November Newsletter · Back Pain
Don’t Let Your Back Suffer This Holiday Season
Lower back pain can be an unwelcome intruder, especially during the busy holiday season, when you should be enjoying festivities, not nursing a sore back. Understanding how our physical therapists can help you manage and alleviate this pain is essential. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to expect when seeking treatment for lower back pain that appears without a clear cause.
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Shiftwave is a state-of-the-art wellness device that delivers mental and physical restoration through pulsed pressure waves that stimulate the body’s physiological responses. This technology aims to reset the nervous system, reduce inflammation and pain, and restore sleep function.
- Stress Reduction
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- Boosted Recovery
- Tailored Wellness
Prices: $1 per minute. Exclusive Package Deal: 2 hours 10% off, 4 hours 20% off.
Main Feature
The Gradual Onset of Pain
Imagine you begin to notice a nagging pain in your lower back. At first, it seems trivial – perhaps a little sore after a long car ride or something ordinary like doing the dishes. However, as days pass, the pain persists and even intensifies.
Simple actions like sitting for long periods, standing up from a chair, or bending over become challenging and painful. The discomfort might even disrupt your sleep, making finding a comfortable position almost impossible.
The Role of Physical Therapy
When you decide enough is enough, call Ambassador Physical Therapy and let one of our physical therapists help you find lasting relief. We’ll work to identify the root cause of your pain, give you the tools to manage your pain, and help you understand how to treat your lower back pain.
Comprehensive Evaluation
The journey to relief starts with a comprehensive evaluation. This step is critical for our therapist to understand your specific situation.
- Patient History: This includes discussing your daily routines, any significant changes in your activities, and your medical history.
- Physical Examination: The therapist examines your posture and spinal alignment and looks for any visible signs of imbalance or discomfort.
- Detailed Movement Screen: Our therapist conducts a detailed movement screen, vital in pinpointing the exact movements that trigger your pain.
- Analyzing Movement Patterns: This includes assessing how you sit, stand up, and bend and identifying positions or movements that exacerbate your pain.
Identifying the Root Cause
By synthesizing information from your history, physical exam, and movement analysis, our therapist can identify potential causes of your pain. It could result from poor posture, prolonged sitting, a lack of physical activity, or even weak core muscles.
Understanding the mechanics of your back pain is crucial for long-term management and prevention.
Personalized Treatment Program
Based on the findings, a personalized treatment program is developed to address your specific needs.
- Pain Management Strategies: Initially, the focus is on alleviating your immediate pain through targeted stretching and manual therapy techniques.
- Core Strengthening: A key element of your recovery will be strengthening your core muscles, providing better support for your lower back.
- Improving Mobility: Exercises are introduced to address any limitations or restrictions to enhance the mobility of your back, hip, and pelvis joints and surrounding muscles.
- Educational Component: Understanding the mechanics of your back pain is crucial for long-term management and prevention. You’ll learn about how certain activities impact your back and strategies to prevent future pain.
Take the First Step Toward a Pain-Free Holiday
If you’re struggling with lower back pain, now is the time to act. Reach out to our Ambassador Physical Therapy team and embark on a personalized journey to recovery. Don’t let back pain hold you back from enjoying the holiday season. Contact us today and move towards a healthier, more comfortable future!
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9827206/, https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2021.0304
Exercise of the Month
Bird Dog
(Core, Lower Back, Glutes)
Start on your hands and knees on a mat or table. Brace your abdominals and keep your back flat. Slowly raise one arm straight out in front of you while simultaneously raising your opposite leg back behind you until both limbs are straight and parallel with the ground. Lower them back down and repeat with your other limbs.
3 Sets, 10 Reps.
Healthy Recipe
Crispy, Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
For sweet potato fries that actually stay crisp, all you need is your oven and a clever cornstarch trick.
Ingredients
For the Fries:
- Cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons white rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 (12 ounces each) sweet potatoes, trimmed, cut in half crosswise, and cut into 1/2-inch thick sticks
Seasoned Salt:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning; for table salt, use half as much by volume
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Fry Sauce (optional):
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Add oil to prepared sheet and tilt sheet until surface is evenly coated with oil. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk water and cornstarch, making sure no lumps of cornstarch remain on bottom of bowl. Microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until mixture begins to thicken, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and continue stirring until mixture thickens to a thin yogurt-like consistency. (If necessary, after microwaving, add up to 3 tablespoons additional water to achieve correct consistency.)
- Add rice flour and baking soda to cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine. Add cut sweet potato sticks and toss until each is evenly coated. Transfer fries to prepared baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer with one flat cut side down, and space between each piece. (Some cornstarch mixture will remain in bowl.)
- Bake until bottoms are beginning to brown and fries easily release from pan, about 20 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and, using a thin spatula, loosen the fries and carefully flip taking care not to tear. Rotate pan and return to oven to continue to bake until second sides are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- For the Fry Sauce: While fries bake, in a small bowl, whisk together mayo, ketchup, sriracha, vinegar, and garlic powder.
- Sprinkle fries with prepared salt mixture and toss fries to distribute seasoning evenly. Transfer fries to paper towel–lined platter and let cool about 5 minutes. Serve fries with prepared sauce, if desired.
Hope · Health · Healing
Discover the Ambassador Difference Today
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Matthews Clinic
1352 Matthews Township Parkway
Ste 102
Matthews, NC 28105
(704) 847-6351
Waxhaw Clinic
105 Waxhaw Professional Park Dr.
Suite B
Waxhaw, NC 28173
(704) 843-7000
Monroe Clinic
1730 Dickerson Blvd
Suite D
Monroe, NC 28110
(704) 283-6700
Information in this newsletter is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified physical therapist or healthcare provider regarding your specific condition.
