The British Medical Journal recently published clinical practice guidelines that recommend against medical procedures like injections and nerve ablations for treating chronic spinal pain or extremity pain radiating from the spine (like sciatic). Many patients would be surprised to read the findings of this review of the research, so let's take a closer look.

Key Recommendations:
The guideline strongly recommends against the routine use of commonly performed medical procedures for chronic spine pain.

• Epidural steroid injections: These involve injecting corticosteroids into the epidural space around the spinal cord to reduce inflammation and pain. 
• Facet joint injections/medial branch blocks: These injections target the small joints in the spine (facet joints) or the nerves that supply them (medial branches).
• Radiofrequency ablation: This procedure uses heat generated by radio waves to "burn" nerve endings to interrupt pain signals.
• Sacroiliac (SI) joint injections: Targeting the joint connecting the spine to the pelvis for pain in that region.

This recommendation is based on evidence suggesting that these procedures offer "little to no benefit" when compared to placebo procedures. Furthermore, they can be "burdensome" for patients and may lead to harmful side effects.
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Who Should Follow These Spine Pain Recommendations?
This guideline applies to adults experiencing spine pain (e.g., lower back pain, neck pain) or radicular (e.g., sciatica, pain radiating down a limb) that has lasted for three months or longer. This does not include pain associated with other conditions such as cancer, infections, or inflammatory spondylarthritis.

What Options Are Recommended for Spine Pain?
BMJ has published guidelines for back pain that include drug-free treatments like chiropractic adjusting and therapy as first-line approaches, followed by anti-inflammatories and Tylenol as secondary approaches. There may be cases that benefit from spinal injections, but there is better evidence of benefit over harm when taking a conservative approach first to treat spine related pain.

​Living with allergies can be challenging, but many natural strategies can help reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life. Try these tips for significant relief.

First, minimize exposure to allergens. Some triggers are more easily avoided than others. Running the air through your house with high quality filters can help reduce a number of allergens. Showering before bed and washing bedding frequently can reduce exposure while sleeping. Saline nasal rinses using a neti pot or squeeze bottle can effectively flush allergens and mucus from nasal passages.

Next, consider dietary adjustments to reduce your level of systemic inflammation and take a load off of your immune system. Avoid inflammatory foods like sweeteners, processed oils and grains. Incorporate nutirent-rich foods like veggies and fruits that have an anti-inflammatory effect.  Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fatty fish like salmon, can reduce inflammation. Some people find relief by adding local honey to their diet, theorized to desensitize the body to local pollen. Fermented foods like probiotic yogurt and kefir support a healthy gut microbiome, which is strongly linked to immune function and can influence allergy responses

Herbal remedies and supplements can also be helpful. Two of our favorite herbal supplements to support healthy sinuses include Allergco and Sinus Forte from MediHerb. Allergco includes Albizia stem bark, Chinese Skullcap root, and Black Cumin seed extract to maintain respiratory tract function, immune, and skin health. Sinus Forte contains Eyebright and Golden Rob herbs, Echinacea root extract, Golden Seal root and rhizome, and Cayenne fruit extract to support healthy upper respiratory mucous membranes. Click the links above to learn more.
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A combination of these natural strategies can dramatically reduce your allergy symptoms. If you have more questions about these, schedule a visit with our doctors.

​Gardening is a rewarding activity, but it can also lead to aches, pains, and even serious injuries if proper precautions aren't taken. To ensure your time in the garden remains enjoyable and pain-free, follow these essential tips:
1. Warm Up and Stretch: Treat gardening like any other physical activity. Before you start, perform light stretches for your back, shoulders, arms, and wrists. A few minutes of gentle movement can significantly reduce muscle strain and stiffness.

2. Use Proper Body Mechanics: Avoid bending at the waist for prolonged periods. Instead, squat or kneel with knee pads to protect your joints and keep your back straight. When lifting heavy objects like bags of soil or mulch, bend your knees, engage your core, and lift with your legs, keeping the load close to your body. Use a wheelbarrow for transporting heavy items.

