An article published today in the Los Angeles Times outlines the low back pain epidemic and tips on how to keep your low back pain-free.
A 2009 study in Archives of Internal Medicine found that the prevalence of chronic, impairing low back pain rose from 3.9% of adults in 1992 to 10.2% in 2006. And a 2006 study from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases says that lower-back pain is the No. 2 reason why Americans see a doctor, second only to the common cold.
Stu McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, says the majority of low-back pain stems from the cumulative damage caused by bending forward at the waist. That motion causes the vertebrae toward the base of the spine to pinch together; if you’re not careful about maintaining proper form, it can lead to problems like herniated disks.
Core strengthening is often times the intial step in treating low back pain and preventing further recurrences. “Pain is just a symptom, and we want to find the source,” states Craig Liebenson, who spent four years as team chiropractor for the L.A. Clippers and is director of Los Angeles Sports and Spine. “Healthy core function helps to reduce back pain by providing a margin of error when lifting, bending or twisting”. These active treatments require more effort than passive treatments such as chiropractic manipulation or massage therapy. “The most important thing is showing people what to do for themselves,” Liebenson said.
Dr. Beny Charchian, a low back pain and interventional spine specialist at the Orthohealing Center is proud to work with Dr. Liebenson and other leaders in the community to provide an individualized rehabilitation program in combination with minimally invasive injections such as epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, platelet rich plasma injections, and radiofrequency ablation to provide pain relief and help patients regain thier active lifestyles!
