Predisposing Factors to Low Back Pain

-->

While weight is one predisposing factor (see discussion below) of low back pain (LBP), there are several other factors which can lead to LBP. Tissue tension is a huge factor in LPB. Tight hamstrings can be one factor. The tight hamstrings will pull the pelvis posterior, which flattens the lumbar spine and decreases the spines ability to accept a load. Tight hip flexors can be another contributing factor. Most of us tend to sit all day which chronically shortens the hip flexor muscles. Those muscles originate of the lumbar spine and when they are tight they increase the lordotic curve of the low back decreasing its ability to accept a load and leading to pain and dysfunction. LBP can also be from a disc herniation/bulge, facet joint dysfunction, stenosis, misalignment, and injury to name a few other contributing factors.

Regardless of the cause, the muscles will become tight and those tight muscle pull on the pelvis and lumbar spine and rest of the body begins to compensate in order to continue to function. This compensation leads to other tissue working harder. That’s when things will go into protective spasm. The body will try to splint the injured area with this spam which will lead to adhesions forming on the lumbar spine further decreasing mobility and increasing pain. As you can see it can become a vicious pain-spasm-pain cycle. In order to break the cycle or avoid the cycle from occurring you must maintain mobility in the hips and lumbar spin (and the whole body), as well as increase muscular stability (see yoga below for some tips).

Attached is an article which looks at the effectiveness of different treatment options for LBP. An important thing to remember if you are self-treating LBP, if it hurts, don’t do it! Please ask Nathanael about how you can eliminate your LBP and come to ICWA’s classes to reduce your risk of suffering from this debilitating condition.

You can search Exercise for nonspecific low back pain listed or copy and paste the following.

PDF Article

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=13c6ea85682e7d03&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D9bb6d9e436%26view%3Datt%26th%3D13c6ea85682e7d03%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26realattid%3Df_hccgwvtd0%26zw&sig=AHIEtbRuCgohjaOoxD34vJ3itnRuo-hflQ

Yoga for Low Back Pain

Yoga can be very beneficial in relieving back pain. The static poses listed in the following article along with the fluid movement of sun salutations are a great way to start and end your day. 

http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/top-6-yoga-poses-for-back-pain-slideshow/

Low Back Pain and your Weight

There is a bidirectional association between obesity and low back pain.  This means that obesity may cause low back pain or low back pain might lead to obesity.  Carrying extra weight, especially in the abdominal region, increases the load on the spine by causing increased compression and shear on the low back.   Obesity is also associated with disc degeneration and a decrease in spinal mobility.  Low back pain, especially chronic low back pain, decreases the desire or ability to exercise and even simple movements can become painful and thus avoided.  This reduction of activity can cause weight to increase, causing further pain.  As you can see if you have low back pain and/or excess weight it is important to treat both as they promote each other.

We all know that we can eat to reduce our weight but you can also eat to reduce your pain.  So what should you eat?

Fruits and vegetables – Too easy?  Fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and promote healthy tissue.

Protein sources – yes more than just for muscles.  They type of protein you eat can either promote or inhibit inflammation and cell health.  Focus on lean poultry, fish and fatty seafood for healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  Soy products, legumes and nuts especially walnuts, almonds and pecans are also good sources of protein accompanied by healthy fats.

Fluids – staying hydrated is most important to tissue health.  Drink plenty of water, about 3 liters, every day.  100% fruit juices, tea, vegetable juice and low-fat milk are also good choices.

You should also avoid certain foods that can increase inflammation and decrease tissue health.  Reduce saturated fat intake by lowering your intake of fatty red meats, bacon and sausage.  Lower your intake of highly processed foods such as white flours and products with added sugars such as soda, pastries, candy, and desserts.

The great thing about eating foods to reduce your pain is that you will also help to reduce your weight.

