Gardening Tips for Avoiding Back Pain from Baltimore Back and Pain Center

Spring has finally sprung in Baltimore and many of us are looking forward to getting outside and sprucing up our yards, tending to our flower beds and just gardening in general. However, gardening is one of the first activities of the spring season where we subject ourselves to sudden bursts of activity and really put our backs at risk.

As much as we look forward to getting out in the garden, we're not looking forward to feeling sore after all the kneeling, pulling, leaning and twisting. After a long winter of not moving our bodies this way, it’s important to prepare our spine, joints, and muscles.

Dr. Michael Dorn of Baltimore Back and Pain Center offers a few tips to help you have a relaxing, enjoyable, and pain-free spring gardening season:

• Warm Up and Stretch: As with any form of exercise, stretching must be done before and after the activity. Stretching should target your back and core, shoulders and arms, and leg muscles.
• Minimize Repetitive Motions: Alternating tasks is a good way to break up the repetitive motions.
• Digging/Raking: Make sure you keep the shovel or rake in front of you and avoid twisting motions. If you need to get to an area on the side, re-position yourself to keep the shovel in line with your body.
• Kneel, Don't Bend: When you bend for a prolonged time, the ligaments in your back are overstretched. To avoid this from happening, keep your back straight like a plank. If you have to bend down, hinge at your hips and keep your spine straight. Use a kneeling pad to protect your knees.
• Lifting: If you are transporting heavy pots or planters, use a wheelbarrow. When you are lifting to put them in the wheelbarrow, make sure to get the power from your legs instead of your back and never twist while holding heavy objects.
• Rest and Hydrate: Make sure you take breaks to stand up straight and stretch about every 15-30 minutes. Bring a water bottle outside with you to stay hydrated.
• Prevention: If you find that you are still feeling sore or stiff, it is time to consider Chiropractic care and give our Baltimore chiropractic office a call at 410-662-4476 to schedule an appointment for a free chiropractic evaluation.

Baltimore Chiropractor Explains Why Texting Isn't Always So "GR8!"

Between shooting off emails, sending text messages, and updating our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, we put our phones - and our thumbs - through a lot of work. A 2013 study from Experian cited that American smartphone users between the ages of 18-24 send over 2,000 texts per month. And with that, we may be doing some serious damage to our thumbs.

"The repetitive action of ANY activity can contribute to an injury, and texting day in and day out is no different," cites Baltimore chiropractor Dr. Michael Dorn. It's important to consider the cumulative effect of all of the activities that use the same muscle groups. So, texting in addition to other activities that use the same muscles, such as performing hand-intensive jobs or playing video games, can put people at a higher risk for injury.

Here are a few suggestions to lower your risk of injury:

• Take breaks. As with any activity, taking a break can help.
• Chill out. Ice can be helpful if painful symptoms develop.
• Stretch. There are a number of different hand and finger (and thumb) stretches that can help.
• Consider your other activities. If possible, minimize all activities that require heavy use of your thumb.

If you think you may have an upper extremity injury, come visit us at Baltimore Back and Pain Center for a complimentary evaluation. Call the office today at 410-662-4476 to schedule an appointment.

Baltimore Chiropractor Advises: See a Chiropractor Before Scheduling Back Surgery

There's an 80% chance that you'll suffer back pain during your lifetime. If you see a medical doctor, he will likely recommend medication to temporarily relieve the pain. Depending on your doctor's assessment and how you respond, he may even consider you a candidate for spine surgery.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "back surgery is needed in only a small percentage of cases. Most back problems can be taken care of with nonsurgical treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medication, ice, heat, gentle massage and physical therapy." The Mayo Clinic goes on to admit that while "back pain is extremely common ... surgery often fails to relieve it."

However, if you read that statement carefully, you will notice that chiropractic treatment is absent from the nonsurgical recommendations. This is despite research that supports chiropractic care for the treatment of back pain and also on the increasing reliance on chiropractic as a first-line treatment option. The authors of the study also noted that "there is little evidence spine surgery is associated with improved population outcomes, yet surgery rates have increased dramatically since the 1990s."

Unfortunately, too many people first head to their medical doctor's office instead of a chiropractor's office to treat their back pain. Even though research and experience show chiropractic is the safest, most effective option for most cases of back pain.

New patients to Baltimore Back and Pain Center receive a free, thorough chiropractic evaluation to determine if your pain can be treated through chiropractic care. Dr. Michael Dorn will ask specific questions about your pain or discomfort and examine your back or area of pain. And if necessary, you will be referred to another health care provider for conditions which are not appropriate for chiropractic care.

Call Baltimore Back and Pain Center at (410) 662-4476 for your free chiropractic evaluation and complimentary hydro massage. You don't have to just live with pain or hope that it will go away on it's own. You deserve to be pain free!