Lower back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, such as heavy lifting, herniated disc and degenerative disc disease. Heavy lifting can strain and tear the lower back muscles, a herniated disc can impinge upon the sciatic nerve and degenerative disc disease can cause inflammation and soreness. Symptoms may include a combination of the following:
Lower back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, such as heavy lifting, herniated disc and degenerative disc disease. Heavy lifting can strain and tear the lower back muscles, a herniated disc can impinge upon the sciatic nerve and degenerative disc disease can cause inflammation and soreness. Symptoms may include a combination of the following:
- Mild, chronic pain punctuated with periods of severe pain
- Chronic pain that ranges from nagging to severe
- Pain that radiates to the buttocks
- Pain while sitting
- Muscle spasms
The Benefits of Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain
Patients suffering from most types of lower back pain are often referred by their physicians or chiropractor for physical therapy with a certified physical therapist. It’s a noninvasive treatment for low back pain that helps avoid back surgery. The goals of physical therapy are to reduce back pain, increase daily function and to educate the patient about how to avoid future back problems. It often includes two treatment modalities: passive physical therapy and active physical therapy. The use of electrical stimulation, ice packs and heat application are forms of passive physical therapy. Specific exercises are an example of active physical therapy. Clinical studies support the benefits of physical therapy both before and after back surgery. It can significantly shorten recovery time.
The Exercises in Physical Therapy
Most physical therapy programs will include a combination of exercises, such as stretching, dynamic stabilization exercises and core strengthening exercise. Stretching provides relief for muscles and helps maintain a normal range of motion. Dynamic stabilization exercise may include specific stabilizing exercises, exercise balls or balancing machines. The goal is to strengthen the spine’s muscles through a various range of motion. Core strengthening exercise target the low back muscles and abdominal muscles to develop strength. It may include leg raises, crunches and abdominal machines. A physical therapist will develop an individualized exercise program tailored to the patient’s needs. Typically, a series of treatments take place over a period of four weeks and include periodic maintenance treatment.
Let Us Help
If you’re suffering from low back pain, turn to the medical experts at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists. All of their physical therapists are trained orthopedic manual physical therapy and implement the latest evidence-based therapy. Call 904-634-0640 to schedule a consultation today or contact us by completing our contact form, and our trained staff will answer any question you may have. Recovery begins at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
7 Reasons to Try Physical Therapy
Physical therapy has been proven to help people of all ages who have injuries, illnesses or medical conditions that limit their ability to function and move. A customized treatment program by a physical therapist can help people return to their previous lifestyle, prevent future injury and improve overall health. Here are 7 reasons to try physical therapy.
Myths and Facts: The Truth About Ortho Medicine
While men and women can both benefit from a visit to an orthopedic medicine specialist, orthopedic medicine is especially beneficial to women. When you discover a few of the myths and facts about orthopedic medicine, you will quickly realize exactly how important this practice can be to a woman’s health.
Myths About Ortho Medicine
- Orthopedic Medicine is Just for Athletes – While many athletes, young and old, are patients at an orthopedic practice, these are far from the only people who can benefit. Anyone can suffer bone and joint problems. Your general practitioner can tell you if you need to see this specialist.
- If You Can Move a Joint or Bone, You Are Okay – You can suffer a fracture or other bone injury and still be able to move the affected area with no problems. That’s why a visit to the orthopedic doctor is necessary after an injury.
- Using Your Computer Causes Carpel Tunnel and Playing Tennis Causes Tennis Elbow – While in some cases, computer use causes carpel tunnel syndrome and playing tennis causes tennis elbow, these are far from the only causes. If you have symptoms of these ailments, it is important to visit your orthopedic doctor right away.
A Few Facts About Ortho Medicine
- Adult Knee Surgery is the Most Popular Orthopedic Surgery – If you need surgery on your knee, you are not alone!
- Orthopedic Surgeons Can be Generalists or Specialists – Some orthopedic doctors specialize in one area (such as spine surgery or joint rebuilding) while others are focused more on general care. Sometimes a team of doctors is employed to get you the care you need.
- An Orthopedic Doctor Uses Several Tests to Get the Right Diagnosis – There is seldom any guessing necessary in an orthopedic practice. A doctor can use X-rays, CT Scans, MRIs, blood tests and other tests to find out exactly what is wrong. Once the doctor has a correct diagnosis, finding you the best care is even easier.
As you can see, there is a lot to think about when it comes to orthopedic medicine. If you would like to learn more or talk to a specialist today, reach out to us at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists. We would love to help you feel your best today—and tomorrow.
