowing they are the sole creators of their actions and reactions, successes and failures
- Victims, on the other hand, see themselves as having been dealt a bad hand, continually waiting on the next thing that will happen to them. They take no responsibility, placing blame for their circumstances or pain on life, other people, and bad luck.
- Owners take it upon themselves to seek professional guidance and to manage the pain, and say, “I want to be pain-free so I’m going to do my exercises, prescribed treatments from my doctor, and stop or limit things that make my condition worse,” or, “I want to be pain-free so I am going to make time and do my exercises. even if it is uncomfortable.”
- Victims, however might say, “I know I should do my exercises or follow the treatments my doctor told me to do, but it hurts too much. This is not fair. Why me? I will continue to do nothing to improve my situation.”
- Owners take action and responsibility to get better.
- Victims, as you probably can tell, prolong recovery because they are their own worst enemies.
- Owners ask, “What can I do?”
- Victims ask, “Who can I blame?”
As it relates to your back, the way a person responds to pain is a choice. You can own your pain, or act like a victim.
Call anytime between the hours of 8 am and 5:30 pm Monday through Thursday 8-12 on Fridays. Tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Back Pain Evaluation valued at over $225. Mention this blog and get receive our New Patient Special!
We can get started with your consultation, exam and x-rays as soon as there’s an opening in the schedule. Our office is called Advanced Chiropractic and you can find us at 4549 Catclaw Drive, Abilene TX.
I look forward to helping you get rid of your pain so you can start living a healthier, more joyful life.
Sincerely,
Don’t forget to stop by the office and grab my book! Or download your copy from our website.
How to get rid of Crippling Neck Problems
Which Of These Crippling Neck Problems Would You Like To Be Rid Of?
- Serious and debilitating neck pain
- Sharp, shooting pains in the shoulders and arms
- Numbness and tingling in the arms and hands
- Severe, chronic headaches
- Herniated or Bulging Cervical Discs
Many doctors act like your options are limited with neck pain – bed rest, pain pills, steroid injections, and exercises.
They’re wrong.
No matter where you are with neck pain, whether you’re having unrelenting pain and facing surgery or you just injured it yesterday, a treatment called non-surgical spinal decompression may be the answer for you.
Nothing’s worse than feeling great mentally, but physically feeling held back from life because your neck hurts and the pain just won’t go away!
Sure, you can numb the pain if you take enough Vicodin, Soma or some other pill. But the real problem is while you make it through the day all “numbed up”, you are likely injuring your neck even more…without knowing it.
Here’s Proof This Treatment Works
While non-surgical spinal decompression has only been around a few years, there is plenty of research to back up its claims. Here’s just a handful…
“We thus submit that decompression therapy should be considered first, before the patient undergoes a surgical procedure which permanently alters the anatomy and function of the affected lumbar spine segment.”
– Journal Of Neuroscience Research
“86% of the 219 patients who completed the therapy reported immediate resolution of symptoms”
– Orthopedic Technology Review
“vertebral axial [spinal] decompression was successful in 71% of the 778 cases”
– Journal of Neurological Research
“good to excellent” relief in 86% patients with Herniated discs”
– The American Journal of Pain Management
“decompression therapy reported a 76.5% with complete remission and 19.6% with partial remission of pain and disability”
– Rio Grande Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery
As you can see, spinal decompression has a high success rate with helping disc herniations, pinched nerves, and severe pain. In just a matter of weeks you could be back on the golf course, enjoying your love life, or traveling again.
Spinal decompression treatments are very gentle. In fact, every once and awhile I even catch a patient sleeping during sessions.
You’ll simply lie on your back, resting your head on a comfortable pad.. We’ll set the computer to focus on your problem area – then the advanced computer system will do the rest.
Most patients feel better with just a few treatments, and best of all there will be…
No Dangerous Drugs, No Invasive Procedures, And No Painful Exercises.
My name is Dr. Jake Morgan, owner Advanced Chiropractic in Abilene. I understand what it feels like to live in pain, because I see it every day.
I’ve seen hundreds of people with neck pain, arm problems and headaches leave the office pain free.
What does this offer include?
An in-depth consultation about your health and well-being where I will listen…really listen…to the details of your case. A complete neuromuscular examination, full set of specialized x-rays (if necessary), and a thorough analysis of your exam and x-ray findings so we can start mapping out your plan to being pain free.
You’ll get to see everything first hand and find out if this gentle treatment will be your neck pain solution, like it has been for so many other patients.
Call today and we can get you scheduled for your consultation, exam and x-rays as soon as there’s an opening.
When you call, tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Neck Pain Evaluation so she can record the date and give you proper credit for this special offer.
Sincerely,
P.S. Before you go under the knife and opt for neck surgery, you should seriously consider this less invasive approach. Call 325-695-9355
I may be able to help you live a normal, pain-free life again!
Download your copy of my book 21st
Century Back Pain Solution!
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