Monthly Newsletters
Monthly Pain Update – February 2026
Low back pain (LBP) is one of the costliest and most disabling conditions affecting older adults. Not only can pain and disability interfere with the ability to carry out activities of daily living, but proprioceptive deficits associated with low back pain can impair balance, increasing the risk of serious falls and injuries that can dramatically affect long-term health and independence. Despite clinical guidelines on effective management of low back pain in the senior population, these ten prominent myths persist and continue to hinder recovery:
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – January 2026
Low back pain is extremely common and remains one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, resulting in substantial healthcare utilization and cost. Because of this broad impact, identifying and implementing effective, safe, and cost-efficient strategies to diagnose, manage, and prevent low back pain is essential to improve patient outcomes and reduce overall healthcare burden.
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – December 2025
It’s estimated that as many as 50–70% of new mothers experience low back pain and related disability, which can hinder their ability to carry out daily activities such as household chores, self-care, and meeting the physical demands of infant care—including feeding, lifting, and carrying. When severe enough, these physical limitations can contribute to stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression, further interfering with the mother’s ability to bond with her newborn and diminishing her overall quality of life. What are the underlying causes of postpartum low back pain?
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – November 2025
While there are many potential causes of low back pain in older adults, one of the most common—especially among women—is vertebral compression fracture (VCF). By age 80, up to 30% of women and 20% of men will have sustained at least one VCF. Interestingly, only about one-third of cases produce acute, noticeable pain. The remainder are either asymptomatic or go undiagnosed due to lack of imaging or because other pain-generating conditions such as osteoarthritis or spinal stenosis may mask the fracture. The type of treatment to address the injury depends largely on whether the fracture is stable or unstable.
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – October 2025
Low back pain can arise from a variety of structures in the lower back. When symptoms include pain, tingling, numbness, and/or burning that radiates into the buttock, thigh, calf, or foot, a potential cause may be injury to one or more intervertebral disks. These disks function to stabilize the lumbar spine, absorb forces, and facilitate its range of motion.
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – September 2025
In addition to persistent pain, individuals with chronic low back pain often exhibit impaired postural control, which is linked to core muscle atrophy, weakness, and dysfunctional motor control. One effective method for addressing these deficits is dynamic stabilization exercises—a functional approach based on developmental movement patterns modeled after infant motor learning.
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – August 2025
While findings vary across studies, research generally agrees that some degree of spine pain is common in school-aged children—from elementary school through middle and high school. Multiple factors can contribute to spine pain in students, and one that routinely appears in the literature is backpack use. The issue is not necessarily backpack use itself, but the stress heavy, poorly fitted, or improperly worn backpacks place on a child’s developing body.
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – July 2025
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition caused by the narrowing of spaces within the lower spine, which can compress either the spinal cord or nerve roots. This pressure can lead to pain, numbness, or weakness—either locally or radiating down the legs—especially during activities that involve spinal extension (e.g., bending backward or prolonged standing) or compressive loading.
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update June 2025
Low Back Pain and the Thoracolumbar Fascia It’s estimated that approximately 7.5% of the global population experiences at least one episode of low back pain each year, contributing significantly to healthcare costs and lost productivity. Most cases of low back pain are classified as non-specific, meaning there is no identifiable underlying pathology such as an…
Read MoreMonthly Pain Update – May 2025
X-Rays for Seniors with Chronic Low Back Pain Chronic low back pain is a common condition that becomes even more prevalent with age. By some estimates, it may affect nearly 3 in 4 older adults each year. As individuals aged 65 and older continue to make up a growing share of the global population, chronic…
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