April 2022 Healthy News from Layden Chiropractic Words Describing Back Pain and Exercises to Strengthen the Multifidi Are Important
“Why do you ask me so many questions, doc?”
Our Plainville chiropractic patients are central to our practice. We want to understand each of our patients and your pain experience well, treat you well, and be sure you are satisfied with your care and outcome. That is why we ask you to explain your pain to us, sometimes a few times and in several different ways! Words mean different things to different people: “discomfort” to one may mean “pain” to another while “stiffness” means “pain” or “discomfort” to a another. It’s true! Researchers studied just what these different words mean to patients. An example of this is the description of “feeling”: pain was sharp/shooting, discomfort was dull/tingling, stiffness signified tight/restricted. (1) It is beneficial for Layden Chiropractic to know our patient’s experience with pain to better meet expectations and boost satisfaction with care. Patients who visited an integrated hospital for care of their musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms rated their pain as 5/10 (10 being greatest pain) and reported multiple pain locations (9 of 17 participants), low back pain (13 of 17), and neck pain (8 of 17). Those are quite common of rationales patients pursue chiropractic care! In this setting, patients were satisfied with the collaboration amongst the various healthcare team members due to the trust they had in their physician. Patients appreciated consistency in care from a single caregiving chiropractor. (2) Layden Chiropractic knows our patients value - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
Plainville CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Strengthen Multifidus Muscles While Standing
Back pain. It’s a simple description that may stem from a multitude of factors including the muscles of the spine, those seen and unseen. The multifidus muscles are such unseen muscles, smaller, deep muscles that run parallel to the spine from the neck to the sacrum. These muscles aid movements like lateral (side) flexion and rotation of the spine when contracted. (3) Recently, researchers proposed that the multifidi may be a possible source of back pain since they are described as being stiffer in low back pain sufferers. Low back pain is linked to lumbodorsal musculature (which includes the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus sufficiently which may prevent low back pain caused by muscle fatigue. (4) “Superman” (on-the-floor) exercises are well known. Standing back extension and “superman” exercises are newly documented to be equally beneficial to strengthen these multifidus muscles. (5) That’s great news! Plainville back pain sufferers can do simple, standing exercises like this anywhere! The multifidus muscles benefit!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paula Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she details the value of improving muscle strength and function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Layden Chiropractic
Schedule your next Plainville chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be strengthened via proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. Layden Chiropractic will ask you questions, and you are encouraged to ask Layden Chiropractic questions, too!