Make Pain a Thing of the Past – back injury – Physician Partners of America

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Dr. Rodolfo Gari Talks Best Posture and How It Helps To Avoid Back Pain

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Interviewer: We’ve heard it since we were kids, sit up straight. We all know slouching is bad for the back, but sitting up straight can also cause strain. Dr. Rudy Gari from Florida Pain Relief Group is here to help us find the happy medium. Hi Dr. Gari.

Dr. Gari: Hello.

Interviewer: So I think I’m sitting properly right now.

Dr. Gari: Yes, you are. Yes, you are.

Interviewer: Okay. But is there some ways that we can sit that we think we’re doing the right thing but we’re not?

 

 

Dr. Gari: Well, there is something that’s called the loss of lordosis. So people that have for example back pain. So your back should be curved. That’s called the lordosis. It means the curvature of the back that’s natural. And so, that actually allows us to have less back pain when we have that lordosis. Patients that have back pain for example can get muscle spasms and they lose that typical lordosis and now their back is flat. That flatness actually increases the pressure in nerve because our bodies were not designed to sit that way.

So while posture is very important, but often with the terms posture is also your core muscles. So strengthening your core muscles in many ways helps your posture, helps your pain and there is a lot of things that are done with physical therapy.

Interviewer: Yes, indeed. So bad posture can cause not only back pain but what else can that do?

Dr. Gari: Well, it can cause back pain and it can also cause you to pivot the wrong way. It can cause you to have a bad gait and it can lead to a lot of other problems in your back, in your neck, and other places.

Interviewer: I’m thinking neck and headaches from bad posture.

Dr. Gari: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Interviewer: Definitely. Okay. Should we get things for our chairs and…

Dr. Gari: Well, if you think about it, sitting in chairs is not natural.

Interviewer: Okay. So stop sitting?

Dr. Gari: So our bodies weren’t designed to sit but we do. So one of the things that people do is some very simple things. For example, sitting at that big medicine ball. That’s going to correct your posture because your body is gonna normally adjust, your core muscles are going to pick it up to make sure that you don’t fall, that you sit correctly.

Interviewer: So throw out that office chair and get the medicine ball?

Dr. Gari: Throw out the office chair and get that big medicine ball, sit on the medicine ball, stand up. Standing is much better for you than sitting.

Interviewer: All right.

Dr. Gari: And especially when it comes to that pressure on your lower back.

Interviewer: They do have those stand up desks now.

Dr. Gari: Those are pretty good.

Interviewer: Do you recommend that?

Dr. Gari: I absolutely do. High heels can cause some bad posture. I know that you know that though. Everybody likes high heels, we feel good about it but if you have back pain, that’s not…

Interviewer: Put those away.

Dr. Gari: You might wanna put those away for a while.

Interviewer: Too much strain. Let’s talk about picking things up wrong. What are we doing?

Dr. Gari: Well, the worst thing that you can do is to bend forward and pick something up.

Interviewer: Okay. Don’t do that.

Dr. Gari: If you must pick up, don’t use your back muscles to lift that object. You wanna make sure you maintain that lordosis, that curvature. Squat down and use your legs to lift up that object. Sometimes we have those back braces so you can put those on if you have to lift something because that’s gonna help your back. What you don’t wanna do though, you don’t wanna wear those on a regular basis because that will actually weaken your core muscles. We want our core muscles to be the ones doing the work of keeping posture and not get used to those back braces.

Interviewer: So the key to keeping that healthy is keeping this habit?

Dr. Gari: It’s all about the core muscles absolutely, Pilates.

Interviewer: Right, yeah, very well.

Dr. Gari: You know Pilates, right?

Interviewer: Mm-mmh.

Dr. Gari: Pilates was a physician who started that because he had back problems and he did all those exercises for himself.

Interviewer: All right. It might be time to try some of those. Dr. Gari, thank you very much. Florida Pain Relief Group even schedules same-day appointments. You can visit their website,  or give them a call. It is 844 (KICK-PAIN). We’ll be right back with more Daytime so don’t go away.

