Yard work, Back pain! What' the solution? | Bellevue Chiropractor

Low back pain after yard work. Is there help for that?

I was doing yard work for 4 hours yesterday since the sun was out. I shoveled 2 yards of mulch. That was way more than I expected. And my back was not too happy this morning. What should I do?

Besides paying attention to my posture while pushing wheel barrel, shoveling dirt, bending and lifting, I also took several mini breaks in between. I stretched out my back, legs and thighs. I drank extra water. I also paid extra attention to my posture when sitting and driving. I put a pillow on my low back while sitting down and did not sit on a soft chair. I sat all the way back and rest my back again the backseat while driving last night. All these were intended to maintain the low back lordosis, curvature. With bending and twisting my back while shoveling, I need to restore the natural curvature in my low back with self care methods mentioned above.

After doing all those stretching exercise and maintaining a proper posture, I still feel extra tense over my low back. Therefore, I went to see my chiropractic colleague and got a chiropractic adjustment. My back felt much better after the treatment. The stress is less, my back does not feel locked up, and the muscles feel less tense. I am going to take things easy the next few days. I will be doing some gentle low back stretching exercises and get chiropractic adjustments again to make sure my spine is in balance. Chiropractic care is safe and effective for back pain on top of doing stretching exercises and watching your posture.



Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com

Sitting time and all-cause mortality risk | Bellevue Chiropractor

Too much sitting linked to shortened lives: study(2)

         People who spent a lot of time sitting at a desk or in front of a television were more likely to die than those who were only sedentary a few hours a day, according to an Australian study that looked at death rates during a three-year period. (1) Researchers, whose results appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that the link between too much time sitting and shortened lives stuck even when they accounted for how much moderate or vigorous exercise people got, as well as their weight and other measures of health. The study concludes that prolonged sitting is a risk factor for all-cause mortality, independent of physical activity. Public health programs should focus on reducing sitting time in addition to increasing physical activity levels. There is also another study found out that time spent in sedentary behaviors was positively associated with mortality, and participation in high levels of moderate vigorous physical activities did not fully mitigate health risks associated with prolonged time watching television.(3)

      In short sitting too long will shorten your lifespan even if you do exercises regularly. In order to live longer and healthier it is very important for us to take mini breaks at work or when watching TV. A simple solution is to get up and move around for a few minutes every hour. You can use a timer to remind yourself. Stretching your neck, upper back and low back will keep you body flexible and prevent you from foot pain, forward head posture, neck pain, back pain, or work injuries. As a chiropractor I always recommend my patients to do regular stretching and posture exercises at work and home. It takes about 10 minutes but you will feel much better over you back and neck right away. Don't wait until it is too late. Besides stretching, or walking around, it is also imperative to have your spine checked by a chiropractor. In this fast pace society and with sedentary life style, we are putting lots of stress on our body without knowing it. Seeing a chiropractor can keep your spine active and healthy and in balance. If your spine goes out of balance, it will put pressure on your body. You will have aches and pain. Chiropractic adjustment is a natural and safe way to keep you in balance! We help you stay active and you will live longer!
      


References:

1. van der Ploeg HP, Chey T, Korda RJ, Banks E, Bauman A.Sitting Time and All-Cause Mortality Risk Arch Intern Med. 2012 Mar 26;172(6):494-500.

2. Reuters: Too much sitting linked to shortened lives.
3. Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors and cause-specific mortality in US adults


Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com