Low back pain (LBP) can have many causes such as genetics, acquired abuses, body type (especially obesity – body mass index or BMI >30), gender, as well as cultural aspects that predispose one to acquire low back trouble. So, the question remains, “what can I do to reduce my risk for developing low back pain?”
The answer, like the cause is – you guessed it – multifactorial. Since we can’t change our genetics, we’ll have to accept that one. But, we can change our BMI by keeping our …

Years ago, local farmers would put on their Sunday best clothes and go to church. After they were finished dressing, they would put their wallet in their back pocket.
Then, these farmers would sit on hard wooden church pews and their thick wallets would dig into their buttocks for an hour or so. This wallet pressure crushed their sciatica nerve, so that when they stood up they felt pain in their leg, tinging in their legs, burning and aching.
So, the farmers discovered that if they would just carry their …

“It Is Easier To Prevent Bad Habits Than To Break Them” ~Benjamin Franklin
Back pain is no fun. It is also a MAJOR problem for our healthcare system and economy. Here are some important facts about back pain, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA):
•31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.
•One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
•Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason …

Low back pain is a very common problem affecting 80-90% of all of us at some point in our lifetime. Why is that you ask? There are many reasons.
One of the biggest reasons is that we are 2-legged animals carrying 2/3rds of our weight above our waist. Studies have shown deterioration or arthritis occurs much sooner in us vs. our 4-legged animal counterparts. A 180 lbs man carries roughly 120 lbs above the waist. This means, every time he bends over, in order to stand …

A lot of my patients exercise and one thing that is becoming more popular is “core training.”
Core training is exercising the “core” of your body, which is your middle area…the stomach and back.
When you have a toned and strong stomach, you will not only look good, but it feels really good to be fit and strong in your back and stomach. A toned core will help your body age well and it sets you up for good posture and a pain-free lower back.
Now, having a slim stomach …

“I was digging a hole in my garden and hit a rock with the shovel. After clearing the dirt from around the rock, I bent over and reached into the hole. I couldn’t get a good grip on the rock and had to twist my body to get my arm under it. As I started to move the rock, I felt something ‘give out’ in my low back and felt immediate low back pain, but it wasn’t terrible. Like a fool, I gave it another try …

I came across some interesting information the other day that I thought would be fun to share with you.
I’m sure you know that drinking Coca Cola isn’t very good for you. In fact it provides absolutely no nutritional value.
So check this out. When someone drinks a Coke, watch what happens…
In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because an ingredient called phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down. …

Tasks that used to be simple, like reaching for a can off a top shelf, or zipping up a dress may become difficult as we age. Our muscles tighten and the range of motion in our joints decrease. A regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles and make daily activities routine again.
What’s more, stretching can help eliminate or decrease low back pain, one of the most common kinds of structural pain. If you have muscle tightness in the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and low back muscles, …

There has been a debate for years regarding the use of spinal manipulation and its benefits in the treatment of low back pain. Since the founding of chiropractic in 1895, the initial reaction against the early pioneer chiropractors resulted in doctors of chiropractic (DC’s) being incarcerated for “…practicing medicine without a license.” But chiropractors kept forging ahead and because of obtaining good results and helping millions of people, by 1971, Medicare adopted coverage for chiropractic – a first in chiropractic’s history. In 1975, the US Department of …

As you can probably imagine, I have a lot of patients who struggle with neck and shoulder pain. Many people who work in offices and on computers complain of frequent neck pain and tightness.
Here’s a way to target the neck and shoulders: dumbbells.
Strength training using dumbbells not only reduces pain, but also improves the function of your neck and shoulder area. Here are 5 exercises that you can do with dumbbells to reduce pain and improve function in the neck and shoulders.
1. The one-arm row
2. Shoulder abduction
3. Shoulder …