WORDS DESCRIBING PAIN ARE IMPORTANT TO
YOUR CHIROPRACTOR
“Why do you ask me so many
questions, doctor?”
Our West Palm Beach chiropractic patients are the core of our practice. We want
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 several
different ways! Words mean different things to different people: “discomfort”
to one may denote “pain” to another while “stiffness” means
“pain” or “discomfort” to a another. It is true! Researchers studied
just what these different words mean to patients. An example with regards to
the description of “feeling”: pain was
sharp/shooting, discomfort signified dull/tingling, stiffness was
tight/restricted. (1) It's important for us
to know our patient’s experience with pain to better meet
expectations and boost satisfaction with care. Patients who went
to an integrated hospital for care of their musculoskeletal pain
and depressive symptoms assessed 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 typical 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)
Chiropractic Care knows our patients value - and can expect - these
same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
West Palm Beach CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE
MONTH: Standing Exercise for Multifidus Muscle Strengthening Works
Back pain. It’s 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 beside the
spine from the cervical spine to the sacrum. These muscles assist
movements like lateral (side) flexion and rotation of the spine when contracted.
(3) Lately, researchers proposed that the multifidi
may be a potential 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 includes the
multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus
well enough which may prevent low back pain produced
by muscle fatigue. (4) “Superman” (on-the-floor) exercises are well known. Standing
back extension and “superman” exercises are newly documented to be equally helpful in
strengthening these multifidus muscles. (5) That is great
news! West Palm Beach back pain sufferers can do simple, standing
exercises like this anywhere! The multifidi benefit!
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Paula Hugulet on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes
the value of increasing muscle strength and
function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Chiropractic Care
Make your next West Palm Beach
chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles
will be strengthened via proper exercise to lessen and
potentially avert back pain. Chiropractic Care will ask you questions, and you
are urged to ask Chiropractic Care questions, also!