July 12, 2016

Back pain slows life. Back pain disables. Back pain eases with exercise and care. 50% relief is a good outcome in the world of back pain relief be it with exercise or surgery or non-surgical care like chiropractic. In the non-surgical realm, combining non-surgical, chiropractic care at Dr. Butwell with Cox Technic and exercise even raises the odds for even more back pain relief. In this article, Dr. Butwell is sharing how exercise can really be of value to our Georgetown chiropractic patients. Exercise is something our Georgetown back pain patients can control; you can choose to exercise or not. Choosing to exercise just boosts your chance of short term and long term relief.

One research team states in their report that “The most effective intervention [for back pain] is exercise, with higher benefits in terms of pain and function.” (1) That's a bold statement though hopeful for Georgetown back pain sufferers. Experience of your Georgetown chiropractor allows confidence that back pain relief is possible with a multi-prong approach to care. Dr. Butwell offers chiropractic care’s multi-prong approach of spinal manipulation,exercise, nutrition, physiological therapeutics and more. Dr. Butwell helps Georgetown back pain sufferers regain some control over their back pain by exercising.

Dr. Butwell will hear our Georgetown patients say “Exercise takes so much time.” Some exercises take very little time. Some exercises have multiple benefits. Learn those, and take less time to exercise. Take for example running in place – any time, any place. It strengthens the abdominal muscles which support the spine. (2) The erector spinae muscles in the spine are important in supporting the spine, too. Ironically, though, the specific-targeting back extension exercises don’t activate the upper lumbar erector spinae or the lumbosacral erector spinae as well as simple running. (3) Georgetown back pain patients are in luck then. A little running is effective in multiple ways.

Now, Dr. Butwell knows that chronic non-specific low back pain influences trunk and lower limb movement (like the knee joint). (4) Dr. Butwell therefore reminds our Georgetown low back pain patients to be careful when walking and/or running but to keep moving.

If you’re still a skeptical Georgetown back pain sufferer about exercise, consider that exercise improves pain and function and relieves depression and anxiety related to back pain. (1) Depression is a real issue when you have back pain. Sometimes, pain keeps you, our Georgetown back pain patient, from being you and doing what you normally do due to pain or due to fear of pain. Researchers report that exercise done properly helps heal the body and ease the mind!

One last note, especially if you are not a big exercise fan, is that even elite athletes like marathon runners get back pain. As a matter of fact, half of runners in a half marathon reported back pain. These same runners, though, report that running the marathon despite their pain improved their pain (49%) rather than worsened it (27%). (5) Isn’t that motivating?

Contact Dr. Butwell. Your Georgetown chiropractor isn’t going to insist that you become a marathon runner. Promise! But Dr. Butwell will be encouraged to exercise: just walk or run (in place or a distance). Whatever exercise is recommended for you will be for you and no one else! Exercise is one of the prongs in Dr. Butwell’s Georgetown chiropractic care treatment plan for you.