April 2022 Healthy News from Dr. Butwell Words Describing Back Pain and Exercises to Strengthen the Multifidi Are Important
“Why do you ask me so many questions, doctor?”
Our Georgetown chiropractic patients are central to our practice. We want to understand each you and your pain experience well, treat you well, and ensure that you are satisfied with your care and outcome. That’s why we have you to explain your pain to us, sometimes several times and in several different ways! Words mean different things to different people: “discomfort” to one may signify “pain” to another while “stiffness” is “pain” or “discomfort” to a another. It is true! Researchers studied just what these different words mean to patients. An example of this is the description of “feeling”: pain was sharp/shooting, discomfort was dull/tingling, stiffness signified tight/restricted. (1) It is important for Dr. Butwell 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 rated their pain as 5/10 (10 being greatest pain) and indicated multiple pain locations (9 of 17 participants), low back pain (13 of 17), and neck pain (8 of 17). Those are quite common of rationales 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 a single caregiving chiropractor. (2) Dr. Butwell knows our patients value - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
Georgetown 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, smaller, deep muscles that run parallel to the spine from the cervical spine to the sacrum. These muscles aid movements like lateral (side) flexion and rotation of the spine when contracted. (3) Recently, researchers proposed that the multifidi may be a possible source of back pain since they are found to be stiffer in low back pain sufferers. Low back pain is associated with lumbodorsal musculature (which includes the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus sufficiently which may prevent low back pain caused by muscle fatigue. (4) “Superman” (on-the-floor) exercises are well known. Standing back extension and “superman” exercises are newly reported as equally beneficial to strengthen these multifidus muscles. (5) That’s great news! Georgetown back pain sufferers can do easy, standing exercises like this anywhere! The multifidus muscles benefit!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paula Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she details the benefit of increasing muscle strength and function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Dr. Butwell
Schedule your next Georgetown chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be strengthened via proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. Dr. Butwell will ask you questions, and you are encouraged to ask Dr. Butwell questions, also!