Back pain and hip pain and spine issues all come together
at once for many chiropractic patients, prompting a visit to Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn. We’re ready to
help! Growing older has some unique challenges for back, hip, and spine
pain patients but also some unique benefits
today due to novel ways to maintaining
stability and dealing with and easing pain. Your
Ashburn chiropractor keeps abreast of these novel
approaches and is prepared to help you!
SIMPLE TESTS FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR SPINES
Older folks know that with age comes ‘wisdom’…and
its own set of distinctive peculiarities. Different
aches and pains arise one morning or mid-afternoon or
evening, demanding attention. For those Ashburn back
pain sufferers who are a little older, hip range of motion and
strength may foretell how 12 months down the road a
chronic low back pain patient may be performing. Researchers put this to the test! Decreased hip strength and
range of motion forecast a decline in
function a year later. Hip osteoarthritis did not affect these outcomes. (1)
Your chiropractor will perform a thorough examination and knows some simple tests of hip
strength and range of motion – gait speed, 6-minute walk test, subjective
questionnaires, even imaging as necessary - to exclude as a diagnosis osteoarthritis.
3D IMAGING BENEFITS
Imaging has come far! Today, MRI images
of the spine in 3D are now clinically possible.
Their benefit is higher spatial resolution, reformation in any
plane so the MRI process is faster, and interpretation is more accurate.
Pretty cool! Another advantage, especially for back
pain sufferers who have undergone back surgery already with metal implants, etc., and now have continued pain is that 3D imaging permits viewing
around the metal. (2) Such views can assist doctors in seeing issues at adjacent spine levels.
A SPECIFIC SPINE ISSUE: PISA SYNDROME
Pain issues in one area of the spine can certainly
affect other areas and even trigger more pain. A
postural disorder some older back pain sufferers may have is
called Pisa Syndrome which is caused by lateral flexion of
the spine greater than 10 degrees which sets them up
to falls, a lower quality of life, and increased
risk of mortality in neurological diseases. Postural stability exercises are essential
for such patients, essential enough that they should do these forever
to decrease fall risk. (3) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn is all for
stability!
CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Gary Stefanick on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes
his use of Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction to ease back pain after back
surgery. Back pain specialists like your Ashburn chiropractor are equipped
to examine, diagnose, and manage post-surgical continued pain.
Set up your Ashburn
chiropractic appointment soon. Ashburn chiropractic
patients find kinship with each other when it comes to back pain, hip pain, and
spine stability as well as relief from their chiropractic care. See you soon!