3. Invest in Ergonomic Tools: Choose tools with comfortable, wide handles that reduce strain on your hands and wrists. Long-handled tools can help you reach without excessive bending. Keep your tools sharp and well-maintained; dull tools require more force, increasing injury risk.

4. Vary Your Tasks and Take Breaks: Repetitive motions can lead to overuse injuries like tendonitis. Alternate between different gardening tasks (e.g., raking, then pruning, then planting) to engage different muscle groups. Take regular breaks every 20-30 minutes to rest, stretch, and rehydrate, especially on hot days.

5. Wear Protective Gear: Wear sturdy gardening gloves to protect your hands. Proper footwear (closed-toe shoes, not sandals) helps prevent foot injuries. It's healthy to soak up some sun, but consider a hat and sunscreen to protect against sun burns.

By incorporating these simple safety measures, you can cultivate a beautiful garden while keeping yourself healthy and injury-free. If you notice any soreness following yard work, try ice and gentle stretching movements. Schedule a visit for further evaluation and care for any persistent or severe injuries.

Strong bones are essential for overall health and well-being, and there is a lot you can do to support better bone health. Here are some simple ways we encourage patients at our clinic to help their bones be their strongest and reduce the risk of osteoporosis:
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• Nutrition & Supplements: A diet rich in whole unprocessed foods provides essential nutrients for bone health. Bone broth and fermented foods provide added benefit. Fermented dairy (yogurt and real cheeses) have been associated with better bone health while milk has not.​ Research has varied on the benefits of supplementing with just calcium. We recommend  a Standard Process supplement called Calcifood which is made from animal bone to provide a variety of nutrients and feed the whole bone complex. Vitamin D also helps your body absorb calcium and is important for bone health. Sunlight exposure or vitamin D supplements can help maintain a healthy level. Have vitamin D tested as part of your blood work to check your status.
• Weight-bearing Exercises & Vibration: Engage in activities that put healthy stress on your bones. Walking, running, dancing, and weightlifting are excellent options. These exercises help stimulate bone growth and density. Exercises that challenge balance also help reduce the risk of falls and fractures. Vibration therapy uses a special platform to increase the load on your bones as well. Non-weight-bearing exercise like swimming is great but does not help as much to strengthen your bones.
• Limit Alcohol and Tobacco: Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking can weaken bones. If you smoke, quitting is crucial for bone health.
• Use Caution with Medications: Some medications can interfere with bone health and should be discussed with your doctor. These may include steroids, hormones, acid reducers, high dose blood thinners, diuretics, and anti-convulsive medications.

By following these guidelines, you can take proactive steps to strengthen your bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis or bone injuries.

The cold and flu season can be a miserable time, but there are several natural ways to improve immune system function and reduce your susceptibility to a cold or flu. With the weather changing, it is a good time to think about preparing to avoid the worst by improving your health habits.

1. Eat a healthy diet: Nutrient dense foods provide a variety of vitamins and minerals that help the immune system function at its best. Load up on real whole foods and avoid the processed junk that impairs immune health. Include bone broth and fermented foods in your diet for an extra boost.
2. Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps to flush out toxins and keep your body functioning optimally. Dehydration is central to common problems that arise from respiratory infections so prioritize healthy water intake.
3. Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep is essential for overall health, including a robust immune system. Lack of sleep leaves you susceptible to the next bug that comes along. 6-7 hours per night is the minimum.
4. Manage stress: Chronic stress can weaken your immune response. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga to manage stress. Time outside is another great stress reliever.
5. Exercise regularly: Physical activity helps to boost your immune system and reduce inflammation.
6. Take your supplements: Vitamin D production especially drops as our days shorten and we spend more time indoors out of the cold. Keep your D level up with a daily supplement. 
7. Wash your hands frequently: This simple habit can go a long way in preventing the spread of germs.

