The Exercisist - Controlling Your Pain Demons Via Exercise

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Being a chiropractor means that I treat many people in pain.  Pain in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing.  It is the body’s way of telling you that something isn’t quite right.  The problem is that instead of heeding their body’s warning and seeking treatment in order to correct the problem, many people reach for pain pills that only temporarily mask the pain and go merrily on their way.  This can create a vicious circle in which the body can become even more out of balance and in turn create even more damage and pain.

What most people do not realize is that pain killers are not the only way to combat pain.  One of the things we teach our patients is the use of therapeutic exercises that can be performed at home.  They are low impact and are designed to help patients attenuate pain between visits by providing increased flexibility.  The reason these exercises are so effective in helping patients control their pain is simply due to the fact that by restricting movement as many people do when they hurt then the body will in turn tighten up limiting motion even more.  Exercising the affected areas promotes flexibility and proper alignment.  Misalignment of the spine is one of the chief causes of pain. 

Bear in mind that performing the proper exercise regimen should not cause much if any pain at all.  Plus once you have finished exercising, the pain should if anything be reduced.  It should also free you to move with greater ease and significantly more confidence.  (People experiencing pain are usually afraid to move for fear that the affected area may lock up or spasm.) 

Lower Back Pain

Back extensions stretch and relax the muscles of the lower back.  Lying on your stomach, prop yourself up on your elbows.  Slowly arch your back by pushing down on the floor.  Hold for several seconds and repeat eight to ten times.  Make sure that you do not bend your neck backwards and keep your hips flat on the floor throughout the entire routine.

Another low impact exercise that has been known to help people with lower back pain is to lie flat on one’s back with one leg bent.  Raise the bent leg slowly toward the chest.  Then wrap your arms around it and lower it slowly to the floor.  Repeat 10 times then switch to the opposite leg.

Pain in the Legs

If the pain you are experiencing radiates down the leg, you may be experiencing what is known as sciatica. If that is the case, then one of the exercises that can help with this condition is a variation of the back extension called the McKenzie Exercise.  As with back extensions you start this exercise flat on your stomach and propped up on your elbows.  The difference with the McKenzie is that instead of simply rising onto both forearms, with this exercise you continue the motion on one side only.  (see video below)  Hold this posture for a couple of seconds and repeat 10 times.

Always employ common sense when performing these or any other therapeutic exercises.  Stop immediately if you experience pain during or after exercising.  To reduce the risk of injury, consult with your chiropractor before doing these exercises for the first time.  While these simple exercises can help you attenuate back and leg pain, bear in mind that your chiropractor may be able to help you correct the root cause of your pain and in so doing help you exorcise the demons once and for all.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/