South Elgin Chiropractor Links Obesity to Low Back Pain

Low back pain has been recognized

as a problem of epidemic proportions.

It’s estimated that approximately 80%

of the North American population will

experience debilitating back pain at

some point in their adult lives.1 It’s no

surprise that more and more people are

seeking chiropractors to find relief.

What’s even more alarming is the

apparent link between the incidence of

low back pain and obesity. According

to the American Obesity Association,

64.5% of adult Americans (about 127

million) are considered overweight or

obese.2 Recent evidence suggests that

obesity seriously impacts the musculoskeletal

system, increasing the risk of

low back pain as well as osteoarthritis,

spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc

disease and spinal stenosis.3 One study

in particular showed that people who

underwent surgery to help them lose

weight also experienced less low back

pain. 4

Causes and Effects of

Obesity and Back Pain

Some studies suggest that the link

between obesity and low back pain is

inconclusive.5 But they’re several

obvious reasons why an obese person

would experience more of this type of

pain.

First, we should look at the common

causes of obesity.

If we exclude certain

genetic or hormonal diseases, we

discover North American obesity is

primarily related to poor nutrition and

lack of exercise. Our meals are often

high in saturated fat and low in essential

fatty acids. This leaves us prone to

inflammatory states like arthritis. The

large amounts of caffeine we consume

also robs the skeleton of its bonebuilding

calcium.6 And if we take into

account our sedentary lifestyle, the

body lacks the necessary weightbearing

effects to maintain a fortified

skeletal structure. The result is an

increased incidence of osteoporosis and

bone fractures.As a person packs on more weight,

moving around becomes difficult.

Therefore, many obese people choose

to remain inactive. But this leads to big

problems. Lack of movement in the

joints can accelerate degenerative

changes, which are seen in cases of

osteoarthritis. If an obese person does

remain active, the extra body weight

puts additional stress and strain on the

muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.

Postural changes are also common in

obese people, usually caused by

carrying extra weight in their abdomen.

As the size of the mid-section

increases, the person’s center of gravity

shifts forward and the lower back curve

is exaggerated to accommodate for

these changes. This adds more compressive

loads on the joints of the lower

back, increasing the risk of subluxation

and pain.

This South Elgin Chiropractor

Gives Tips On What You Can Do

About Weight Problems.

When faced with any health issue, the

first thing you should do is consult with

healthcare professionals. Your medical

doctor can order blood tests to rule out

hormonal imbalances or genetic

metabolic disorders. Your South Elgin

chiropractor is knowledgeable in nutrition and

exercise and is an excellent source for

help in these areas.

Secondly, take control of the two

most powerful factors controlling your

body weight: diet and exercise. Portion

control is one of the easiest ways to

reduce excess body fat. Eat slowly and

stop consuming when you’re no longer

hungry. Eating because your body

needs the fuel is different than eating

because you enjoy the food.

Think of the body as a machine with

moving parts, and give it the right fuel

to keep the engine running smoothly.

Before starting an exercise program,

also check with your chiropractor.

Weeks, months or years of

inactivity can leave your body too

weak to pick up where you left off.

Consider hiring a personal trainer. If

cost is a factor, have the trainer design

a starting program that you can do on

your own, then update the program

every six weeks or so. This gives you

the best chance for continued progress,

and keeps you more interested as your

exercise routine varies.

Above all else, keep a positive mental

attitude. Read about people who have

achieved what you’re setting out to do,

and tell yourself,

If they did it, so can I!”

Value your health, and experience

how the aches and pains get less and

less as your body gets lighter and

References and Sources:
1. Skinner HB. Current Diagnosis &
Treatment in Orthopedics.
Lange Medical Books. New York;
2000.
2. AOA Fact Sheets. 2002.
American Obesity Association.
http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfac
ts/aoafactsheets.shtml
3. Silveri CP & Spinasanta S.
Back pain and obesity: connection
to back pain and the development
of obesity.
4. Melissas J, Volakakis E,
Hadjipavlou A. Low back pain in
morbidly obese patients and the
effect of weight loss following
surgery.
Obes Surg. 2003;13:389–393.
5. Mirtz TA & Greene L. Is obesity a
risk factor for low back pain? An
example of using the evidence to
answer a clinical question.
Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2005; 13(2).
Online source:
http://www.chiroandosteo.com/con
tent/13/1/2/ABSTRACT%3CSCRIPT/
comments.
6. Hernandez-Avila M, Stampfer MJ,
Ravnikar VA, Willett WC, Schiff I,
Francis M, Longcope C, McKinlay
SM. Caffeine and other predictors
of bone density among pre-and
peri-menopausal women.
Epidemiology 1993 Mar; 4(2):
128-34.

