Is Back Pain Interfering With Your Everyday Life?

The chances are very good that you’ll experience back pain at some point in your life. You might lift a piece of furniture that’s a little too heavy for you. You might develop pain from prolonged sitting. Or you might just notice a “random” back pain that likely stems from repetitive or awkward movements.

No matter the source of your back pain, physical therapy with ARC Physical Therapy can help you find relief. We know that when you’re in the throes of debilitating pain, pinpointing the underlying cause is probably the least of your concerns. But to our team of experts, understanding the cause is the first step in helping you get the treatment you need.

To illustrate this, let’s look at a story from our files. Daniel developed back pain that was dramatically impacting his day-to-day life. It kept him on the couch during the day and wide awake at night–but our therapists helped him find lasting relief.

Meet the Patient (And His Back Pain)

Daniel was a computer programmer in his late 30s who spent his workday tapping away on his computer keyboard. In his spare time, he enjoyed playing board games with his buddies, taking his German shepherd to the dog park, and whipping up meals for his girlfriend.

One day, Daniel was digging out a dead shrub in his backyard when he felt a sudden spasm in his lower back, followed by a sharp jolt of pain. He stopped for the afternoon, but the pain hadn’t receded the next day. Or the next.

Daniel’s back pain was intense enough that it didn’t just cause pain; it also impacted his mobility. Forget digging out a shrub; now, Daniel could barely walk his dog! And while the pain lessened somewhat while he was sitting, it was still bothersome enough to distract him from work.

​Enough’s Enough: Daniel Visits a Physical Therapist

Eventually, Daniel’s girlfriend told him he needed to seek treatment. She suggested he try a physical therapist, as she’d had a good experience with physical therapy after her own back injury.

At the PT clinic, Daniel shared his symptoms and noted that the pain had started while he was doing yard work. His therapist also guided him through several movement screens, testing Daniel’s range of motion and strength.

By the end of the appointment, Daniel’s therapist had determined that Daniel likely had an issue with his lumbar discs (the cushions found between vertebrae) from digging out the tree root; he’d twisted his body while lifting a heavy clump of dirt, damaging his discs. 

However, part of the reason Daniel suffered the injury was because the muscles in his back and core were weakened due to his sedentary job. Without strong core muscles to support his spine, he was more susceptible to an injury, particularly when performing manual labor without any conditioning or warmup.

A Personalized Treatment Approach

Daniel’s physical therapist didn’t want to just mask Daniel’s symptoms. He wanted to resolve the underlying injury and help Daniel prevent future injuries. To accomplish this, he created a customized treatment plan that walked Daniel through the following steps:

• Relieve acute pain: Manual therapy techniques like back mobilization and soft tissue manipulation offered an all-natural alternative to pain medication.

• Restore mobility and build strength: A therapeutic exercise program helps address the underlying muscular weakness that set Daniel up for an injury in the first place. By building up the strength in his back and core, Daniel was able to provide more stability and support to his spine.

• Address lifestyle factors: Another factor in Daniel’s injury was his sedentary job. His physical therapist offered suggestions to help offset the prolonged sitting involved in computer programming, including taking stretching breaks every 30 minutes and investing in a standing desk.

• Prevent another injury: Finally, the therapist showed Daniel how to use proper technique when working in the yard and suggested some warm-up methods the next time Daniel needed to perform strenuous movements. 

Exercise & Mental Health

Are you struggling with the shorter days and dropping temperatures? Is it difficult to get out of bed in the morning? You are not alone. The good news is you can begin to make lifestyle changes that will positively contribute to your mental health. Can you guess what one of the most influential behaviors we can adopt is? That’s right — exercise!

It’s a proven fact that people who exercise regularly have better mental health and lower rates of mental illness. Exercise improves not only our mood, concentration, and alertness but also our cardiovascular and overall physical health.

If you don’t currently incorporate exercise into your weekly routine, you may be wondering how you can get started. Maybe you’re wondering how you can begin to get active when your mental illness can make even the smallest of tasks feel impossible. 

It doesn’t take much to make a positive change. According to studies, low to moderate-intensity exercise is enough to enhance your mood and thinking patterns. You can start by going on a brisk walk around your neighborhood, taking up cycling, or going for a swim at your community pool. 

If you believe you could benefit from some extra assistance, don’t hesitate to give ARC Physical Therapy a call. We can design a customized exercise program to help you get out of a funk and into a new, happier phase of life. 

Quick & Easy Healthy Recipe

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

You’ll never want to eat roasted cauliflower any other way once you try this tasty recipe. Bacon, sour cream and sharp Cheddar cheese coat good-for-you cauliflower in deliciousness for an easy side that will make everyone actually want to eat their vegetables.

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 4 scallions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and let cool. (Reserve the drippings in the pan.) Combine cauliflower, pepper, salt and the bacon drippings in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Roast, stirring twice, until tender, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup cheese, 2/3 cup sour cream and half the scallions in a small bowl. When the cauliflower is tender, stir the cheese mixture into the cauliflower in the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until hot, 5 to 7 minutes more. Chop the cooled bacon. Sprinkle the hot casserole with the bacon and the remaining scallions.

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/269135/loaded-cauliflower-casserole/