Normally we don't just copy other bloggers' entries, but Debbie Adlof at CW Notes has the following interesting bulletin for Peoria residents to improve the local community: Peoria, IL – The City of Peoria is encouraging residents to sign up for Nextdoor, a free neighborhood networking site that allows neighbors to connect on issues ranging from lost dogs and break-ins to neighborhood social events. Nextdoor is partnered with cities across the Country to encourage communication that can lead to improved neighborhood relations and overall safety. Over twenty neighborhoods within Peoria are already established on the Nextdoor site. A short video which details the benefits of Nextdoor can be viewed at the following link: http://vimeo.com/59427424/. Nextdoor was created to ensure private communication within a neighborhood. All members must verify their addresses, and all information shared on the site is accessible only to verified members of that neighborhood. Nextdoor does not share information with any third parties.
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Back pain is one of those mysterious pain conditions that can come seemingly out of nowhere and prevent you from living a full life. What is back pain? Where does it come from? Although back pain can sometimes be caused by internal organs referring their pain to the skin, or caused by direct trauma or injury, back pain usually indicates a very different type of pain altogether. This is because pain nerves can alert you to an active problem, but they can also send pain signals to the brain if the body believes that it is unstable. Most back pain is not due to acute injury, but rather instability. If the low back does not think that it is capable of bearing the load of the body itself, it will send pain signals to the brain in order to tell the body about the problem. When the brain interprets the pain, your body will react accordingly. You might stop your motion or you might lay down, and in both cases you have relieved the back of its sudden load. The pain signals have done their job: they've alerted you to a problem. This is why so much low back pain results from the simple act of bending over. Bending over does not cause acute injury or a ligament tear, but it does increase the load on your spinal discs and muscles by a very large amount. If the back believes itself to be unstable, then it will tell you, and you will feel back pain. This is why so many patients will say, "I was just bending over to pick up something from the floor, and it wasn't even heavy. Why do I hurt?" You hurt because your back doesn't think it's strong enough to continue. This is why, when a patient has back pain, often nothing definitive can be seen on an X-ray or MRI. If there is no structural problem, nothing will be positively identified on imaging. Sometimes doctors will even say, "Nothing seems to be wrong." The bones are fine, the muscles are fine, the nerves are fine... but something is still wrong. Or, even worse, "You might just be imagining the pain." No, the pain is very real, and the question is: What is wrong? Answer: The perceived stability of your low back. In this case, the best thing you can do for your back is to continue to strengthen it, and continue to use it. This advice sounds counterintuitive, because normally when we feel pain we think it's best to rest. However, we need to strengthen and stabilize unstable backs, and this requires work, effort, and normal motion. This understanding of back pain and its origins has been around for the last twenty years or so, but it is starting to make an impression on the medical community. Fox News reports that a new book is out with much of this information, as well. I have not read the book and cannot review it, but this news article contains solid information: Many Americans try to alleviate back pain with prescription pain medications, which can lead to dependence and other health problems. [Neurosurgeon Dr. Patrick] Roth believes taking pain medication may cause more harm than good. Also, make sure you visit your chiropractor in Peoria, particularly if you are already susceptible to low back pain. The chiropractic adjustment can help to stabilize your back by adding proper motion to the joints in the region. If you did nothing, the back pain might go away on its own, yes, but the recurrence rate for low back pain is higher than for any other condition. It is likely that the low back pain will return, partly because the conditions that made the back unstable are still present and have not yet been resolved. Remember that the absence of pain does not mean that the condition is gone.
Your Peoria chiropractor can also advise you on the best exercises for your back, given your age and physical abilities. You don't have to go through low back pain on your own, and it certainly isn't all in your head. |
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DisclaimerUnless otherwise attributed, all content is written by Kyle Johnson, DC, of Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria.
All images used are under Creative Commons license. Although every effort has been made to provide an accurate description of our chiropractic care and its benefits, the information given on this website and blog is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, medical advice for any condition. If you have any questions regarding your condition, you should seek the help of Dr. Johnson in person, so that he may properly assess your condition. This blog is provided by Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria, S.C., proudly located in Peoria, IL. |