American Back Center

If it hurts, It needs therapy.
If it doesn't, It needs maintenance.

This is something that comes up at my office daily, which I thought I'd share. It's the issue of disc-related spine pain - the most common reason for spine pain - and how to manage it. I always bring up these types of studies - and there have been many - whereby the researchers have taken people who've never had back or neck pain and they've put them in an MRI to look at their spines ....... and they find all sorts of disc abnormalities.

So how can that be that these people have disc-problems and not feel them? That's because it's all a game of millimetres - move a disc slightly in the wrong direction and you hurt; bring it back to neutral and it no longer hurts ........ and the cycle continues through your life. The key is to do more to keep it in neutrality than the opposite. Also to note is that if you don't have pain, that doesn't mean there's not some anatomic abnormality.

And that's why I say:

If it hurts, It needs therapy.
If it doesn't, It needs maintenance.

We're excited to introduce the newest member of our Massage Therapy staff, Lu Marie. She'll begin with us on Thursday April 13 from 3pm to 7pm and she'll be here each Thursday afternoon. You can book with Lu Marie online, through our 'Book an Appointment' button on our website, americanbackcenter.org

Know when NOT to adjust someone!

I had a new patient from Mexico who fell while skiing in the US. She had shoulder pain and couldn't lift her shoulder at all. I examined her and told her I thought she had ruptured her supraspinatus, which would require surgery. She insisted I adjust her, as she was convinced that would help; I didn't. She returned to Mexico the next week and she wrote me this follow-up email:

Hello Chris

I hope you are having a great week,

Just a thank note for your attention on my visit in January. Your diagnostic was totally right. On Feb 3rd, I had my shoulder surgery and it went very well. Ortho said they could recover 100% of the tendons, so as soon as I can get rid of the sling, I guess I will start doing the physiotherapy and maybe get ready for the next sky season, jejeje.

Best of luck !!!

Si trabajas para un hotel en Chicago, puedes vernos por $10 la visita.

Puede reservar en linea en: americanbackcenter.org e ir a 'Book an Appointment'