Well, this is one of the great questions, for which everybody would like an answer.  I’ve written about a number of things in this space, but unfortunately, the source of everyone’s back pain will not be one of them.  What I would like to impart to readers is a very common risk factor for low back injuries.

I’d suggest sitting down before you read on, but that would just add to your risk… that’s right, sitting for long periods of time is a risk factor for low back pain and injury.

Photo courtesy of Saxon

New Study on Fatigued Muscles

A recent study undertaken at the State University of New York at Buffalo determined that “the degraded force generating capacity of the fatigued muscles can be a significant risk factor for low back pain^[1].  The research showed that prolonged sitting causes creep (changing length) in muscles primarily responsible for posture and maintaining stability in the spine.  When the same muscles were recruited for lifting or carrying following sitting, they generated less force.  In other words, muscles that have stretched from prolonged sitting are weaker, less able to stabilize and move the spine, and more prone to injury.

Examples of how this phenomenon affects us include:

• taking packages out of the trunk of the car after a long drive,
• getting the newspaper off the ground after sleeping side lying,
• transporting luggage following an airline flight,
• or bending to lift anything at work after awhile at the desk.

The key in all of these situations is that the back muscles are experiencing an increased demanded for force at a time when the muscle is least capable.  This is when injury can easily occur in these back muscles.

Simple Recommendations to Avoid Back Pain

For similar reasons, I frequently recommend that patients avoid twisting the torso while bending and lifting.  These actions put considerable strain on spinal muscles, because tissues are being asked to stabilize and move the spine simultaneously, increasing the risk of overloading the muscles.  Sitting for a long period before doing the same work only increases the risk of injury further.  So remember to take frequent breaks from prolonged sitting and give your muscles time to adjust when asking your back to do work following sitting.

The risks of warming the couch maybe even greater yet.  A newly published article described how prolonged sitting, even when adults participate in physical activity, is a factor for reduced lifespan^[2].  I will examine this topic in a later post.

1. Shin G, D’Souza C, Liu YH.  Creep and fatigue development in the low back in static flexion.  2009 Aug 1;34(17):1873-8. [↩]
2. Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW.  Too Much Sitting: The Population Health Science of Sedentary Behavior.  Exerc Sport Sci Rev.  2010 July;38(3):105-13. [↩]

The morning is often a hurried time. We’re trying to get everything done at breakneck speed to prepare for our commute and work.  Just grabbing a cup of coffee may seem like a good way to get your motor running, but your first meal of the day is really something to fit into your schedule or prepare the night before to take along.

Don’t Starve Yourself

If you don’t have a meal until lunch, than you’re planning to fast (read: starve yourself) for 15 to 20 hours.  The body responds by attempting to store as many calories as possible, not knowing when the next refueling will come.  People who skip breakfast usually get hungry earlier and tend to binge when they finally eat.  Even those not prone to overeating are more likely to grab a doughnut or another unhealthy snack. Those who bypass breakfast often end up ultimately consuming more calories than those who fuel-up with breakfast in the morning.

Breakfast Benefits

Research well supports the benefits of breakfast.  Studying participants of the National Weight Control Registry has found that eating breakfast is a characteristic shared by 78% of those who are able to successfully maintain weight loss^[1].  Another analysis discovered that subjects who ate breakfast had reduced caloric intake overall and lowered LDL cholesterol levels.  Results found that skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain and increased risk of heart disease^[2].  If you needed any more reason to eat breakfast and encourage your children to do so, researchers have found that as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, breakfast can have a positive impact on children’s health and well-being.  “Evidence suggests that breakfast consumption may improve cognitive function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance^[3].”

Breakfast Recipe Suggestions

Oatmeal with fruit and crunch: to 1 cup of oatmeal, made with 1/2 cup of lowfat milk, add 1 cup sliced strawberries, banana, or blueberries and top with 1 Tbs walnuts, pecans, wheatgerm, or lowfat granola.

Multi-grain waffles with fruit topping: toast 2 waffles and top with 1 cup blueberries or other fruit and 3 Tbs light syrup or natural dark maple syrup.

Dairy Protein Breakfast: 1 cup lowfat plain yogurt or cottage cheese with sliced melon.  Sweeten with 1 Tbs honey if desired.

Cooked Eggs on English Muffin with Cheese: cook 2 eggs (break yolks) until firm, top with lowfat cheese (or spread Laughing Cow wedge on muffin half).  *This is great for preparation the night before; wrap in wax paper to reheat.

