April 2022 Healthy News from Rosenberg Wellness Center Words Describing Back Pain and Exercises to Strengthen the Multifidi Are Important
“Why do you ask me so many questions, doc?”
Our New York City chiropractic patients are central to our practice. Rosenberg Wellness Center wants to understand each of our patients and your pain experience well, treat you well, and ensure that 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 a variety of 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 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 was sharp/shooting, discomfort was dull/tingling, stiffness signified tight/restricted. (1) It is important for us to know our patient’s experience with pain to better reach expectations and boost satisfaction with care. Patients who went to 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 common of reasons patients pursue chiropractic care! In this setting, patients were satisfied with the collaboration among the various healthcare team members due to the trust they had in their physician. Patients valued consistency in care from one caregiving chiropractor. (2) Rosenberg Wellness Center knows our patients value - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
New York City CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Standing Exercise for Multifidus Muscle Strengthening Works
Back pain. It is 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, deep, smaller 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 found to be stiffer in low back pain sufferers. Low back pain is linked to lumbodorsal musculature (which incorporates the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus sufficiently which may avert 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’s great news! New York City back pain sufferers can do easy, 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 explains the benefit of improving muscle strength and function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Rosenberg Wellness Center
Make your next New York City chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be strengthened via proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. Rosenberg Wellness Center will ask you questions, and you are welcome to ask Rosenberg Wellness Center questions, also!