9 Culprits of Lower Back Pain

Chad Madden — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:03:27 +0000

Pain Free Motion™ for your Lower Back
Culprits
Chapter 8:
9 Culprits:
Little Things you do everyday
To cause BIG Problems in your back.
1. Sit on your wallet. Bad idea. I know it’s a habit
… and your wife thinks it’s cool that you have a wallet
mark on the back pocket of your Levi’s … but your back
does not agree. There is no prize for having more receipts
stuffed in your wallet than George Castanza. Sitting on
your wallet, even if there’s no money in it, causes a shift
in every bone in your spine. Long term, it creates uneven
wear and tear on your back.
Good idea: Switch it to the front.
2. Crossing your legs. At the ankles, at the knee, on the
couch, leaning to the side, in standing, lying in bed, when
you are sitting … it does not matter how and when you
cross your legs. Long term doing it day after day, causes
stretching of ligaments which hold your pelvis together.
3. Standing with your weight shifted. If you are a long
time back pain sufferer, you have probably developed little
compensations you do throughout your day to minimize
your pain. One such error is putting more weight on the
other when you are standing. Keep it even.
62 Pain Free Motion™ for your Lower Back
Chapter 8 Culprits
Culprits
4. Poor lifting techniques. Bad advice: “Keep your
back straight and use your legs”. If you take this to mean:
You are in trouble. Better instruction is to think “Keep
your back arched, while using your hips and legs to lift.”
5. Lousy sitting posture. Hunch your shoulders and
keep your back arched. Tough to do both, right? Keeping
your shoulders back while you sit will help you keep the
slight arch in your lower back as well.
6. Sitting in a seat with your knees above your hips. If
your hips are slightly higher than your knees, it is easy to
keep a slight curve in your back. If your knees are higher
than your hips (which they usually are when you are riding
in a car), it is difficult to keep an arch in your back.
63
Putting It All Together Chapter 9
Putting It All
Together
Pain Free Motion™ for your Lower Back
7. Running a vacuum or shaving your legs with one
foot on a bench. Both of these movements “shear” you
pelvis. This means that half of your pelvis is rotating one
way while the other half is rotating the other way. Long
term this creates uneven wear and tear on your pelvis.
8. Sleeping on your stomach. Bad idea. It is best to
sleep on your back. Second best option is to sleep on your
side. Sleeping on your stomach speeds up the process
of developing lower back arthritis, stenosis and disc
degeneration.
9. Lifting and twisting. The combination of lifting
something and twisting at the same time puts stress on the
discs in your lower back. This is a good way to herniate a
disc in your back.

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Why Do I Have Back Pain?

Chad Madden — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:41:31 +0000

Back pain seems to be a common problem among a lot of people across the country and world. What do we really know about these aches and pains? Here’s a glimpse into the complexity of back pain.

How do you usually get back pain? Here are the 3 main ways:

Strains

Muscles and ligaments
Improper or heavy lifting
After a sudden awkward movement

Structural Problems

Bulging or ruptured discs
Sciatica
Arthritis
Skeletal irregularities
Osteoporosis

Rare but serious conditions

Cauda equina syndrom
Cancer in the spine
Infection of the spine

For more information about any of these conditions, and other aspects of back pain, visit this CNN Health website. Give us a call (717.901.9487) or visit us at http://www.maddenpt.com if you need to set up an appointment to talk about and type of pain you may be having.

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The Complete Guide To Interval Training INFOGRAPHIC

Chad Madden — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:53:51 +0000

We hear a lot of talk about interval training and the many benefits that come with this type of exercise – increase in body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles,and an increased tolerance to the build-up of lactic acid, to name a couple. These changes can result in improved performance, greater speed, and endurance. Here’s an infographic to help you with your interval training exercises.

More Health and Fitness News & Tips at Greatist.</p>

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RECIPE – Cherry Tomato Ragout

Chad Madden — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:00:17 +0000

Tomatoes have many health benefits: They can help lower cholesterol, fight against heart disease, and according to some studies, even prevent some forms of cancerous cell formation. Tomatoes have a high level of Lycopene, which is an anti-oxidant that can fight against those cancerous cell formations and also flush out free radicals in the body. The anti-oxidants in the tomato actually help to give it the rich red color! Since tomatoes are a popular summer and fall treat, here’s a great recipe to try at home.