Cardiorespiratory Training in Relation to the Integrated Approach

Cardiorespiratory fitness is an essential part of optimal health and wellness.  Just like resistance training, your cardio programming needs proper progression, variation, and specificity in order for the correct physiological adaptations to take place.  Your specific goals will dictate the cardiorespiratory program that is right for you. Not everyone needs a long slow run, which has been the traditional modality. If your goals are increases in strength and power, interval work may be most appropriate for you.

A real key to cardiorespiratory training is to do something you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy running or it causes you pain, don’t do it!  I think that is a big key to keeping up with a cardio program.  Also, you have to change it up. If you are always running/biking/swimming etc. the same course at the same pace your body will adapt to that and you will NOT improve. Your body needs a new stimulus to see change. That means going faster, slower, different routes, and different implements (bike, swim, run) to name a few variables you can change.

Another important thing to remember with all exercise, if it hurts, don’t do it. Pain is your body signaling you that something is wrong. When we ignore the pain signal it leads to the body compensating which leads to more dysfunction and pain. Eventually you will get to a point where the body can no longer compensate and you will have pain that you cannot ignore. It is so much easier to fix something when if first starts than to unwind years of pain and dysfunction (see below for soft-tissue health).  Overuse injuries can happen with cardio respiratory training. That is why it is so important to be focusing on resistance training, flexibility, soft-tissue work, and nutrition as well to optimize your body’s function and decrease/eliminate pain and injury.

If you are currently in pain from an acute injury or something that has been nagging you for a while, don’t hesitate, start treating it now and get yourself out of that injury pattern. If you don’t know what to do, call and schedule a FREE assessment and the ICWA team can give you the tools to eliminate/reduce your pain and keep yourself pain/injury free for a lifetime of physical activity.

Nathanael ATC, CSCS

Soft tissue health in relation to the Integrative Approach and Optimal Health

Do you have pain in your body? Can you point to it? If you answered yes to these two questions I want to talk to you about what can be done to help move your pain scale downwards, and eventually eliminated.

As a soft tissue specialist I see many clients who are in pain.  Low back pain, shoulder pain, foot pain, hip pain, the list goes on.   Tissue health varies with each client and how quickly they respond to direct pressure depends on how well they take care of themselves.  When my clients ask how is it, is it bad? My response is that you are in the place you need to be, good or bad, your health is in your hands.  People who drink more water and remain hydrated regularly tend to have healthier tissue. People who stretch regularly tend to have less pain. People who exercise tend to have more responsive tissue because the muscles have more blood supply and circulation which means the tissue will respond quicker to direct pressure and positive stimulation. 

When I refer to positive stimulation to tissue I mean by applying pressure to force the adhesion, trigger point, tightness in the soft tissue to release and unwind.  This force can be gentle, and doesn't have to hurt. It can be slowly applied and give the tissue ample space and time to respond. This adaptation means the blood flow is increasing to the tissue, circulation is improving, nerve innervation improves, and the tissue responds by letting go and releasing. This process is not quick.  It takes hours and repetitive stimulus to get a complete restoration to the structure.

Hopefully you are pursuing some type of positive stimulus to your body to help alleviate the pain. We place so much stress on our bodies both physical and mental. If we exercise, this can be stressful specifically if we engage in repetitive activities like running or cycling. So dynamic workouts that break these patterns of movement engaging in the 6 primal movement patterns (push, pull, lunge, squat, twist, and gait) can be very helpful to using your bodies as a catalyst to relieve stress by moving out of it.  Our work most likely deposits stress.  Stagnate postures at work creates stress. Applying the fact that our bodies are 70% water, so move with that in mind. Keep moving, even at work, don't sit still, movement, even if slight, can be extremely beneficial. Think Stevie Wonder at the piano.
  So what positive stimulus are we putting into our vessels from which we demand so much?  Yoga, foam rolling, stretching, meditation, dance, swimming, stress-free type of activities. Playing with your children.  Try following the movements of your child, you will discover many things, the least of which how much energy they have, or how little you have. But to remember what is was like to move like a child. Moving pain free is possible to achieve again. Perhaps not pain free depending on your condition, but moving the pain scale downwards. Make it a habit to creating a positive stimulus and your body will adapt.

