Healthy News June 2021

Back pain patients visit Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office with all sorts of different issues. Some walk better than others. Some have stronger muscles than others. Some are more prone to depression than others. Your Groton chiropractor knows this and meets each back pain patient where s/he is and assesses each patient to discover the difference(s) that make all the difference when putting together a relieving chiropractic treatment plan. Tests like the 6-minute walk test that measures the distance walked in 6 minutes and the TUG (‘time up to go’ from a seated position) test can be quite educational about musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in degenerative lumbar spine patients. Both may be affected by back pain. (1) Back muscles that turn weak and fatty (like the multifidus muscle tends to do) signify issues with inflammatory and regeneration processes. (Back surgeons don’t like this as a poorer surgical outcome is likely.) (2) Chiropractors know this and promote gentle exercise for these back muscles as part of the treatment plan to prevent recurrent back pain that some low back disc degeneration sufferers endure. A recent study described that those who tend to get recurrent back pain were shown to move in a different way, more guardedly, likely to avoid pain. Recurrent back pain patients also suffered with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and disability as well as a lower quality of life. (3) Your Groton chiropractor welcomes all back pain sufferers with all their issues. Your chiropractor partners with each one throughout the current back pain event and beyond to control the back pain (physical, mental, and emotional aspects), so it doesn’t control them.