Does Milk Really Help With Developing Strong Bones
Cow’s milk and its related products are excellent sources of calcium, an element that is essential for building strong bones when it interacts with the hormone-like substance called Vitamin D.
However, milk isn’t the only calcium-rich food for bone health. This is important, because many people can’t or don’t want to consume milk.
Some people are allergic to the protein in milk. Others have to limit consumption due to its sugar, lactose, which can be tough on some diabetics as well as people who digest it poorly.
Paradoxes of Milk
The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) notes that milk presents paradoxes. Although its consumption decreases the chance of osteoporosis and colon cancer, high consumption increases risk of prostate cancer and, perhaps, ovarian cancer.
Also, HSPH adds dairy products that can be high in saturated fat and vitamin A, both of which can weaken bones. So moderation in all things — an idea that Greek philosopher Aristotle stressed to his students — is a good rule to follow if you love dairy products.
Dietary Keys to Bone Strength
When consuming dairy products or any calcium-rich food, it’s essential to track the amount of calcium and vitamin D you are getting. Check with your general practitioner or orthopedist for a recommendation about how much to consume. A general rule of thumb is about 400 IU of vitamin D paired with 1000 mg of calcium daily.
Product labeling can help you gain an idea of the quantities of calcium in recommended servings. If you don’t drink milk, there are many substitutes — such as almond, coconut, rice or soy milks — that are enriched with calcium and vitamin D.
It’s helpful to eat a wide variety of foods rich in calcium, including cooked beans, leafy green vegetables, anchovies (bring on the Caesar salad!) and cabbage-family plants such as broccoli and kale. A varied diet of veggies will also provide vitamin K and magnesium, which help strengthen bones.
Don’t forget protein, which also helps build bones but, once again, don’t overdo it. Keep your diet balanced.
Not All About Diet
Many medical experts cite exercise as being crucial in the constant process of rebuilding strong bones. However, there is disagreement about how much and what kind of workouts are most efficient.
Keep in mind the idea of moderation, and remember to talk with a doctor before hitting the track with a new exercise regimen. Strive for activity every day and get a feel for the amounts and kinds of exercise that make your body feel good.
Things Your Orthopedic Physician Wants You to Know
Whether you have sustained a sports-related injury or you suffer with chronic back pain, Southeast Orthopedic Specialists can help relieve your pain. If you have been injured, we will also assist you as you move through the recovery process. Our goal is to help you return to your normal activities as quickly as possible. If you have been injured, contact one of our offices today to schedule your initial consultation.
6 Things your orthopedic physician wants you to know
1. How did you become injured?
Some people are embarrassed about how they sustained their injuries. Whether you tripped rushing to answer the phone, you fell off of a curb while taking a selfie or you slid into home base, there is no need to be embarrassed with us. To ensure you receive the highest quality of care possible, we need to know the specifics.
2. Bring a short list of questions with you to your initial consultation.
We are always happy to answer your questions. However, please refrain from creating an extensive list of questions. Instead, just write down a couple extremely important questions. After your initial consultation, please explore our website. If you still have questions, send us an email with those questions and we will do our best to answer them in a timely manner.
3. Many times, your symptoms are more important than your diagnostic imaging results.
While X-rays and MRIs are very helpful, the description of your symptoms provides your orthopedic physician with approximately 90 percent of the information he or she needs to diagnose and treat you.
4. When you visit Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, please wear clothing that allows us to examine your injury.
Your orthopedic physician will want to examine your injury. For this reason, you need to wear clothing that makes your injured area easier to access. If you injured your shoulder, wear a tank top. If it is your knee that is injured, choose a pair of loose pants, a pair of shorts or a skirt.
5. Every injury is unique.
If you know someone who received treatment for the same injury that you sustained, do not assume that your treatment plan or outcome will be identical. We know that every patient is different, which is why we create each of our patients an individualized treatment plan.
6. Stop smoking tobacco.
Smoking constricts blood vessels. These constricted blood vessels interrupt the body’s blood flow. The inability for blood to freely flow throughout the body can lead to delayed wound healing. In fact, the chance of a smoker experiencing an infection and/or a wound healing problem following surgery is more than double that of a non-smoker.
Additionally, when compared to non-smokers, individuals who smoke are more likely to tear their rotator cuffs and herniate discs in their lower backs. Furthermore, individuals who smoke usually have decreased bone mineral density (osteoporosis), which increases the likelihood of a fracture. Smokers also tend to suffer more broken bones in their spines, hips and wrists than non-smokers do.