By incorporating these natural strategies into your daily routine, you can significantly reduce your risk of catching a cold or flu. And if you do experience a cold, these consistent health habits can ease your recovery.

Pickleball has been growing in popularity as a fun sport to play at most ages and fitness levels. It’s a great way to be active and enjoy time with others. Though pickleball tends to be relatively low impact in nature, injuries can occur, and we have seen an increasing number of these injuries in our clinic.

To minimize your risk of injury with pickleball (and improve your performance), consider the following tips:

• Warm up and cool down: Proper stretching or easy movements before and after playing helps prepare your muscles and prevent soreness. Make sure to include gentle stretches for the back, arms, and legs.
• Use proper technique & posture: Correct form is crucial for avoiding strain and overuse injuries with any sport. Avoid a slouched position that places more stress on your body.
• Wear appropriate footwear: Good shoes provide support and reduce the risk leg injuries with pickleball.
• Listen to your body: If you experience pain, rest and avoid overexertion.
• Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water prevents dehydration and fatigue that interfere with performance and increase your risk of injury.

Follow these tips and you can enjoy the benefits of pickleball while staying safe on the court. If you feel a little more soreness than usual, try applying ice or compression. For pains that don’t resolve within a couple days, schedule an evaluation. When injuries do occur, drug-free care like chiropractic can help you bounce back faster so you don't miss the fun!

While conservative care like chiropractic and therapies often benefit patients with new disc injuries or chronic disc degeneration, patients often ask about natural supplements that can help support spinal disc health. Glucosamine Synergy from Standard Process is our go-to supplement to help support disc or joint function in acute and chronic cases while we work to improve their condition with hands-on care.

Discs are special joints in your spine that act like shock absorbers between the vertebrae. They have an outer ring of rubber band-like fibers and a jelly-like center. Injuries often occur when the outer ring weakens or tears, allowing the center to bulge or push out creating a disc herniation. This can irritate nearby nerves, leading to pain or numbness through the spine or extremities.
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If you suspect a disc injury, early treatment is key for a good recovery. Conservative care, like chiropractic is recommended in most cases for initial treatment, and surgery can often be avoided.

Feed Your Joints & Discs to Support Repair
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Feeding the body nutrient-dense foods during the healing of musculoskeletal injuries helps give the body what it needs for repairs. Glucosamine Synergy includes nutrients designed to help feed the discs and connective tissues of the spine. Among the many nutrient-dense foods in Glucosamine Synergy, three key ingredients are included:

• Glucosamine: A building block of cartilage, which cushions your joints.
• Boswellia serrata: An herb with anti-inflammatory properties, potentially reducing joint discomfort after exercise.
• Manganese: A mineral crucial for collagen production, a major component of connective tissue.

Joint degeneration and arthritis often develop with age, making discs less flexible. It’s important to keep your joints moving well and support them with proper nutrition to maintain good function. Consider Glucosamine Synergy as one of your tools to support healthy joints.

While a single bag of chips won't kill you, research confirms a diet high in ultra-processed foods is linked to a shorter lifespan. The latest study on these modern foods found their consumption is linked to a 10% or more reduction in lifespan when eaten regularly.

Whole or minimally processed foods are easily recognizable in a state like how they were grown. Ultra-processed foods are created from mixing chemical additives and substances extracted from foods. Examples of these foods are soft drinks, hot dogs, fast food, packaged baked goods and snacks.

The top three most common types of ultra-processed foods consumed were determined to be diet soft drinks, sugary soft drinks, and refined grains (breads and baked goods). With these making up the majority of ultra-processed food intake, it’s likely they are also doing the most damage to our health.

Ultra-processed foods impair our health in multiple ways. These include causing nutrient imbalances, increasing inflammation in the body, disrupting gut health and the microbiome, and displacing healthy whole foods.

