April 2022 Healthy News from Moriarty Chiropractic Words Describing Back Pain and Exercises to Strengthen the Multifidi Are Important

“Why do you ask me so many questions, doctor?”

Our Nashua chiropractic patients are the core of our practice. Moriarty Chiropractic wants to understand each you and your pain experience well, treat you well, and be sure you are satisfied with your care and outcome. That’s 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 signified sharp/shooting, discomfort signified dull/tingling, stiffness signified tight/restricted. (1) It's important for us to know our patient’s experience with pain to better meet expectations and enhance 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) and reported multiple pain locations (9 of 17 participants), low back pain (13 of 17), and neck pain (8 of 17). Those are quite typical of rationales patients pursue chiropractic care! In this setting, because patients trusted their main physician, patients were satisfied with the collaboration among the various healthcare team members. Patients appreciated consistency in care from a single caregiving chiropractor. (2) Moriarty Chiropractic knows our patients value - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!

 

Nashua CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Standing Exercise for Multifidus Muscle Strengthening Works

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, smaller, deep 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 linked to lumbodorsal musculature (which includes the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus well enough 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! Nashua back pain sufferers can do simple, 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 value of increasing muscle strength and function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

CONTACT Moriarty Chiropractic

Make your next Nashua chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be strengthened via proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. Moriarty Chiropractic will ask you questions, and you are encouraged to ask Moriarty Chiropractic questions, also!