Back pain and hip pain and spine issues merge for many chiropractic patients, bringing
them into Pflugerville Wellness Center. We’re ready to
help! Getting older presents some unique challenges for those
who experience back, hip and spine pain but also some unique benefits
today thanks to new ways to keeping
stability and dealing with and reducing pain. Your
Pflugerville chiropractor keeps on top of these novel
approaches and is prepared to help you!
SIMPLE TESTS FOR OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR SPINES
Older folks know that with age comes ‘wisdom’…and
its own set of unique peculiarities. Different
aches and pains arise one morning or mid-afternoon or
evening, requiring attention. For those Pflugerville back
pain sufferers who are a little older, hip range of motion and
strength may foretell how 12 months down the road a
chronic low back pain patient may be functioning. Researchers put this to the test! Reduced hip strength and
range of motion forecast a deterioration in
function a year later. Hip osteoarthritis did not affect these outcomes. (1)
Your chiropractor will perform a thorough examination and knows some easy-to-do tests of hip
strength and range of motion – gait speed, 6-minute walk test, subjective
questionnaires, even imaging as necessary - to rule
out osteoarthritis.
3D IMAGING BENEFITS
Imaging has come a long way! Today, MRI images
of the spine in 3D are now clinically possible.
Their benefit is higher spatial resolution, reformation in any
plane so the MRI process is faster, and interpretation is more precise.
Pretty cool! Another benefit, especially for back
pain sufferers who have undergone back surgery already with metal implants, etc., and now have pain
again is that 3D imaging permits viewing
around the metal. (2) Such views can help doctors
see problems at adjacent spine levels.
A SPECIFIC SPINE ISSUE: PISA SYNDROME
Pain issues in one area of the spine can certainly
impact other areas and even trigger more pain. A
postural disorder some older back pain sufferers may experience is
called Pisa Syndrome which is characterized by lateral flexion of
the spine greater than 10 degrees which sets them up
to falls, a lower quality of life, and increased
risk of mortality in neurological diseases. Postural stability exercises are essential
for such patients, essential enough that they should do these always
to reduce fall risk. (3) Pflugerville Wellness Center is all about
stability!
CONTACT Pflugerville Wellness Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Gary Stefanick on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses
his use of Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction to ease back pain after back
surgery. Back pain specialists like your Pflugerville chiropractor are able
to examine, diagnose, and treat post-surgical continued pain.
Schedule your Pflugerville
chiropractic appointment now. Pflugerville chiropractic
patients find camaraderie with each other when back pain, hip
pain, and spine stability are involved as well as relief from their chiropractic care. We
look forward to seeing you soon!