One approach used in a rehabilitation program, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) uses an electric current to stimulate muscles to contract. Electrical impulses are thought to interrupt messages sent by pain receptors from the nerves to the brain. If the brain does not receive these messages, it does not recognize pain, and you do notContinue Reading »
Is this person experiencing low back pain? When my patients in Wyckoff and Ridgewood tell me they are nervous about their MRI results. I often have to reassure my patients that every physical therapist or physician must match the MRI with a thorough history and clinical examination in order to arrive at a accurateContinue Reading »
When you initially develop low back pain a few questions come up. Do I need bed rest? What exercises should I perform? What pain should I seek help for immediately? Here is a few facts and tips about low back pain for the first six weeks: More than two days of bed rest is often more harmful thanContinue Reading »
Can back pain ever be good? People suffering from backache would say, “No.” But some experts believe that back pain resulting from a process known as centralization can be a very good thing. Centralization means that pain originating in the back and traveling to the leg or the buttocks can be redirected to its actualContinue Reading »
In our fast paced world, sometimes it can difficult for those who need it to receive physical therapy for low back pain. This can be because of fear, poor experience or results with past physical therapy, lack of time, insurance reasons, cost, or a mix of all of the above. For years I have beenContinue Reading »
I tell my patients with low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, stenosis, osteoarthritis, spondylosis or spinal pain to limit sitting to no longer than 20minutes. At that time I prefer if patients stand up and walk around to change the position of the spine. A great option is using a adjustable height desk that allowsContinue Reading »
A study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (Kerr, D., Ackland, T., Maslen, B., Morton, A., & Prince, R. (1 January 2001) titled Resistance Training over 2 years increases bone mass in calcium-replete postmenopausal women reported the results for 126 postmenopausal women over 2 years whose calcium intake met the current standard: one groupContinue Reading »
Do you feel as though you need to turn your entire body to look to one side? Do you wake up with pain in the base of your head and upper back, pain that only gets worse after long car rides or working at a desk all day? Is there an unexplained ringing in yourContinue Reading »
Pain across the shoulder blades or weakness in the upper arms could be symptoms of C5 radiculopathy, a condition caused by the malfunction of a nerve in the neck that affects the shoulders and arms. Symptoms include pain of the shoulders and upper arms, and weakness in those areas, especially when you attempt movement. TheContinue Reading »
Recent studies have called into question use of epidural steroid injections (ESI) for patients with spinal stenosis. Some patients, whether they required surgery or responded to non-surgical care (i.e. chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc.) have seen better long-term outcomes without ESI. (Spine. February 15, 2013, volume 38-Issue 4, pp. 279-291). Two key findings: For all patients inContinue Reading »