I've been exploring a concept I call fascial unwinding.  It starts with basic stretches and as you learn to feel the connections between soft tissue structures, you begin to feel the fascial connections between the different muscles groups.  The tension patterns within these muscle groups where you may feel pain.  And within these muscles, the specific adhesions and trigger points which are causing some of the pain. When you can target and release these soft tissue issues, many times the pain will diminish and disappear. This is adaptation, we forget what it feels like to have movement and mobility within our low backs, or hips. So our restricted, adhered, trigger point laden hips with severely limited mobility becomes the norm. We adapt, and forget how it felt when it was healthy, and supple.
And no, this is not necessarily the aging process, or the injury you had when you were younger. This is adaptation, and if you do nothing to change the pattern in the body, it won't change on its' own. That trauma will stay with you the rest of your life. I work with a 90 year old resident who has amazing mobility and continues to improve. I believe she represents the norm, if we all begin to move more, sit less, and challenge our current thoughts on how we feel, we can all walk towards optimal health.
This is providing regular stimulus which makes your tissue respond by releasing tension and keeps blood flowing into the tissue. This reduces pain.

In pursuit of optimal health,


Tait

Improving Performance through Yoga

Did you know that improving your flexibility using yoga and static stretching will improve overall performance? Yoga  routines incorporate  flexibility exercises that are ideal for athletes in order to improve range of motion and release tension within the body. The ACSM reccomends two to three days a week of flexibility training in combination with your other training. So come try the new evening yoga class at ICWA on Wednesdays at 6:30pm.


Maya Ramsay
Associate director, performance yoga
Institute of Community Wellness and Athletics

Resistance Training for Optimal Health with the Integrative Approach

ICWA's Integrative approach to optimal health, fitness, & wellness includes 5 components or specialties of training.  Resistance training, cardiorespiratory training, flexibility training, soft tissue health, and nutrition.
As one of the 5 major components of health, fitness, & wellness, resistance training should be incorporated into your regimen at least 2-3 days per week to promote adaptation. These adaptations may include:

1.  increase in bone mineral density
2.  increase in lean body mass
3.  decrease in body fat
4.  improved metabolic efficiency  

Your program should be progressive starting with stabilization (Phase 1) to build the foundation for optimum human movement.

Once you build balance and stability in phase 1, you can progress to strength (Phase 2), increasing load and intensity, then finally progress to power (phase 3). During your workouts, focus on push/pull movements, upper/lower body, and core exercises to promote muscular balance.

Sports Performance- Injury Prevention for Soccer

Here is a great article our Strength and Conditioning Coach Jessica Stallings found from NSCA's library about Sports Performance and Injury Prevention as well as the Acute and Chronic Benefits of Movement Prep for the Soccer Athlete. 

Forward this on to any soccer players you know.  It is quite helpful.  Considering we implement many of these strategies currently, here is the research to back it up.
 https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=13ad2feec2d33a00&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D9bb6d9e436%26view%3Datt%26th%3D13ad2feec2d33a00%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26realattid%3Df_h968vul20%26zw&sig=AHIEtbRo4t5k4taB56vl7GKyTYyNQdoEcQ

Add Yoga to your routine

Try adding yoga into your current routine to increase flexibility, balance, and strength. Yoga is a great way to develop a mind/ body connection that will help to improve overall performance and bring more awareness to your breath and movement patterns.

http://www.americanathletemag.com/ArticleView/tabid/156/ArticleID/34/YOGA-IN-MIND-Why-Yoga-for-Athletes.aspx

 

 

Come visit Maya at ICWA to get your performance yoga training program designed just for you and your needs.

