“Oh My Aching Back from the 4th of July!”

July 5, 2015

Did you know that 80% of America’s population will suffer from lower back pain at some time in our lives? I suspect today, July 5th, that number will be higher. Why you ask? Sitting too much yesterday…especially for those fireworks displays!

For many people, sitting in any position for any length of time produces no problem at all. However, other people are not so lucky because sitting, even for short periods of time, can be painful. The pain may be during sitting or afterward, when they try to get up to stand. The pain may be brief, or in some cases the person might have it last for years.

The lumbar spine is at risk of injury from sports, sitting, lifting and work or daily life activities. There are hundreds of studies explaining that sitting is the most lethal cause of back pain because it creates more vertical pressure in the discs of the spine than does standing. Sitting forward over the hips (such as working at your computer) creates even more pressure than sitting with your back against the chair back.

One way to lessen one’s risk of back pain, or repeated back pain is by stretching the hip muscles and strengthening the lumbar spine and core musculature.

If one experiences a back strain, physical therapy is one of the best ways to not only diminish the pain, but more importantly, physical therapy can greatly reduce the chances of further injury down the road via education, manual therapy, posture screening, ergonomic intervention, and of course, exercises to be done regularly.

Did you know, in California, most people are able to see a Physical Therapist WITHOUT having to see their doctor first?!  Call our office to find out more!

Andrew Vertson
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