April 2022 Healthy News from Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Words Describing Back Pain and Exercises to Strengthen the Multifidi Are Important
“Why are you asking me all these questions, doctor?”
Our Carrolltown chiropractic patients are the center of our practice. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation wants 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’s why we have you to describe your pain to us, sometimes a few times and in a variety of different ways! Words mean different things to different people: “discomfort” to one may denote “pain” to another while “stiffness” is “pain” or “discomfort” to a another. It is true! Researchers did a deep-dive into these different words and their meanings to patients. An example of this is the description of “feeling”: pain signified sharp/shooting, discomfort was dull/tingling, stiffness signified tight/restricted. (1) It is beneficial for us 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) as well as reported multiple pain locations (9 of 17 participants), low back pain (13 of 17), and neck pain (8 of 17). Those are very typical of rationales patients seek 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) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows our patients value - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
Carrolltown CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Strengthen Multifidus Muscles While Standing
Back pain. It’s a simple description that may stem from many factors including the muscles of the spine, those seen and unseen. The multifidus muscles are such unseen muscles, deep, smaller muscles that run beside the spine from the neck to the sacrum. These muscles aid movements like lateral (side) flexion and rotation of the spine when contracted. (3) Lately, 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 associated with lumbodorsal musculature (which includes the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus sufficiently which may prevent low back pain initiated 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 is great news! Carrolltown back pain sufferers can do simple, standing exercises like this anywhere! The multifidi benefit!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paula Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she details the benefit of increasing muscle strength and function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Make your next Carrolltown chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be directed in proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation will ask you questions, and you are encouraged to ask Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation questions, too!