Chiropractor South Elgin shares low back exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercises that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the multifidus, erector spinae, transverse abdominus, oblique muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to Increase low back strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention

Begin lying on your back.
Extend arms above head flat on floor.
Activate core and lift knees above hips and maintain a 90/90 hip and knee position.
Activate core.
Lift one arm off the floor and raise it towards ceiling until above shoulder level while simultaneously extending one leg downward towards floor.
Pause momentarily.
Return to start position, alternating sides.
Core activation should be maintained throughout entire exercise.
Repeat for recommended repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

South Elgin Chiropractor shares ankle exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the peroneus longus/brevis, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, gastrocnemius, soleus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to improve muscular endurance, ankle strength, and proprioception.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.


Begin seated in a chair with good posture.
Extend leg.
Attempt to write alphabet from A through Z with toes, moving ankle in all directions.
Repeat for prescribed sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Back Pain and Headache Help in S. Elgin

Can Back Pain Really
Be“All In Our Heads”?
Researchers analyzed a survey
distributed to college students to find
out the prevalence of back pain in this
population. The survey revealed up to
38% of the students reported having
significant back pain within the previous
school year.
Of the students with back pain,
researchers found that only psychosocial
factors remained statistically
significant as being associated with the
symptoms. In the end, it appeared that
chronic fatigue or emotionally-abusive
relationships were the most strongly
associated with their back pain.3
Dr Schening your South Elgin  chiropractor knows that
life-stress can be a significant cause of
muscle tension and subluxations.
Chiropractic adjustments help relieve
tension throughout the body and reduce
fatigue associated with it.

The “Pop” and Pain
Relief
Researchers wanted to know whether
the pop heard during the chiropractic
adjustment really makes any difference
to the level of pain relief perceived by
the patient versus when no noise was
heard during the adjustment.
The researchers enlisted 40
asymptomatic patients and first tested
them for thermal pain sensitivity on
their legs and lower backs to create
baseline values. Then, the patients
underwent a lumbar adjustment. For
some, the audible pop was associated
with the movement and for others it
was not. All subjects were then
re-tested for thermal sensitivity.

The results may surprise you.
Researchers found that there was a
significant reduction in thermal pain
sensitivity after the lumbar adjustment,
whether or not a sound was heard
during the maneuver!4 So, you don’t
need to hear a pop to know that the
chiropractic adjustment is helping you.

References and Sources:

2. Weber Hellstenius, SA.
Recurrent Neck Pain and
Headaches in Preadolescents
Associated with Mechanical
Dysfunction of the Cervical Spine:
A Cross-Sectional Observational
Study With 131 Students. JMPT
2009 (Oct.); 32(8): 625-634.
3. Gilkey DP, Keefe TJ, Peel JL,
Kassab OM & Kennedy CA. Risk
Factors Associated With Back
Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study of
963 College Students. JMPT 2010
(Feb.); 33(2): 88-95.
4. Bialosky JE, Bishop MD,
Robinson ME & George SZ. The
Relationship of the Audible Pop to
Hypoalgesia Associated With
High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude
Thrust Manipulation: A Secondary
Analysis of an Experimental Study
in Pain-Free Participants. JMPT
2010; 33: 117-124.