The good news? Studies show that even small reductions in ultra-processed food intake can have a positive impact on health and longevity. So ditch the processed snacks and focus on a diet rich in whole foods for a longer, healthier life.

In a world obsessed with fad products and pills promoted by the latest social media stars, Dr. Aaron McMichael's "Eat Ugly" offers a refreshing take on achieving better health. This book isn't about chasing the latest superfood, spending hours at the gym, or finding a magic pill. Instead, Dr. McMichael offers a collection of 64 simple and memorable tips that enable readers to take control of their health.

"Eat Ugly" Teaches You To Take Control of Your Health

Dr. McMichael noted, “I wanted to write a book that was an enjoyable read without the medical jargon, and could empower people to take simple steps to make a big difference in improving their health. It’s time to recognize that our genes are often not the biggest determinant of health; our lifestyle choices are more important. The research is clear but 500 pages explaining it is unnecessary.”

It's encouraging to know that your health is not predetermined by your family genetics. You can make your health better or worse, and some simple changes can have a great impact. The rules in this book are organized into 7 categories to provide a comprehensive foundation of good habits: eating, activity, posture, stress, sleep, healthcare, and your environment.

Think Different About Health With "Eat Ugly"

The title itself, "Eat Ugly," encourages a shift in perspective. Forget about picture-perfect fruits and vegetables grown in a fog of agricultural chemicals. Produce grown without these chemical inputs may be smaller or have a blemish or scar, but are loaded with significantly more nutrients. Embrace these “ugly” fruits and veggies, and you will be rewarded with more health-promoting nutrition. Other tips similarly encourage readers to think differently when making choices that affect their health.

“I hope readers take advantage of what they can learn in a day and understand they have the tools to improve the health of their whole family right now,” stated Dr. McMichael. “Research supports common sense strategies that some have employed for generations. It’s important to highlight these and make them accessible in one place. And I tried to keep it fun and memorable.”

“Eat Ugly and Other Simple Tips to Improve Your Health” is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their health. Its focus on simple lifestyle changes provides a path to better health worth exploring. Find your copy on Amazon.com or stop in the clinic.

A study performed by Northwestern Sciences Health University demonstrated healthy changes for those following the Standard Process 28-day Detox Program compared to those who were only provided an educational session on healthy eating. The Standard Process Detox Program was associated with a significant increase in antioxidant activity, a decrease in oxidative stress, and improvement in scores for physical health and emotional health.

Our bodies come into increasing contact with chemicals inside and outside, which accumulate in our tissues and can contribute to health problems. Various reports have noted sources of chemicals ranging from our foods, to cosmetics and cleaners, city water, and furniture and electronic, among others. We are exposed to thousands of chemicals and many have been measured in the blood or urine of Americans. As this study states, "chronic exposure and improper clearance of these chemicals increase the body’s susceptibility to tissue injury and insufficient repair over time."

The whole food ingredients included in the Standard Process Detox Program included organic pea protein, flax meal, organic oat flour, organic pumpkin seed protein, organic buckwheat flour, organic beet (leaf) juice powder, organic buckwheat (aerial parts), apple pectin, juniper (berry) powder, organic Spanish black radish (root), burdock (root) powder, organic beet (root), calcium citrate, organic barley (grass), dandelion (leaf), broccoli (aerial parts), inositol, organic alfalfa (aerial parts) juice powder, Oregon grape (root) powder, globe artichoke (leaf), sunflower lecithin powder, milk thistle extract (80% silymarins), organic cordyceps mushroom powder, organic carrot, and organic sweet potato. Other ingredients included creatine, L-leucine, xanthan gum, L-isoleucine, L-valine, DL-methionine, monk fruit extract, and choline bitartrate.
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The researchers looked at multiple markers of improvement to determine if the Standard Process Detox Program was potentially supporting the liver's ability to detox chemicals filtered from the circulatory system. The detox program was associated with a 40% increase in total antioxidant capacity only in those completing the program. This change correlated with an observed 13% decrease in oxidative stress. The program essentially helped protect the body from damaging free radicals by increasing phase II detoxification and antioxidant enzyme activity. When tested for established physical health and mental health indexes, the detox program participants also demonstrated a small increase in these measures for general health in just 28 days for subjects that were largely healthy to begin with.

