North American Spine The Leader in Minimally Invasive Spine Care
Weight-lifting Tips
To Avoid Herniated Disc and Other Injuries Also Inside: ›› Preventing Degenerative Disc Disease ›› Advice May Help Women Avoid Spine Surgery in Houston ›› Get Back to Work Sooner: It May Help Conditions Like Sciatica
North American Spine Courtesy Magazine | October 2012
Weight-lifting Tips
Avoid Herniated Disc and Other Injuries Most weightlifting injuries are caused by poor form or muscle imbalance. While strength training (weight-lifting) enhances strength and posture, supporting and protecting the spine, it also places great force on the spinal column. Common injuries include soft-tissue strain, herniated discs and sciatica. Some exercises that may be risky: ›› Deadlifts- while standing and bending forward from the hips, the weighted lift requires perfect form and strong core muscles to return to an upright position. ›› Squats- Similarly, this weighted exercise requires maintaining a strong and straight core, while lowering the hips and pressing through the heels and buttocks to return to an upright position. Tips for avoiding injury: ›› Avoid the above exercises unless you are medically cleared and have proper technique. ›› Always get your physician’s approval before starting or advancing your training program. ›› Invest in personal training to learn proper technique. ›› Selectorized machines help avoid overloading your spine and improper form. ›› Warm up with a brisk walk. ›› Train safely and patiently within your limits—fatigue leads to bad form, judgment and injuries. Strength training can offer many health benefits if you respect your limits, whether you are a professional athlete or occasional gym visitor.
Preventing Degenerative Disc Disease As with most medical conditions, prevention is the best treatment for degenerative disc disease. The good news is that with some easy lifestyle changes you can start to reduce your risk of premature onset, or even halt the progression, of this condition:
›› Quit smoking. Nicotine and other toxins in cigarettes damage bone health. ›› Reduce alcohol consumption. It slows metabolism and expedites bone health deterioration. ›› Practice great posture: Stand tall, shun stilettos, get a supportive mattress and avoid strenuous lifting. ›› A healthy diet leads to healthy bones. Get tons of vitamins from fruits and vegetables and protein from dairy, fish and lean meats. Stick to whole grains, and limit saturated fats and sugars. ›› Supplement with adequate calcium, iron and zinc to maintain healthy bone structure. ›› Exercise benefits your spine by pumping blood throughout the body, which aids in healthy bone growth, and stimulating a neuro-chemical reaction in the brain that reduces pain.
With these preventive measures, you may be able to hold off debilitating symptoms, avoid chronic pain and even avoid surgery. As always, consult with your physician before you begin a new diet and/or exercise program. If your condition worsens however, minimally invasive spine surgical procedures might be the best solution for an improved quality of life.
Advice May Help Women Avoid Spine Surgery in Houston
For women with back pain hoping to avoid spine surgery, a recent story on KHOU News in Houston may offer some useful information. The report included advice from a physician who tells the news source that most of the patients she treats at the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital in Houston struggle with back pain. Thanks to the extra burdens of pregnancy and housework, (even nowadays women usually bear most of this responsibility!) women often suffer with back pain and injuries. After giving birth, when a baby grows into toddler-hood, a mother’s back may be in pain again from lifting and carrying a child around often at odd angles and with poor posture, making her prone to spinal injuries. So, if you are a woman hoping to avoid spine surgery, consider practicing spine healthy habits. Bend from your knees and use your buttocks and legs to lift your little one or heavy cleaning equipment to avoid an injury like a herniated disc or muscle strain in your back. And of course, maintain a strong core with exercise and good posture to go a long way in protecting your spine. It’s the best injury prevention present you can give yourself.
Get Back to Work Sooner: It May Help Conditions Like Sciatica
You are plagued by searing low-back pain shooting into your buttocks and down the back of your leg. You’ve been out from work for days, and can’t bear the thought of returning like this. Sometimes it feels as though you have pins and needles in the bottom of your foot. Since getting your diagnosis of sciatica, all you want to do is lie flat on your back. Would it surprise you to hear that getting some counseling and heading back to work may help you feel better sooner? A new study, published in the journal Spine from researchers at KU Leuven in Belgium, found that workers who received medical advice for their lower back pain along with advice on how to stay active were more likely to return to work and have fewer repeated disability leaves due to chronic back pain. The study may have significance for you if you are suffering with non-serious sciatica, for which your physician has recommended rehabilitative exercise or normal daily activities. Even though you may feel miserable, kno Get Back to Work Sooner: w that if your doctor has given you the go-ahead, staying active and informed about your sciatica may be the best way to prevent your condition from worsening.
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Do you have a herniated disc? Bulging Disc? Ruptured Disc…
Believe it or not, if you were diagnosed with sciatica you might have a herniated disc, bulging disc and ruptured disc! The good news, and yes… this can be ‘good’ news…is that they might be the same condition. With disc injuries, the name can be more confusing than the actual condition. So what is the difference in a name? ›› Herniated disc (slipped, ruptured or prolapsed) – inner soft disc material protrudes beyond the disc wall when the outer annulus tears. ›› Bulging disc —the soft disc center presses outward, causing an bulge beyond the area it normally occupies. Often occurring with age, it may be asymptomatic. ›› Pinched Nerve – herniated disc material presses on nerve roots causes pain. In the cervical region pain may radiate down an arm. In the lumbar area, pain might radiate into the legs (sciatica). The Mayo Clinic explains disc pathology in easy to digest food terminology. A disc is likened to a jelly-filled donut, and a bulging disc to a hamburger that’s outgrown its bun! Although the terms are interchanged, the correct diagnosis and effective treatment are most important for you to feel better and regain your active lifestyle!
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