Chiropractor South Elgin shares shoulder exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the areas related to the shoulder such as deltoid – anterior, deltoid – lateral, pec major – clavical head, and coracobrachialis muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to Increase shoulder strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury p
Begin on floor on hands and knees.
Hips should be above knees and shoulders above hands. Attain a straight spine position.
Activate core muscles. While maintaining a straight spine, reach forward until arm is at shoulder level. Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Chiropractor in South Elgin explains knee exercises for beginners.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase knee strength and muscular endurance.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor facing up.
Bend knees so feet are firmly on floor.
Extend arms upward toward ceiling.
Activate core muscles.
Lift hips off floor to attain a bridge position with knees, hips and shoulders in alignment.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Initially, you may develop some cramping in the back of your thigh. A simple hamstring stretch before and after may prevent this from occurring.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Migraines –NOT A Typical Headache

Although they often resemble other types of headaches, migraines exist in a class of their own. The World Health Organization ranks migraine headaches at 19 on its list of health conditions causing disability.1 Anyone experiencing migraines on a regular basis would confirm how disabling these headaches are.2 Most often, the typical migraine sufferer finds a dark, quiet room and rests there until the pain subsides. What Is a Migraine, and What Causes It? Migraines differ from other head-aches because they occur in phases. And the painful phase of the migraine is almost always associated with other bodily symptoms. The specific causes of migraines remain elusive. It’s believed vascular changes in the brain are responsible for the pain. Researchers have noted that certain people experience blood vessel contractions and dilations in the brain just prior to a migraine occurring.Because these contractions and dilations can be influenced by neuro-logical or hormonal factors, experts are investigating these areas for potential solutions to migraines.
Common triggers for migraine headaches include:
Stress
Lack of sleep
Changes in weather
Environmental chemicals
Liver problems
Rapid change in hormone levels
Dental pain
Certain foods (cured meats, redwine, onion, eggs, nuts and cheese)
Medical conditions (depression, severe hypertension) Medications
The Phases of a Migraine
There are four phases involved with migraines:
prodrome,
aura,
headache,
and postdrome And Aura.2
Although not all migraines involve all four phases, most patients experience a combination of these symptoms. Most migraines are preceded by a specific phase called the prodrome, and it may occur hours or days before the actual headache. During this phase, sufferers may experience depression, food cravings, neck stiffness, nausea, hyperactivity or fatigue.The next of the four phases is the aura. This is a collection of neurologi-cal symptoms that usually involve a person’s visual experience (e.g. flashingor wavy lights). Other symptoms of an aura may include things like strange smells, tingling sensations and cogni-tive difficulties. According to one medical expert, only about 20% of patients with migraines experience an aura, and it’s likely to occur shortly before the onset of the headache.3
The prodromal and the aura phases warn a person that a migraine is on the way. By taking action during these earlier phases, a migraine sufferer may be able to avoid the more painful stages of this type of headache.
Headache
The main characteristics of the headache phase are… Moderate to intense pain with a pulsating quality that lasts 4 to 72 hours. It may be aggravated by bright light or loud noise. Nausea and vomiting Depression and severe anxiety Hot flashes and chills Dizziness Confusion Dehydration or fluid retention
Post drome At this phase the pain has subsided. But most sufferers will tell you the migraine episode is definitely not over. The postdrome phase may take hours or days to complete. During this time, a migraine sufferer may experience…
Low mood, especially depression
Feelings of euphoria and well being
Fatigue
Poor concentration and comprehension
How Do You Treat a Migraine?
For most people who experience recurring migraines, the best option is to find a dark, quiet place, and focus on relaxing. Migraines respond well to peace and quiet. For those who can’t endure the painful stages of a migraine, they may require migraine specific medications such as NSAIDs, Triptans or Ergot. Many studies show chiropractic as a very effective tool used to treat migraine headaches.4-5 Sometimes chiropractic treatments result in instant and significant relief, but most cases require ongoing care to manage painful episodes
References and Sources: 1.International Headache Society-http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/02_teil1/01.00.00_migraine.html2.Edmeads J, Findlay H, Tugwell P,Pryse-Phillips W, Nelson RF & Murray TJ. Impact of migraine and tension-type headache on life-style, consulting behaviour, and medication use: a Canadian population survey. Can J Neurol Sci. 1993; 20(2): 131-137.3. Bronfort G, Assendelft WJ, Evans R, Haas M & Bouter L. Efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic headache: a systematic review. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2001; 24(7): 457-466.4. Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. J Manipula-tive Physiol Ther 2000;23(2):91-95.5. Tuchin PJ. A case of chronic migraine remission after chiropractic care. J Chiropractic Medicine. 2008; 7(2): 66-70