Background

The purpose of this blog is to discuss your health and wellness. Everything from nutrition, to manual therapy, to CrossFit to Functional Movement Systems as well as pain and injuries.

Mini-Bio
I was raised in northern Virginia and played every sport they'd let me. I injured my low back/hip while playing baseball at Radford University in Virginia. I was treated by a physical therapist, an orthopedic, a primary care md, and an athletic trainer, but no one made the difference for me until I got chiropractic treatment. That day I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I'm a fitness consultant and sports chiropractor in South Florida and I'm dedicated to helping people maintain the well-oiled machine that their bodies could be. I'm certified as a Functional Rehab specialist, a Titleist Performance Institute golf fitness specialist, an Active Release Technique provider as well as a former personal trainer. To contact me, log onto www.mobility-4life.com or email me at drscotthoar@gmail.com

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Treating Low Back Pain without Cracking your back

So you hurt your back......but you're wary of going to a chiropractor.  You don't like getting cracked, or your Aunt Sally hates chiropractors and told you you should never go to one.  Not to worry!

The first thing you should know is that I'm not against spinal manipulations.  When used appropriately, they are amazingly effective at reducing back pain and other ailments.  Having said that.......When people have back pain, a lot of people do not want surgery.  Also, a lot of people are uneasy about the idea of getting 'cracked' (a spinal manipulation) in order to deal with their low back pain so they avoid chiropractors.  Luckily you have options!  There are a number of soft tissue (not bone) manual therapies as well as exercises that can make a difference for you.

Commonly the goal of treatment to the low back when it's in pain is to try to increase the flexibility of the upper back and the hips to decrease the amount of movement that comes from the low back.  With reduced movement comes reduced stress on the area.  Utilizing chiropractic adjustments is definitely helpful to this goal, however if that option is off the table, there are still many effective methods.  I've demonstrated a number of the muscle therapies and exercises that help with that problem.


Manual Therapy Examples

  • Active Release Technique to the Iliolumbar Ligament


  • Active Release Technique to Hip Flexors



  • Active Release Technique to the Quadratus Lumborum)



Exercises

  • Touch Touch Progression for better hip flexibility


  • Thoracic Spine Foam Rolling



One thing to realize when using conservative care (non-drug, non-surgery) is that these problems don't always go away over night.  To make physical changes to the body, it's important to realize that typically you'll need to perform several treatments a week for a few weeks before the problem will be resolved.  I typically tell my patients to expect significant relief within 6 visits.

If you are in need of treatment in the south FL area, please call my office at 561.877.1680 or visit me at www.Mobility-4Life.com

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