In the last blog post, I introduced you to Wanda. She is a young mother who is having low back pain and clicking in her hip.
The physical exam revealed a small amount of damage to an intervertebral disc in Wanda’s low back through the physical exam.
Although this may sound scary, this is the most typical reason people will have low back pain. Roughly 50% of low back pain is due to damage to the intervertebral disc.
Wanda recently went through childbirth, and ultimately, Wanda was experiencing instability of her low back due, in part, to the damage to her pelvic floor during delivery. This instability resulted in additional unwanted movement occurring in Wanda’s low back, eventually leading to the intervertebral disc becoming damaged in her low back.
This instability and damage to the intervertebral disc result in muscles in the surrounding area becoming tight, creating stiffness to protect her low back. This muscle tightness causes the joints to become stiff as well.
Here is how we helped Wanda return to enjoying her life, pain-free!
Step 3 - Reduce Pain
The first step of treatment is to reduce pain. For this injury, there are a few treatment options that may work!
- Neurodynamics
- Directional Preference Exercises
Based on the history and physical exam, I decided that directional preference exercises would be the right place to start with Wanda.
Directional preference exercises are based on the understanding that some movements, postures and positions are pain-provoking, and others would be pain-relieving. We had to determine which direction of movement would be pain-relieving for Wanda.
The directional preference exercise that worked well for Wanda is called a prone press-up and looked like this!
Wanda had the homework of repeating these exercises very frequently throughout the day! She was also encouraged to limit time spent in a slouched posture because that was a position that was pain-provoking for her.
Once we determine a directional preference, we will also begin to incorporate typical Chiropractic adjustments to improve range of motion and decrease pain.
Step 4 - Improve Low Back Stability
The fourth step in low back pain treatment is to improve low back stability.
The definition I use for low back stability is our bodies’ ability to resist our low back’s unwanted movement.
We began the low back stability process by teaching her how to breathe correctly, using her diaphragm.
We then progressed into exercises that targeted increasing her low back strength and stability.
Step 5 - Improve Hip Mobility
Our hips are designed to be very mobile joints. They are a ball and socket joint, which allows for incredible amounts of movement.
However, through daily life that involves a lot of sitting, our hips can become very stiff. If our hips become too rigid and cannot move through their full range of motion, the next area that will compensate for this lack of mobility is our low back!
The next part of Wanda’s physical rehabilitation involved improving her hip mobility and strength.
These two exercises are examples of ones used during treatment.
Step 6 - Exercises to Help Her Achieve Her Goals
As I mentioned above, Wanda is a young mother, which involves constant bending forward to pick up toys, groceries and small children.
When choosing the proper exercises to help Wanda be pain-free in life, I considered the activities that she has to do in daily life.
Wanda’s daily life involved a lot of:
- Squatting
- Lifting
- Hip hinging
So I chose exercises specifically for her needs! She became comfortable with:
- Kettlebell goblet squats
- Kettlebell deadlifts
- Kettlebell suitcase deadlifts
The Surprise 7th Step: SUCCESS
Wanda did phenomenal with her home care and is feeling great! This is what she had to say about her low back pain treatment at E3 Chiropractic + Wellness.
“ Since developing lower back pain as a teenager, I've had to spend a lot of effort and time to develop exercise routines that are "just right,” often having several weeks of careful exercise after tweaking my back before I felt I was back to normal. However, after seeing Dr. Gryba for only a few short weeks, I have seen nearly instant relief from my pain and an unbelievable improvement in my core strength and stability. I find Dr. Gryba's approach to chiropractic wellness to be both fast and effective. His assessment and explanations are thorough and clear, and I find myself thinking more critically about my body and back health as a result. I highly recommend Dr. Gryba, especially to those for whom a more traditional chiropractic approach has only led to "managing" their pain because it's clear that Dr. Gryba's treatment establishes routines where his clients can be rid of their pain entirely.”
- Wanda Maximoff.
Now What
If you or anyone you know is currently struggling with low back pain, know that it does NOT have to be this way!
Everyone deserves to enjoy their life pain-free. E3 Chiropractic + Wellness provides the Chiropractic care you deserve and the tools you need to get you free from pain, so your body feels and performs better than ever before!
Don’t be held back by your low back pain. Click HERE to book an appointment today.
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