The study demonstrated benefits of Standard Process Detox Program for supporting detoxification of foreign chemicals accumulating in the body. The whole food ingredients used were shown to cause no side effects while providing these benefits. Those considering a detox program to support better health, may want to consider a program like this that used whole food ingredients.

​MediHerb Adrenal Complex​

Adrenal Complex contains Licorice and Rehmannia used traditionally to support adrenal gland function for a healthy stress response. These herbs have been recognized as helping the body adapt to the challenges of everyday life.
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While these nutritional support products can be beneficial, those with ongoing issues should also consider strategies to help reduce their chronic stress. These strategies to reduce stress include spending time in nature, performing an enjoyable physical activity, increasing quality sleep, avoiding junk food and increasing nutrient dense whole foods, taking a quiet break during the day, and spending time with those you enjoy.

Combining healthy habits with extra nutritional support can significantly help you reduce the effects of stress and make you more resilient to the challenges of life.

Aches and pains cause millions of Americans to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) like Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Bayer, and Aspirin, but research links these common pain relievers to higher risks than once believed. Fortunately, there are alternatives that can reduce inflammation without the risk of side effects.

Inflammation & Arthritis Pain

Inflammation occurs when there is damage to tissues of the body. Common signs of inflammation include pain, swelling, redness, and warmth over the area of injury. While inflammation is a natural response to injury, it can become severe or chronic, contributing to significant pain and disability. Inflammation is a large component of the pain experienced by those with osteoarthritis, which affects over 30 million American adults. Controlling inflammation can help these patients control pain and stay more active.

NSAID medications are commonly used for inflammation and arthritis, but they can be hard on the digestive system, sometimes damaging organs and causing stomach upset and bleeding. The body's processing of these drugs can lead to liver or kidney damage for some patients. Others can experience increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Anti-inflammatory medications can reduce pain by blocking inflammation in the body, but this benefit may not be worth the risk for some patients.

Natural Strategies to Reduce Inflammation

Anti-inflammatory medication is not the only way to reduced inflammation. Healthy habits can help reduce inflammation in the body, and may be even more effective than medication for some patients without the risk of side effects. Try improving these habits to reduce your inflammatory aches and pains:

• Avoid inflammatory processed foods and eat more whole foods
• Drink plenty of water
• Keep up with active exercise to your tolerance
• Counteract stress with stress-relieving habits
• Ensure adequate sleep each night (6 hour absolute minimum)
• Improve your posture to reduce physical stress on your joints and soft tissues

Extra Support to Reduce Inflammation

These health habits can reduce inflammatory aches and pains in most patients, but some may need a little more help. A variety of food and herbs are anti-inflammatory and can help even more. One of our favorite supplements to support a healthy inflammatory response (especially for those patients we see with arthritis pains) is Boswellia Complex by Mediherb. This herbal supplement includes boswellia, ginger, turmeric, and celery seed, four naturally anti-inflammatory herbs. This combination inhibits inflammatory leukotrienes without interfering with other processes of the body so we don't have to worry about the risks associated with NSAIDs.

One tip when taking boswellia to help inflammatory levels, is to take it with a meal when eating healthy fats or oils. This helps improve the effectiveness. Start improving your habits today, and try Boswellia Complex if you need more anti-inflammatory support.

Evidence Lacking for Many Back Pain Treatments

The most surprising result may be the lack of evidence to appropriately evaluate many of the treatments. The researchers found a lack of quality evidence supporting medications, injections, and surgery, and were therefore unable to evaluate the benefit of these options. Evidence evaluating harm was also lacking with most of the medications studied, while serious harms have been identified for opioids and surgery.

