Dentist Back Pain
Low back pain is an ailment that plagues much of the population, and dentists certainly aren’t immune to it. In fact, dentists typically suffer more than most because of the nature of their everyday activities and not utilizing correct sitting posture. After spending most of the day leaning over patients, it’s no wonder why they experience postural issues and chronic lower back pain.
The problem is that, more times than not, the symptoms for lower back pain are treated rather than really getting to the root of the problem.
In reality, we must look above and below the lower back to solve this issue. I’ll explain . . . To simplify, our body is a stack of joints, and each joint has a function to either provide mobility or stability with regard to overall bodily movement. When the joints are functioning properly and doing their job, the result is efficient movement and a healthy body. But, when a joint isn’t performing its function, another joint will compensate to pick up the slack for the underperforming joint. These compensation patterns occur above and/or below the joint that isn’t doing its job. In almost every case, this leads to pain or injury in the compensating joint(s).
So, when it comes to relieving lower back pain, the problem is that most people only focus on the lower back instead of addressing the surrounding parts of the body, which are likely the main cause for the problem. I compare this hearing your smoke alarm going off and pulling out the batteries. Sure, you’ve stopped the loud, annoying noise, but you still haven’t put out the fire.
Lower Back Pain
The real solution is to look at the joints above and below the lumbar spine (low back) to find relief. When it comes to joint function, the lumbar spine is designed for stability. The lumbar spine is comprised of 5 vertebrae that are significantly bigger than the others in the vertebral column. These vertebrae are NOT built for flexing, extending, or rotating. Any sort of core training that you perform should be focused on stabilization instead of movement. On the other hand, the thoracic spine and hips are designed for mobility. The 12 vertebrae of the thoracic spine, located above the lumbar spine, attach to the rib cage and are smaller and are capable of more movement. The ball and socket of the hip joint is located below the lumbar spine and has a great capacity for multi-planer movement. When the hips and thoracic spine don’t move well, the lumbar spine compensates and moves instead, which leads to pain and/or injury.
This may sound like an oversimplification because there are all sorts of remedies out there, but the proof’s in the pudding. Improve mobility in the hips and thoracic spine, while performing core strength training to stabilize the lumbar spine, and you’ll have a healthier, pain-free back. So, if you’re looking to relieve lower back pain, get your attention off the lower back and place it on the surrounding areas.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you want information on back pain exercises and similar topics, you can visit my blog at The Athletes Insider.
Your Strength and Conditioning Coach,
Brian Utley, CSCS, PES
One Response to “How Core Strength Training Can Help Dentists With Lower Back Pain”
A BOOK REVIEW by Richard H. Tyler, DC former astsaicoe editor, Dynamic ChiropracticHOW TO AVOID BACK SURGERY CHIROPRACTIC THE PROVEN METHOD FOR BACK PAIN by J.C. Smith, DC 1800-336-2013Most patients come to our respective offices with the express purpose of relieving either neck or low back pain. Everything else is incidental. While spinal adjustments and other conservative methods often have a salubrious effect upon the welfare of the entire physiology of the patient it’s the pain that drives them into most chiropractic offices. There are always those who really don’t plan to get well. Not too long ago a patient came to me with a low back problem. Nothing unusual. He would come in only when he felt he needed to. No maintenance for him just adjust as needed. No amount of reasoning could change his mind. I was thinking of releasing him from further care but he beat me to it. He informed me that he had decided on surgery for his low back. It seemed that some greedy surgeon decided he could make some extra money by letting a little blood fly. In the meantime the patient went along with the idea because it offered him a way to get on permanent disability. Mind you there was nothing seriously wrong with his back. To see him you would never guess he was feeling any pain. And he was sure that a little carving would assure him a ticket to a seat in the rocking chair with a beer in one hand and the TV remote in the other. Unfortunately, he didn’t know or want to know the dismal record of failed back surgery. How sad it is that a profession with our historic record of success with low back pain has little more than some pamphlets to do the majority of education of our patients. When it becomes a question of educating the public about surgical options something more comprehensive is needed. Perhaps I should say at this point was needed. Dr. J.C. Smith is probably one of the chiropractic profession’s most articulate communicators. He has the wonderful gift to write in such a way that it becomes almost conversational so that the reader doesn’t feel that he or she is getting a lecture while being informed. The only fault I find is that he should have written How to Avoid Back Surgery a long time ago. The book is in soft cover and is only 130 pages. In other words, there isn’t any wasted verbiage it’s just hard hitting facts that both the patient and the doctor can learn from. In its five chapters Dr. Smith covers how to avoid surgery, decision making, risks, research and answers. Each chapter is fully referenced and a bibliography is supplied. At one point the author alludes to the fact that the U.S. has three times as many operations for disc problems as in Canada and nine times as many as in Europe. Are we that much more susceptible to spinal problems or are our surgeons that much greedier? This book gives the reader the information to answer that question and much more. With some for whatever the reason they choose surgery but for the vast majority they would do almost anything to keep from going under the knife and J.C. Smith’s latest effort to educate the public gives them the information they need to justify their choice for conservative alternatives. J.C. Smith is a brilliant essayist and educator and How to Avoid Back Surgery is an excellent example of his technique and style. Certainly another jewel in his treasure chest of shared knowledge. Get the book for yourself and for your patients and everyone will benefit.