Healthy News June 2021

Back pain patients visit Johnson Chiropractic with all sorts of different issues. Some walk better than others. Some have stronger muscles than others. Some are more susceptible to depression than others. Your Richmond chiropractor understands this and meets each back pain patient where s/he is and examines each patient to discover the difference(s) that make all the difference when designing a relieving chiropractic treatment plan. Tests like the 6-minute walk test that evaluates the distance walked in 6 minutes and the TUG (‘time up to go’ from a seated position) test can be quite informative of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in degenerative lumbar spine patients. Both may be triggered by back pain. (1) Back muscles that weaken and turn fatty (like the multifidus muscle tends to do) signify issues with inflammatory and regeneration processes. (Back surgeons don’t like this as a poorer surgical outcome is likely.) (2) Chiropractors get this and promote gentle exercise for these back muscles as a component of the treatment plan to avert recurrent back pain that some lumbar disc degeneration patients endure. A recent study described that those who tend to get recurrent back pain were shown to move differently, more guardedly, likely to evade pain. Recurrent back pain patients also experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression, and disability along with a lower quality of life. (3) Your Richmond chiropractor welcomes all back pain sufferers with all their issues. Your chiropractor partners with each one during the current back pain event and beyond to control the back pain (emotional, physical and mental features), so it does not control them.