In contrast, both spinal manipulation and acupuncture have quality evidence of benefit and low harm risk. The study authors concluded that more research is needed to further evaluate the various treatment options, but based on available evidence "acupuncture and spinal manipulation provide safer benefits than pharmacological or invasive interventions" for chronic low back pain.

 
One of our favorite types of patients to help with chiropractic care is pregnant mothers. This is because 1) they often respond well to care and appreciate the benefits of an easier, more comfortable pregnancy, and 2) improving mom's health can benefit the health of the baby at the same time.

Avoid The Need for Medications With Chiropractic

The body goes through significant changes to support a developing baby, and this can result in discomfort. Pelvic area pain is most common during pregnancy while low back pain is most common following pregnancy. Those with both pelvic and back pain lasting 3 months after delivery are at the greatest risk of unresolving pain, with 30% becoming chronic. Instead of resorting to medication, chiropractic care provides an effective drug-free option to relieve pain and improve function again.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy is a great solution to avoid medications that may be harmful to the baby or cause side effects for mom. A drug-free approach like chiropractic adjusting helps alleviate pains and improve the ability to be active without the known or sometimes unknown risks of medication. Researchers are increasingly questioning the use of even tylenol during pregnancy which has been recommended for years as a safer alternative  to other medications.

Chiropractic Adjusting for Pregnant Moms

During pregnancy, chiropractic techniques may be modified to make treatment as comfortable as possible. Special tables allow mom to lie on her stomach in a comfortable position without pressure on the abdomen. In this position, chiropractic adjustments can be made to help reduce muscle tightness, improve joint motion, reduce swelling and inflammation, and ease discomfort.

Your chiropractic physician will provide other helpful tips to feel your best and be your healthiest during pregnancy. These often include advice on exercises, posture, diet, and other beneficial lifestyle habits. The combination of chiropractic care and healthy habits results in a healthier and happier pregnancy for mom and baby. Make sure to include a doctor of chiropractic on your pregnancy care team.

When experiencing low back pain, patients have a variety of providers to choose from – primary care physicians, orthopedists, emergency medicine physicians, physical therapists, acupuncturists, and chiropractic physicians among others. Evidence-based guidelines for low back pain treatment increasingly recommend conservative care first (chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy), but how does the provider seen initially really effect health care and costs? Researchers looked at the records of over 3.5 million low back pain patients to find out.

Imaging (Xrays, MRI, CT)

Patients of conservative care providers (chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy) had the lowest rates of imaging while, patients first seeing an orthopedist had the highest rates, with imaging performed multiple times more frequently by orthopedists. For MRIs especially, this can drive up health care costs without always leading to better care.

Hospitalization & Surgery

Patients seeing chiropractors first were the least likely to be hospitalized (5.8%) and those seeing chiropractic physicians or acupuncturists were the least likely to have back surgery (0.7% and 0.5%). This compares to hospitalization rates up to 10% for orthopedists and surgery rates over 5% for orthopedists.

Opioid Use

Early opioid prescription and long-term opioid prescription was lowest for chiropractic (1.7-0.6%) and acupuncture (1.2-0.4%) patients. It was a fraction of the rates seen by Emergency Medicine and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse patients.

Health Care Costs

The total cost of care was lowest for chiropractic patients, averaging less than all other providers and about half as much as orthopedic patients.

Severe Illness Diagnosis

The researchers checked for differences in the diagnosis of severe illness or concerning red flags across providers and found that the frequency of finding these severe issues was similar across provider types and the delay before diagnosis of severe illness was similar as well.

Conclusion

Researchers concluded that health care and costs vary significantly depending on the first provider seen for low back pain. Patients seeing a chiropractor first compare favorably with less imaging utilization, less hospitalization and surgery, and less prescription opioid use, consistent with back pain treatment guidelines. Chiropractic patients also had lower health care costs, providing evidence-based care for a good value. The research supports seeing a chiropractic physician first for low back pain, or at least another conservative care provider.

