Reports show that

• 57% of school kids have back pain. (1)
• 54.6% of elderly patients have chronic back pain. (2)
• 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in life. (3)

The World Health Organization suggests 150 minutes of exercise (moderate to vigorous intensity) a week. That's only 30 minutes a day for 5 days. This is in addition to usual activities of daily living. (4) Why? People the world over are living more and more sedentarily. Are you? Most likely. Georgetown life keeps us busy and going, but not always going on our feet and moving forward. Our bodies are built to be used.

But don’t be too discouraged if you’re sedentary. You’re not alone! It seems fewer and fewer of us enjoy exercise! And this isn’t just the trend in Georgetown. It’s written that physical inactivity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries. Such sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity are leading causes of death and risk factors for chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoposis. (4) Dr. Butwell always makes sure to discuss your lifestyle during the examination to monitor risk for such diseases. Plus Dr. Butwell may nudge you a bit to exercise!

Now, in older folks, the prevalence of chronic pain was 52.8%. In that group of people, 35.4% had pain in the lower limbs. 29.5% had pain in the low back. 54.6% of them had the worst pain intensity. Such chronic pain leads to a worse self-perception of health, more chronic diseases, and joint disease. (2) You don’t want that. Dr. Butwell doesn’t want to see that but recognizes this trend in the Georgetown population as well.

So what can be done to curb this trend? Get moving. Dr. Butwell encourages gentle movement for those who can only do that and pushes for more intense exercise for those Georgetown back pain patients who can handle it, young and old. Researchers write that exercise, whether core stability or general exercise, helps stabilize the low back and reduce pain. (5) Dr. Butwell offers simple exercises to Georgetown chiropractic patients. If these are mastered and you want a more intense workout, Dr. Butwell will be ecstatic to work with you to develop that.

For now, reach out and contact your Georgetown chiropractic physician at Dr. Butwell today to set up an exercise program designed for your needs and abilities.