Most Important Meal of the Day

The benefits of eating a sensible breakfast are considerable.  Eating a low-fat, high-fiber breakfast will not only help you avoid the distraction of mid-morning hunger pangs and subsequent overeating, but will also boost your metabolism, helping your body burn fat.

In addition to keeping hunger at bay, eating breakfast helps to boost metabolism, burn fat, support weight loss, lower bad cholesterol, and improve academic performance in children.  Like chiropractic care, adding breakfast to a healthy lifestyle is another way to keep the body performing at its peak.  Visit the National Weight Control Registry if you seek additional support.  If you are interested in learning more about any of the material in this blog or chiropractic care, please contact us at Matthews Chiropractic Center.

1. Wyatt et al. Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Obes Res. 2002 Feb;10(2):78-82. [↩]
2. Farshchi et al. Deleterious effects of omitting breakfast on insulin sensitivity and fasting lipid profiles in healthy lean women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Feb;81(2);388-96. [↩]
3. Rampersaud et al. Breakfast habits , nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 May;105(5):743-60. [↩]

“What does Foot Month have to do with Chiropractic care?” you ask.

Well, the feet are integral to Chiropractic, because they form the foundation of our kinetic chain. The spinal column rests on the sacrum, which articulates with the bones that form the hip joints, which connect to the thigh, knees, legs, ankles, and ultimately THE FEET.

If this sounds like the Dem Bones song that we sang as children, then you’re right! Movements (or lack thereof) in one part of the body can have an affect in an area that it’s ultimately connected to – this is the concept of the kinetic chain.  And, a small change in one part of the chain can have an effect elsewhere.

Maintaining Spinal Mobility

This underlines the importance of maintaining good spinal mobility, posture, removing subluxations (areas of restricted spinal motion), and supporting our foundation properly.  With Foot Levelers Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers, it’s easier than ever to correct postural problems of the foot and maintain the health of our arches.  Together, chiropractic adjustments and a secure foundation to our kinetic chain can help to keep the body biomechanically sound.

The foot bone’s connected to the leg bone, the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone, the knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone…

There was great interest at this past Monday’s Siskey YMCA Health Fair in Matthews, NC.  It was terrific to meet neighbors working hard to stay fit and healthy.  Most folks were headed to or had just finished their workouts when we fielded questions related to chiropractic, spinal stability, and Foot Levelers orthotics.  A full line of Foot Levelers Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers are available at Matthews Chiropractic Center.  Kim Johnson, LMBT, joined me to offer complimentary chair massages… her magical hands stayed busy start to finish.  The Siskey YMCA is a wonderful, buzzing, and well equipped facility.  Thank you to Sarah Duncan, RN, CCM (Siskey YMCA Health Nurse) for her coordinating efforts.

With temperatures dipping, local trees have sprung to life in shades of yellow, orange, and red, while the cool autumn breeze has strewn the leaves on our lawns.  Before you suit up to go out and gather the colorful foliage, I have a few precautions for you to bear in mind.

Playing in the Leaves is Fun, Raking Can Be More than a Chore

Raking leaves is one of those one-sided, repetitive activities that could upset the usual, happy balance in our backs.  Muscles in our back fire in unison to maintain our posture and allow us to do work, but toil in a manner that overworks one side, and this could lead to a real stiff back.

• First, beware working predominantly on one side of the body, like when raking, digging, loading the dishwasher, placing groceries in your car, or putting a child into a car seat.  If you are raking or digging, try to periodically switch the side of your body, where you are working. If you are raking, specifically, alternate between raking front to back and side to side (across your body), to prevent any one group of muscles from fatiguing.
• Split loading activities like packing the car’s truck or bagging those colorful leaves into separate squatting and bending movements.  Avoiding motions that simultaneously twist and bend the low back can help you steer clear of back pain.  Bending and rotating at the same time puts the spine in a position of weakness and increases the chances of injury – this is the mechanism that leads to many disc injuries.
• When bending or lifting, bend your knees to lift with your legs.  The legs are the strongest muscles in your body and using the legs can save your back.

If you should happen to upset the delicate balance of muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons that allow for all our movements, remember I’m here at Matthews Chiropractic Center to help make everything work better again.  And, if just the thought of raking your leaves makes your back ache and pain-free is not your status quo, then chiropractic care could be your remedy.