I Feel Better. Why Continue?

The biggest mistake patients often make is quitting care too soon. Once symptoms resolve many patients feel they are fixed. This cannot be further from the truth. My years of observing relapses proves this.

It is impossible to correct mechanical flaws in joints, break up scar tissue and adhesion and strengthen the weakened supporting structures in a few visits. Your body is very intelligent and will avoid pain at all costs. Even at the expense of proper biomehanics. Ultimately the body will compensate which will only lead to a problem elsewhere in the body.

The goal needs to be correction of the joint problems and prevention of future problems. This takes time and effort. It is common to think you are fixed when the pain is gone but this is rarely the case.

Herniated Disc? Now what?

Not so long ago a diagnosis of a herniated disc often had you heading for an open surgery with a long recovery. This is no longer the case. In fact, it is most important to always verify the true cause of your pain or symtoms. For example, in many instances it may not be the disc causing the problem. We now know many people have disc herniations and are totally asymptomatic. There are many techniques and methods to determine and verify the true cause of your pain. The good news is there are many minimally invasive procedures such as spinal decompression, such as the DRX9000 or endoscopic disectomies that have patients regain their lives. It is important to make sure you seek out conservative options first prior to undergoing more invasive procedures.

Back pain to be concerned about

90% of Americans will suffer an episode of back pain in their lifetime. It is important to determine when medical action is needed. Back pain can be categorized into radiating and nonradiating or centralized back pain. Non radiating back pain is often caused by spinal misalignment, muscle spasms or facet irritaion. This type of pain is often uncomplicated and can be resolved fairly quickly with conservative hands on therapies. Radiating back pain is often more complex and can be more serious and chronic. Many times the radiation is caused by a herniated disc or nerve related issue. It is important to seek medical care to get a proper diagnosis so the appropriate treatment can be performed. A very serious condition called cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency and is associated with bowel or bladder issues in conjuction with back pain. Back pain that lasts more than a few days will only create bigger problems down the road in the future so don't ignore the signs.

What is functional training?

The days of working out "body parts" are a thing of the past. For example, working out your back and biceps on one day and your chest and triceps on another. This methodology, although good for muscular growth, does not translate to real life activities. So what we create are muscular people who are not able to perform integrated movements successfully. In other words these people can lift heavy weight in one plane or direction but when you put the person in real life situations, where they need to move at certain angles, they cannot perform them and are subject to spine or joint injuries. Working out should prepare your body to prevent injury and pain syndromes and increase performance in everyday MOVEMENTS such as lifting, bending, reaching etc. In functional training the difference is in training movements and not muscles. When you train movements you integrate several muscle groups at the same time, strengthen your core and prepare the body for real life movement and performance.