Performance goal setting in the New Year

If your new year's resolution is weight loss, don't focus on the number on the scale; focus on a performance goal. Whether the goal is to be able to do a pull-up, complete a marathon, pick up your grandchildren, not get tired walking up stairs, or to just be strong, training for a performanced based goal will result in weight loss as a by-product. Training for specific goals and always challenging yourself with new ones will we keep you motivated and provide an opportunity for life long improved health and fitness.

We here at ICWA want to help you determine what goals will motivate you to start and stay with a consistent training program.  Come visit us and let us help you set and achieve those lifestyle goals.

Weight Loss: Low Carbohydrate vs Low Fat

Weight Loss: Low Carbohydrate vs Low Fat

It is the New Year and the majority of resolutions are focused around self-improvement, specifically weight loss.  In fact according the University of Scranton the top resolution for 2012 was weight loss and the 5^th top resolution was staying fit and healthy.

What does this mean?  It means a lot of people want to shed some pounds, so what should you do to reach that goal weight, eat a low carb diet or a low fat diet?

A meta-analysis of trials produced some interesting results.  Low carb diets were more effective at inducing weight loss after 6 months but there is no difference after 12.  Blood pressure changes were the same in both groups and low fat diets decreased LDL cholesterol more favorably but low carb diets had a more positive impact on HDL and triglyceride levels.  Bottom line, both diets produced weight loss with varying degrees of other benefits.

What was consistent between all trials examined, an extremely high dropout rate of about 50% on average.  Half of all individuals across trials could not stick to these diets, meaning we don’t know if they had any changes to their weight much less their health.

So which diet should you do to lose that weight?  Neither, your goal should be to eat a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates and fat in appropriate proportions while meeting your calorie needs.  Your goal should be a lifestyle change that first promotes optimal health and second promotes the weight you desire.  Weight loss without lifestyle change will almost always result in a regaining of the weight, and that is definitely not desirable.

This isn’t always an easy change but you do not have to do it alone.  ICWA is here to help you on your journey by providing you an environment that promotes your goals.

Let’s all get healthy in 2013 and let’s keep that health for years to come!

Nordmann AJ, Nordmann A, Briel M, et al. Effects of Low-Carbohydrate vs Low-Fat Diets on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(3):285-293. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.3.285.

From the Bodyworker's corner of ICWA

Hope your year is starting off on the good foot.  Here's an article I read that gave some really good tips on how we can see exercise differently.   Taking little steps towards the things we can do to enhance our health.  If we enjoy doing some of the easier activities, that will help us be more consistent to be able to take on the more intense fitness goals.  Trust me, coming from a massage magazine, therapists can be somewhat casual in their fitness endeavors.  Here's a bit of a kickstart to our New Year!  It's the little things that add up to transformation, just take the first step, or keep taking the next steps.  You will get there, and we'll support you.

http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/652/Fitness-Tips

We here at ICWA care about you and your health goals.  We want you to enjoy being healthy and to see you reach your health and wellness goals.  We love the journey of discovering optimal health for ourselves, and want to walk alongside you to experience it as well.

Here's to a prosperous 2013 and to finding health and abundance in all areas of our lives.

Best Wishes,

Tait

High Fat Diet Addiction

Having trouble avoiding high fat or sugary foods?  Your brain may be responding to these foods in a similar way to hard drugs like cocaine!

What does this mean for those of you trying to change your eating habits?  You may experience anxiety, depression, extreme cravings and other withdrawal like symptoms when you cut back on high fat/high sugar foods. In other words it is difficult to make these changes to your diet and to make a lasting change you need to know that it takes perseverance.  

Decreasing your fat and sugar intake will have positive impact on not only your waistline but also your overall health.  Replacing high fat and sugar foods with fruits, vegetables and whole grains can lower cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for heart disease.

For help making changes to your eating habits give our Registered Dietitian a call at 505.554.2315 to schedule an appointment.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/28/high-fat-diets-addiction-that-hard-to-break/