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Blog Category – Back Pain Sciatica

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“Do I Need an MRI?”

Feb 9, 2018

This is one of the most common questions the therapists and I get at clinic on a weekly basis, second only to “What’s going on, and can you fix it?” And while the answer varies depending on the situation, I’m going to do my best to answer the MRI question for you today.

Here’s the simple answer: No, you don’t necessarily need an MRI.

Now let me explain: Let’s say you’ve been having shoulder pain for several months, and you suspect that you have a rotator cuff (RC) tear. It might make sense to get an MRI to see if you do in fact have a tear, especially if you think you might need surgery.

But before you opt for the MRI, stop and consider a few things…

“Did you guys do this, or did I?” Susie Strikes Again!

Nov 8, 2017

Do you remember “Susie” from about 5 weeks ago?

She was the inspiration for the blog titled “No Pain, No Gain” – How this Mentality will Leave You Stuck in Pain!

Well, she’s done it again and inspired another blog/video!

Nobody Cares About Back Pain (and Sciatica)

Oct 20, 2017

Last weekend, I hosted a “Back Pain & Sciatica” workshop at the clinic.

During the course of the workshop, we covered a lot of information, including the following:

Basic anatomy of the spine
Common causes of back pain and sciatica
The top 3 causes and what they each look like
Successful treatment

When we started talking about how to eliminate lower back pain and sciatica, I introduced the “3 Phases of Recovery”, which include:
Reduce Pain & Inflammation
Improve Strength and Flexibility
Return to Activity (plus prevent future injury)

As we went through these phases of recovery, and important point occurred to me: Nobody actually cares about back pain!

You might think this sounds strange, but let me tell you, the 10 people in the audience all nodded their heads in agreement.

“No Pain, No gain” – How this mentality will leave you stuck with pain!

Oct 6, 2017

This week, I had the pleasure of working with one of our close family friends in the clinic.

I’m going to call her “Susie” in today’s email and blog. Here’s her quick story:

= = = = =

Susie is a very active lady, even at roughly 70 years old.

She enjoys talking long walks with her husband, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing with the grandkids.

Not bad, huh?!

Unfortunately, Susie’s been struggling with some pain in her right hip and buttocks over the last year or so.

The pain comes and goes, but has gotten more consistent over the last couple months, and it’s now starting to limit some of her favorite activities.

And I hate to say this 4-letter word in October, but the SNOW is on its way, and Susie wants to be prepared for skiing and snowshoeing!

Susie tried some physical therapy treatments a couple months ago (at another clinic), and her pain relief was only temporary at best.

And on Thursday, she decided I’d nagged her enough that she’d let me try to help her with what we now refer to as her “pain in the butt.”

Back Pain & Sciatica: Is It a Bulging Disc or Degenerative Changes?

Sep 15, 2017

Bulging discs and degenerative changes are the 2 most common causes of lower back pain and sciatica that we see in the clinic. And one of the most common questions that I get is “How do I know if I have a bulging disc or some other degenerative type of pain?”

In this video, I’ll explain to you how to determine which of these 2 is causing your back and sciatica pain. And I’ll also explain how you need to adopt a different treatment approach depending on the type of pain you have.