Healthy News June 2021

Back pain patients come to Minster Chiropractic Center with all different types issues. Some walk better than others. Some have stronger muscles than others. Some are more prone to depression than others. Your Minster 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 putting together a relieving chiropractic treatment plan. Tests like the 6-minute walk test that evaluates the distance walked in 6 minutes and the TUG (‘time up to go’ from a seated position) test can be quite informative of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in degenerative lumbar spine patients. Both may be affected by back pain. (1) Back muscles that turn weak and fatty (like the multifidus muscle tends to do) indicate issues with inflammatory and regeneration processes. (Back surgeons don’t like this as a poorer surgical outcome is possible.) (2) Chiropractors know this and encourage gentle exercise for these back muscles as part of the treatment plan to avert recurrent back pain that some low back disc degeneration patients endure. A recent study explained that those who tend to experience recurrent back pain were shown to move in a different way, more guardedly, 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 Minster chiropractor embraces all back pain sufferers with all their peculiarities. Your chiropractor partners with each one during the current back pain episode and beyond to control the back pain (emotional, physical and mental features), so it does not control them.