The Future of Spine Technology
There have been many technology advancements for spine care. An orthopedic spinal surgeon, Anthony Yeung, weighs in on his opinions on where he sees the future of spinal care. Dr. Yeung realized the need for minimalism in spine surgery when a close family member sustained a nerve injury of the spine after partial removal of the facet joint. The initial injury was a central disc herniation. His thoughts were focused on the idea that spinal surgery should be less invasive to avoid further injury, years of pain and disability. In this case, his mother progressed to a grade 2 spondylolisthesis. He was interested in a less invasive procedure to decompress original herniation.
The Future of Spinal Surgery: Minimally Invasive
Dr. Yeung began to study the transforaminal decompression concept of Parviz Kambin. He began to see that the visual capabilities of the endoscope just may be a part of what he needed to implement his future vision of spinal surgery. In his interest to shape spinal surgery, he developed the Yeung Endoscopic Spine System in 1997. This system was designed for performing selective discectomy via an indigo dye stain for degenerative nucleus removal. Dr. Yeung took it further and combined the system with laser. Further development led to developing a multichannel irrigation endoscope that fit into a disc. The dual system lead to controlled removal of disc and the ability to see the tissue that needed to be removed.
He was able to visualize the nucleus pulposus during discectomy. The staining of the degenerative disc allowed him to be more selective in disc removal. Abnormal and normal parts of the disc were easily identified. Soon after developing the Yeung Endoscopic Spine System, he developed a bevelled cannula to facilitate view of the epidural space. Hinged discectomy instruments were also produced to assist visual inspection and discectomy to identify decompression of the existing and traversing nerve in the epidural space. These instruments also provided more flexibility in reaching the patho-anatomy.
Without a doubt, new developments and new technology over the decades has improved the techniques of spine surgery. The spine care specialists at Southeast Orthopedic offer minimally invasive spine surgery performed by board-certified orthopedic surgeons. With minimally invasive spine procedures, surgery can be performed as an outpatient or require a shorter hospital stay. If you’re considering spine surgery, turn to the experts at Southeast Orthopedic.
Ways to Prevent Sports Related Injuries
From ligament strains and stress fractures to head injuries, sport-related injuries can keep you out of the game. While all sports have a risk of injury, there are ways to prevent injuries from occurring.
Gear Up for Safety
Wearing the right gear will help protect you against the risk of an injury. Players should wear protective equipment, such as mouthpieces, pads, helmets, cups and eyewear. For example, correct shoes will help prevent twisting and injury, while helmets will help protect the brain and skull from injury. While protective gear won’t prevent all sports injuries, it’ll give you more protection, especially when playing contact sports. Just be sure that the protective equipment is high quality and fits well.
Abide by the Rules
The rules of sports are designed to keep you safe. Be sure to learn the rules of your sport and play by them. Respect the rules called by umpires, referees and judges. This way, you’ll keep yourself in the safe zone.
Warm Up and Cool Down
Warming up before engaging in a sport will reduce muscle stiffness and increase the contraction and relaxation of muscles. A proper warm up includes five to 10 minutes of jogging, dynamic stretching exercises and technique drills. A proper cool down includes five to 10 minutes of walking or jogging and static stretching exercises. This workout helps the muscles relax and reestablish their normal range of movement. What happens prior to play and after play can minimize the risk of a sports-related injury.
Prevent Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries can incur from repeated actions in a sport. It can also incur due to training errors, muscle imbalance, poor core stability, lack of muscle strength and faulty technique. The ways to prevent an overuse syndrome include conditioning two to three weeks prior to playing a sport, wearing the proper equipment and practice on using the proper technique. Most of all, listen to your body. If you experience pain and correct the source of pain. Be sure to seek medical attention if needed.
Don’t Overreach Yourself
When you start a new sport, take it slow and steady. Use specific exercises to build up stamina and strengt
h. Over time, your fitness will increase, and you’ll be in better physical shape to play for longer periods of time.
To find out more ways to prevent sports-related injuries, turn to the experts at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists.
Education: Types of Bulging Disks and their Symptoms
A bulging disc in your back causes a variety of painful symptoms. Bulging discs occur when an intervertebral disc balloons out at a weak spot in your spine, putting pressure on your spinal cord and nerves.
Symptoms vary, depending on where the bulging disc is located in your spine. There are three areas of your spine where a bulging disc can occur.
High Heels Could Be The Cause of Your Back Pain
Have lower back pain? How about neck and shoulder pain?
Did you ever think your footwear could be to blame? Wearing high heels throws your body position out of whack. And that can create big problems for your back, neck and shoulders.
When Getting a Massage, How Much Pressure Is Enough?
Massage therapy requires the application of pressure to achieve its many benefits. However, there is such a thing as too much pressure. Learning how much pressure is enough will help you harness the benefits of massage therapy without experiencing harmful effects.
