Your chiropractor knows how troubling pain can be for our spine-related pain patients. A study that explored the issue of whether focusing on pain for low back pain patients – by asking them questions about their pain on a weekly basis – impacted the patients negatively. The result: frequent pain monitoring did not prove to be a bad thing. It may have even been helpful! The low back pain intensity scores at 12 months’ follow up were lower for the patients who were questioned than the scores of patients who were not asked about their pain every week! (1) Our chiropractic treatment plan which includes spinal manipulation which is 90% delivered by chiropractors in the US is guided by your input about your pain experience. We ask you about it at every visit and modify your treatment frequency and type as you improve according to the 50% Rule like visits are reduced by 50% when 50% relief is realized and treatment protocol may shift from protocol 1 (single segment, one motion) to protocol 2 (single segment, all ranges of motion, may include more segments as tolerance testing allows). A little focus on pain goes a long way toward pain relief!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the integral role the patient’s pain experience and feedback plays in the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

TIP OF THE MONTH: Don’t Be Sedentary

A sedentary lifestyle at any age is not good. As we age and want to enjoy our older years, we must not be sedentary. Comparing how and when non-active older adults exercised – 60 minutes in the morning or 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night – researchers found large improvements in lower limb strength, large gains in walking speed and daily activities, improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, and enhancements in agility as demonstrated by TUG (time-up-to-go from a seated position) test results in both groups. There were slightly better outcomes in the 30/30 group suggesting that there may be a benefit to breaking up afternoon sedentariness with exercise. Physical activity for older adults is vital for physical as well as mental and psychosocial health. We encourage our chiropractic patients to not be part of the 31% of the world’s population who are thought to not currently meet recommended levels of activity. (2) Let’s explore together what activity is best for you!

We look forward to seeing you at your next chiropractic appointment!
Thank you for reading!

References for HEALTHY NEWS – October 2021

1. Kongsted A, Jensen TS, Doktor K, Hestbæk L. Effects of weekly pain monitoring on back pain outcomes: a non-randomised controlled study. Chiropr Man Therap. 2021 Sep 16;29(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s12998-021-00393-2. PMID: 34530882; PMCID: PMC8444569.
2. Monteagudo P, Cordellat A, Roldán A, Gómez-Cabrera MC, Pesce C, Blasco-Lafarga C. Exploring Potential Benefits of Accumulated Multicomponent-Training in Non-Active Older Adults: From Physical Fitness to Mental Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 13;18(18):9645. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18189645. PMID: 34574570.