Healthy News June 2021

Back pain patients come to Old Mill Chiropractic with all sorts of different issues. Some walk better than others. Some have stronger muscles than others. Some are more prone to depression than others. Your St Peters chiropractor knows this and joins each back pain patient where s/he is and assesses each patient to find the difference(s) that make all the difference when designing a relieving chiropractic treatment plan. Tests like the 6-minute walk test that measures the distance walked in 6 minutes and the TUG (‘time up to go’ from a seated position) test can be quite educational about musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in degenerative lumbar spine patients. Both may be affected by back pain. (1) Back muscles that turn weak and fatty (like the multifidus muscle tends to do) indicate issues with inflammatory and regeneration processes. (Back surgeons don’t like this as a poorer surgical outcome is likely.) (2) Chiropractors know this and promote gentle exercise for these back muscles as part of the treatment plan to prevent recurrent back pain that a few lumbar disc degeneration sufferers experience. A recent study described that those who tend to get recurrent back pain were found to move in a different way, more causiously, likely to avoid pain. Recurrent back pain patients also experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression, and disability as well as a reduced quality of life. (3) Your St Peters chiropractor welcomes all back pain sufferers with all their peculiarities. Your chiropractor partners with each one during the current back pain event and beyond to control the back pain (emotional, physical and mental aspects), so it doesn’t control them.