Concerned parents frequently provide fever reducers like Tylenol to their children when fighting an illness, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding medications for fever in most cases. Two specific exceptions noted are when your child is very uncomfortable or has a history of febrile convulsions.

Why NOT Treat a Fever with Medication

The AAP notes “fever may be important in helping fight the infection.” The immune system has a number of tools to combat pathogenic invaders and fever is one of them. It basically tries to burn the infection out. Forcing the body to reduce it’s temperature may be counterproductive to ending the infection resulting in a longer illness.

​But isn’t a fever dangerous?

​The AAP explains, “Even higher temperatures are not in themselves dangerous or significant unless your child has a history of seizures or a chronic disease…If he is eating and sleeping well and has periods of playfulness, he probably doesn’t need any treatment…Remember, a fever less than 105 degrees Fahrenheit is in itself not harmful.”

What can be done for a fever instead of medicine?

The AAP offers a few suggestions:

• Keep the room cool or use a fan and dress the child lightly
• Encourage the child to drink extra water
• Avoid overexertion
• Place the child in a bath of slightly warm water 1-2 inches deep and use a sponge or washcloth to spread the water over his body, causing a cooling effect with evaporation.

It's important to note the more common risk with an infection is dehydration, so keep your child drinking frequently even if it is just sips. Allow your child to rest as much as they can. Mild fevers may actually benefit from a warm bath or steam to help the body fight infection. Keep your child eating nutritious foods like bone broth soup and they should take their vitamins to support their health. Some experts believe a fever is a sign of calcium depletion, which the body uses for more of a first-line response to fighting infections. Working on the body with adjustments and massage has also been found to increase immune cell activity.

Most important is to monitor your child and watch for sign of more serious problems.

​“No pain, no gain” is often not the best advice when it comes to exercise. Mild muscle soreness from a good work out is ok, but when an injury has occurred, aggravating exercises can make it worse or prolong healing. It is important to restore activity as soon as possible to an injured area so here are some tips for exercising when in pain due to an injury.

1. Super slow stretching – when an area has been injured, even stretches can be quite painful. One solution is to slow down, way down. Imagine stretching so slowly that someone watching you may not even see you move. Stretching this slowly gives the muscle a chance to relax into the stretch rather than wanting to tighten up and fight the stretch. How slow can you go?
2. Temporarily limit your range of motion – even when an area is injured, there is still a comfortable range in which you can move so stay within that range. If turning your head all the way hurts, turn it halfway through the normal range until you can move further without pain. Keep moving as much as your range allows.
3. Don’t move while exercising – this takes the last recommendation a step further by not moving at all. This is called isometric exercise. For example, if you can’t turn your head due to pain you may still be able to activate the muscles of neck without moving your head. Just push against your fingers or another object with the amount of force you can tolerate (starting light and increasing resistance).
4. Non-weight bearing exercises – sometimes it’s just too painful to fight gravity, so don’t. Lie down or sit for your exercises. Or hop into the pool to exercise in a weightless environment. Some of the most complicated back injuries with disc problems are those that respond best to non-weight bearing exercises.
5. Walk – if your injury doesn’t prevent you from walking, then walk. Walking is the best exercise that works the whole body. Everything benefits from walking.
6. Exercise the other side – if it’s too painful to turn to the right then start with turns to the left. Even working the opposite (healthy) limb can have a positive impact on the injured one due to effects on sensorimotor integration of the brain (how the brain senses things and moves parts of the body). Ten or twenty repetitions of movement on the left side can be enough to make those same repetitions more tolerable on the injured right side.

With all these exercise tips, remember to start light and easy. As you see improvement and the exercises become more tolerable, gradually increase them. Lying around in bed is one of the worst things you can do. If you are struggling with a lingering injury, be sure to seek evaluation and treatment starting with conservative non-drug care like chiropractic first.