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Sciatica Symptoms and Treatment

If you’ve ever heard someone complain of low back pain, sciatica may have been the culprit. Sciatica is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that can develop in the lower back when an injury or degenerative condition is placing pressure on the sciatic nerve. Some of the most common conditions that can lead to sciatica include:

  • Bulging disc
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Herniated disc
  • Spinal arthritis
  • Spondylolisthesis

Because these conditions can affect the anatomical components of the spine, including its vertebrae, intervertebral discs, and ligaments, it’s no surprise that changes in the spine’s structure or stability can have an effect on the sciatic nerve or its nerve roots and cause sciatica pain.

Sciatica Symptoms

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It begins in the lower part of the spinal cord (the lumbar spine) and extends all the way down the back of the thigh. Just above the back of the knee, the sciatic nerve divides into nerve branches to deliver sensation to the calf and foot.

Compression on the roots of this nerve can lead to a variety of painful symptoms that span the length of the lower body:

  • A warm or electric sensation affecting the lower extremities
  • Numbness or loss of feeling in the thigh, lower leg, or foot
  • Shooting pain that begins in the lower back and radiates down through the buttocks, leg, and calf

Sciatica can affect both sides of the body, but it is far more common for it to only affect one side. This occurs because of the anatomical issue in the spine, such as a herniated disc, generally only affects the nerve roots on one side of the spinal column. Sciatica pain can make sitting or standing for long periods of time excruciating, though most people find that slow walking or lying down helps to alleviate symptoms.

Does Sciatica Always Require Surgery?

Pain relief for sciatica can take a variety of forms. While surgery for sciatica is available, trying all nonsurgical treatments prior to considering surgery is recommended. Sciatica therapy is aimed at managing symptoms and helping to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Sciatica treatments can include physical therapy, gentle stretching, low-impact exercise, steroids and anti-inflammatory medication. If these sciatic therapies are ineffective, more targeted back pain treatments may be necessary:

Sciatica Pain Treatment in Texas and Florida

At Physician Partners of America, we know that sciatica pain can affect every aspect of your life. Chronic low back pain can make it difficult to do your job, exercise, and socialize with others. Our experienced team of back pain doctors and sciatica specialists is committed to helping you regain your life and keep pain at bay. We offer sciatica treatment at clinics throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area so finding effective, customized care has never been more convenient. Make today the day you start taking your life back from back pain by scheduling an appointment with the physicians of Physician Partners of America.

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3 Ways to Avoid Back Pain

Avoid Back Pain With These 3 Tips

Millions upon millions of people will experience some type of back pain in their lives. We use our spines much more often than we think, so years of overuse will take its toll.

Most people probably won’t have serious complications, but the pain will be enough to slow them down and ruin a few days. Others may develop chronic pain which is something that can last for weeks, months or even years.

While non-injury spinal problems such as age-related disorders, infection, and complications from an existing disease aren’t easily prevented, there are still ways to avoid back injuries by following a few simple, quick-and-easy tips.

3 Quick Tips to Avoid Back Pain

  1. Lift with your knees. Lift with your knees, not your back! You’ve heard this before, but it bears repeating. Using your knees to help carry the weight of a heavy object instead of your back is the proper way to lift something. If you use your lower back to lift, the muscles and ligaments can be strained, and your spine can suffer stress which can lead to complications like herniated discs.
  2. Exercise. Routinely exercising and stretching keeps your muscles and ligaments strong and loose. If your back is tight, it can’t perform properly and your movements will be stiff and limited. You don’t have to be a gym rat, but working out a few times a week will make a huge difference in what your body is able to handle, reducing the risk of injury.
  3. Take your vitamins. No, your mom wasn’t just trying to push vitamins on you as a kid for no reason. Lack of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K2, magnesium, and potassium can lead to weakened bones, causing them to be brittle and porous, putting them at risk for fracture or breaking. Additionally, vitamins and proper nutrition can help counterbalance the effects of age-related bone and joint deterioration.

Your Tampa Pain Doctors

The tips above are very easy to follow and will certainly help you avoid back injuries if you stick to them. However, if you’ve already suffered a back injury or you’re in pain now, contact Tampa pain specialists at Florida Pain Relief Group. We specialize in pain relief.

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