Healthy News June 2021

Back pain patients visit OrthoIllinois Chiropractic with all sorts of different issues. Some walk better than others. Some have better muscles than others. Some are more prone to depression than others. Your McHenry chiropractor knows this and joins each back pain patient where s/he is and assesses each patient to find the difference(s) that make all the difference when designing a relieving chiropractic treatment plan. Assessments like the 6-minute walk test that measures the distance walked in 6 minutes and the TUG (‘time up to go’ from a seated position) test can be quite educational about musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in degenerative lumbar spine patients. Both may be influenced by back pain. (1) Back muscles that weaken and turn fatty (like the multifidus muscle tends to do) indicate issues with inflammatory and regeneration processes. (Back surgeons do not like this as a inferior surgical outcome is possible.) (2) Chiropractors understand this and promote gentle exercise for these back muscles as part of the treatment plan to prevent recurrent back pain that a few low back disc degeneration patients endure. A recent study explained that those who tend to get recurrent back pain were found to move in a different way, more carefully, likely to avoid pain. Recurrent back pain patients also experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression, and disability as well as a lower quality of life. (3) Your McHenry chiropractor embraces all back pain sufferers with all their issues. Your chiropractor teams up with with each one during the current back pain event and beyond to control the back pain (physical, mental, and emotional aspects), so it doesn’t control them.