WORDS DESCRIBING PAIN ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR CHIROPRACTOR
“Why do you ask me so many questions, doc?”
Our Southern New Hampshire chiropractic patients are the center of our practice. New Hampshire Spine and Sport wants to understand each of our patients and your pain experience well, treat you well, and ensure that you are satisfied with your care and outcome. That’s why we have you to describe your pain to us, sometimes a few times and in several different ways! Words mean different things to different people: “discomfort” to one may mean “pain” to another while “stiffness” is “pain” or “discomfort” to a another. It is true! Researchers studied just what these different words mean to patients. An example with regards to the description of “feeling”: pain signified sharp/shooting, discomfort signified dull/tingling, stiffness signified tight/restricted. (1) It is beneficial for New Hampshire Spine and Sport to know our patient’s experience with pain to better reach expectations and enhance satisfaction with care. Patients who went to an integrated hospital for care of their musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms rated their pain as 5/10 (10 being greatest pain) as well as indicated multiple pain locations (9 of 17 participants), low back pain (13 of 17), and neck pain (8 of 17). Those are very common of rationales patients pursue chiropractic care! In this setting, patients were satisfied with the collaboration amongst the various healthcare team members due to the trust they had in their physician. Patients appreciated consistency in care from one caregiving chiropractor. (2) New Hampshire Spine and Sport knows our patients value - and can expect - these same things from us: consistency, care, collaboration, and results!
Southern New Hampshire CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Standing Exercise for Multifidus Muscle Strengthening Works
Back pain. It’s a simple description that may stem from a multitude of factors including the muscles of the spine, those seen and unseen. The multifidus muscles are such unseen muscles, deep, smaller muscles that run beside the spine from the neck to the sacrum. These muscles aid movements like lateral (side) flexion and rotation of the spine when contracted. (3) Recently, researchers proposed that the multifidi may be a potential source of back pain since they are found to be stiffer in low back pain sufferers. Low back pain is linked to lumbodorsal musculature (which incorporates the multifidus muscle) fatigue. Standing back extension exercise fatigued the multifidus well enough which may avert low back pain initiated by muscle fatigue. (4) “Superman” (on-the-floor) exercises are well known. Standing back extension and “superman” exercises are newly reported as equally beneficial in strengthening these multifidus muscles. (5) That is great news! Southern New Hampshire back pain sufferers can do simple, standing exercises like this anywhere! The multifidi benefit!
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Paula Hugulet on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she describes the benefit of improving muscle strength and function as part of back pain care following the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT New Hampshire Spine and Sport
Schedule your next Southern New Hampshire chiropractic appointment today. Your words will be heard. Your multifidus muscles will be directed in proper exercise to lessen and potentially avert back pain. New Hampshire Spine and Sport will ask you questions, and you are welcome to ask New Hampshire Spine and Sport questions, also!