Back Pain Has Less Impact on People Who Exercise

fitness

Among a group of 991 low back pain patients, researchers observed that those who engaged in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week—in line with current fitness guidelines—had less intense pain and a lower risk for activity limitations. European Spine Journal, May 2024 Obesity Raises Infection Risk New research suggests that for…

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Monthly Pain Update – August 2024

cigarette

Smoking Is a Risk Factor for Back Pain   Back pain refers to pain or discomfort in the dorsal (back) region of the body, which can arise from abnormalities in spinal vertebrae, back muscles, tendons, ligaments, or neural structures.  While back pain and other musculoskeletal injuries can usually be linked to an identifiable event, like…

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Neural Mobilization for Neck and Back Pain

neural mobilization

A systematic review and metanalysis of data from 39 clinical trials found that neural mobilization is an effective treatment for improving pain and disability in patients with either neck pain or back pain. Doctors of chiropractic frequently use mobilization as part of a multimodal approach for managing musculoskeletal disorders, including neck and back pain. Clinical…

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Neck and Back Pain Common in College Students

teen

Questionnaires completed by 289 university students revealed that about two thirds experienced either neck or low back pain in the previous year with close to half having either condition in the previous week. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, June 2023 Is Pediatric Brain Injury Linked to Epilepsy? Among a group of nearly 72,000 children treated for traumatic…

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Moving More Cuts Back Pain Risk

Posture Exercises

An analysis of data concerning 3,385 middle-aged adults found that for each additional 1,000 steps an individual averages per day, their odds for non-specific low back pain fall by 4%. Scientific Reports, May 2023. Dental Issues Extremely Common Among Nursing Home Residents According to a recent study that looked at data concerning 2.3 million nursing…

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Postural Faults Common in Office Workers with Neck and Back Pain

Examinations of 99 office workers with neck and mid-back pain—a common combination in this population—revealed that 90 exhibited scapular dyskinesis (abnormal movement of the shoulder blade) on one of both sides. Additionally, the majority had postural deviations that include rounded shoulders, forward head posture, and thoracic hyperkyphosis (slumped upper back). Doctors of chiropractic frequently treat…

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Fitness May Lower Low Back Risks in a Physically Demanding Job

fitness

Questionnaires completed by 204 warehouse workers revealed that one in four had low back pain. However, the researchers found greater handgrip strength—a measure used to assess physical fitness—is associated with a lower risk for pain in the low back. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Research, February 2023 Access to Nature May Help Cut Stress According…

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Is Working Nights Linked to Back Pain?

night shift

An analysis of data from 40 studies found that working nights is associated with an elevated risk for low back pain, especially among healthcare workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, January 2023 Bad Sleep in Teen Years May Raise MS Risk Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system…

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Back Pain Increases Frailty Risk in Older Women

elderly

Frailty is a condition characterized by weakness, slowness, physical inactivity, self-reported exhaustion, and unintentional weight loss that is associated with an increased risk for poor health outcomes. In a recent study, researchers observed that older women with low back pain were 2.83 times more likely to develop frailty over the following year, especially those with…

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