Cherry Tomato Ragout

Ingredients:

3 pints cherry tomatoes, any and all varieties encouraged, sliced in half (or quarters if they’re big)
3 sprigs of whatever fresh herbs you want—thyme and oregano work well
½ cup sliced basil
1 shallot minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Get a pan really hot.
Heat olive oil for a few seconds.
Add shallot and herbs (not basil) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic and tomatoes and stir around the pan for a minute.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 10-15 minutes, until tomatoes have softened and juice is released.
Add balsamic and let cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn off heat, add basil.
Taste and season as needed.

Serve however you like!

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The Cost of Obesity in America INFOGRAPHIC

Chad Madden — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:57:25 +0000

We all know that obesity has been a growing problem in America, but have you ever thought about what that is costing our country? Not only are lives being shortened, injuries being more prevalent, and other negative health factors (such as diabetes) coming to surface, but obesity in America is costing us money as well. Here’s an infographic looking at the cost of obesity.

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Prevent Hamstring Tears – Advanced Exercises

Chad Madden — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:12:24 +0000

Here’s our latest video looking at hamstring exercises to help you prevent a tear. Take a look and let us know if these are helpful to you. Stay safe and prevent painful injuries.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=psfZlwxgECA

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What to know about Football Neck Injuries

Chad Madden — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:40:03 +0000

As the NFL season starts up (only about a week away!), and high school and college football begin as well, it’s time to talk injury and prevention that come along with this contact sport. Whether you are just watching on TV, or you or a family member is playing in a league, it’s important to understand how to protect your neck when engaging in this physical sport. Here are three things to remember about football neck injuries -

Don’t Lead With Your Head
Your helmet can only do so much protecting (look at Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers who received 2 serious concussions last season) so you must consciously make and effort not to use your head when making big hits. This can cause serious neck injury and after a while, permanent brain and spinal damage.

Neck Injuries = Arm Problems
Did you know that the “stinger” you receive after a really hard hit (where the hit pushes the neck to the side and stretches the nerves) can also mess up your arms? Those stretched nerves run from your spinal cord in the neck out to your arm. This is why the injury makes your neck, arm and shoulder feel that stinging sensation.

The Pain Sets in Later
Most players are taught to leave it all out on the field. They may not realize the extent of the injuries their body is enduring. Sometimes, the pain of an injury may not set in until days later. After any hard hits, precautions should be taken to protect those areas from further and more dangerous injury. Modifications to practice and other workouts should be taken once the inflammation sets in a couple days after the game.

To learn more about neck injuries and football, check out this article from Livestrong. Good luck to your favorite football teams this year! Go Eagles and Steelers!

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Top 5 Brain Foods

Chad Madden — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:04:33 +0000

In order to have a healthy body, you must equip it with a healthy brain. Here are the top 5 brain foods to boost that brain activity according to Hy-Vee.com:

1. Blueberries/Raspberries – packed full of antioxidants that improve the health of your cells, this small blue fruit is great in cereals, oatmeal, or your morning fruit smoothie!

2. Strawberries – also full of antioxidants, these berries give you a high dose of vitamin C. If you’re not keen on orange juice or oranges, try some strawberries in the morning instead. Throw them on your dessert or even as a side dish at lunch.

3. Salmon – With high doses of omega-3 fatty acids (great for skin and hair health, among other things), this type of fish will help power your brain cells. It is recommended to have two servings of fish a week.

4. Eggs – A great source of protein and choline, a type of B vitamin, eggs can help enhance your memory and minimize fatigue throughout your day. A great way to say energized to get that daily workout in!

5. Broccoli/Spinach – dark leafy vegetables, like spinach have been found to slow the development of dementia in women, and broccoli contains vitamin K, which enhances your overall brain performance.

Now that you know what foods to look for when powering up your brain, read some of our other blogs about getting those stretches and exercises into your daily routine. Remember, with all the activity that you do, stay safe and protect your muscles and nerves!

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Building Lean Muscle: Breakfast

Chad Madden — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:57:18 +0000

Not everyone wants to bulk up at the gym. Many people are looking for ways to increase lean muscle mass instead. Muscle building is key to having a healthy body and helps protect you from many injuries. Nutrition plays an essential role in your muscle development as well. Watch below as Jeff from athleanx.com talks about what breakfast foods can eat to help build and maintain strong, lean muscles.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNWifwAX2b8

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Lower Body Stretches

Chad Madden — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:51:37 +0000

Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between a tight or sore muscles and an injury. A lot of the time you can figure this out by lightly stretching out your sore spots. We thought we would help everyone out but supplying a few lower body stretches you can do to help you recover. Remember that initial discomfort may be expected but if you feel pain stop what you’re doing and give us a call. If you have any questions or comments you can send them our way on Facebook and Twitter.

Click Here for more.

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