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Vitamin D Deficiency and Back Pain
Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins of which we don’t get enough
A conservative estimate states that as many as 1 in 20 people are suffering from vitamin D deficiency at any time and this number certainly gets higher the further north you go. People living in sun-deficient locales are the most at risk, because vitamin D is hard to get from food alone. The most potent way to get vitamin D is through direct exposure to sunlight. But what is so bad about vitamin D deficiency? Here are some of the symptoms:
- Contributes to chronic pain
- Bone and muscle soreness
- Fatigue and depression
- Lower pain threshold
Professions with the Most Incidence of Back Pain
Here is our list of occupations that cause the most back pain
All of these jobs are present in our community and each come with their own set of unique risks for the back:
- Public service sector
- Health industry workers
- Construction workers
- Warehouse workers
- White collar workers, freelancers
You will notice that the first four categories include a lot of lifting, while the last category may not lift more than their laptop. However, it is important to realize that your occupation is probably not good for your spine. That way, you are more aware of factors like posture and exercise that will help you remain resilient against the demands of your job.
Back Pain and Construction Work
Construction workers need to pay special attention to their spines
There is a reason why construction work is among the top professions with back pain. The heavy lifting, twisting and repetitive trauma that is part and parcel of the work is a leading cause of back strain. Over time, these problems compound to create long-term problems that can leave construction workers reeling after retirement. At Scorca Chiropractic, we want to help construction workers prevent back pain where possible, and minimize its impact when it happens.
A Pain in the Tailbone
Coccyx Pain is often severe
Coccydynia is the scientific name that refers to pain in the tailbone, the small bone which forms the final segment of the vertebral column. It connects with the sacrum by way of the sacrococcygeal joint and stabilizes the base of the spine where it meets the pelvis. An injury here means that basic actions such as sitting or going to the bathroom can cause severe pain. But how does coccydynia develop?
The Therapeutic Release of Spinal Decompression
Gravity puts your spine under constant compression
So while we have to thank gravity for stopping us from floating away, we also have to contend with this compressive force that is constantly putting our spines under pressure. Along the course of our lives, there will be many other forces that contribute compression to our backs, some of which are not in our control (think, injury). However, there are many things we can control including posture! Posture is one of the most important factors in preventing compression to the spinal cord. For example, forward head posture, in which a person’s head is held forward from the balanced position atop the spine by a matter of inches, magnifies the downward pressure on the spine. Over time, poor posture and compressive forces will conspire to narrow the spinal canal, creating a whole host of problems. Common compression related spinal problems include: herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica and pinched nerves.
Decompression therapy is the logical answer to compression-related conditions
Chiropractic utilizes a number of modalities to provide decompression therapy for spines suffering from constant compression. Spinal elongation rests upon the idea that we can reduce compression and open up space between vertebrae, allowing intervertebral discs the space they respite they need from compression. In so doing, your discs can rehydrate and in certain cases, bulging material may even retract to its original position. Modalities we use at Scorca Chiropractic to encourage spinal elongation include:
- Manual and mechanical traction
- Chiropractic adjustment
- Inversion
- Physical therapy
Spinal elongation and decompression are pain relief embodied
Decompression therapy is an effective tool for managing pain associated with compression-related conditions. However, it is not for everyone or all types of conditions; to find out if it is right for you, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.
The Nervous System on Stress
Stressed and tensed: response of the nervous system to stressful input
For the purposes of clarity, we divide the nervous system into three sub-categories: the direct, or central, division includes brain and spinal cord while the peripheral group includes the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. The autonomic nervous system is the most involved in the body’s stress response because of a further subdivision known as the sympathetic nervous system or SNS.
The sub-division is thus:
Central nervous system –> Peripheral subdivision –> Autonomic nervous system –> sympathetic nervous system
Read more to find out how stress interacts with the sympathetic nervous system and what we can do about it.
Do You Have A Moment to Spare for a Massage?
Massage: hands-on health improvement
Massage forms an integral part of chiropractic care because it treats one of the signal causes of subluxation: muscle tension. Because tight, chronically contracted muscles pull your body and spine out of alignment, a great way to prevent this from happening is to resolve the muscle tension before it causes more serious problems. We go about this by detecting points of tension that could lead to spasm and dispelling the tension through targeted and effective massage and trigger point therapy.
Sleep is Medicine
Sleeplessness has been highlighted as one of the most detrimental factors to well-being
We all know the dichotomy between waking up refreshed after a good night’s sleep and waking up stressed after a bad one. Rest is essential to the functioning of all important systems in the body. As you rest and restore, your body is busy at work repairing damaged cells, rebuilding muscle, recharging the immune system and getting your heart ready for another day of activity. Chronic sleeplessness puts you at risk for a variety of severe health concerns.
Listen! Your Body is Calling
Don’t ignore your body’s warning signs
Pain, for example, being a prime example: what is our society’s standardized reaction for when someone experiences back pain or a headache? Often, it is reaching for a painkiller, whether an OTC or something stronger. While painkillers definitely have a place in pain management, they let us down because they mask the pain rather than addressing the root cause of the problem. Pain is a signal that something is wrong- it should prompt us to probe for the cause. At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we are resource for determining where your pain is coming from and why.
Taking a Moment to Appreciate Movement
A body in motion will stay in motion- an extrapolation from Newton’s Law of Motion
This is a central tenet of our philosophy at Scorca Chiropractic Center- in order to keep you moving and independent late in life, we need to make sure that the structures that support movement are maintained. And this work starts now! It may surprise and upset you to learn that we are treating more people than ever in their twenties whose bodies are suffering the effects of sitting too much. And while the spine isn’t designed to last forever, there are steps we can take to keep your body balanced and upright despite aging.