Our Backs are Like Burgers

Disc bulge? Pinched nerve? Low back pain?

These are terms we have all probably heard thrown around loosely but not really sure what they mean and why they are caused.

How Common Is It?

Did you know that 60-70% of people encounter low back pain at some point in their life?

Why Is It So Common?

Low back pain as you know is far too common and nearly everyone you meet has an achy or sore back. Due to society evolving around making our lives as comfortable as possible it also means we aren’t using our muscles and bones as much as we need to stay strong. If you think back to us a cavemen, our body was designed specifically to deal with sleeping on firm surfaces, walking for long distances, climbing, hunting, and running for our own food and water. Besides the enlarged forehead and hairy monobrow, if we compare our body structure from then to now, our physiological structure hasn’t changed all that much. This lack of moving causes the muscles in our body to turn off, in particular our core. Our core is what holds our spines upright and straight. When engaged and strong, our core prevents our spine from compressing which therefore causes joints to rub and discs to compress or as you have heard BULGE.

How Does It Cause Pain Though?

The best way to understand why a disc bulge occurs is as simple as eating a burger. Have you ever bitten into a burger and the patty, sauce and other contents of the burger squeeze out the other side. This is the same as your back! The core acts the same as the skewer the chef puts through your burger when its brought out, it prevents it from falling to pieces. If you have a strong core and you lift something heavy your back will be straight and protected. If your core is weak your spine bends and is compressed pushing the bulge out the other side (just like that juicy Grill’d burger patty you see half hanging out!). This bulge can push into your nerves, joints, ligaments and when left untreated or severe enough into your spinal cord! This is why it’s so painful.

What To Do?

See your local Chiropractor! As a chiropractor we can adjust the spine to help unload unnecessary pressure that has been building up where your back pain is. Spinal Adjustments focus on getting joints moving more freely, this will also improve your spines range of motion, allow muscles to work more effectively with less effort and aids in healing and repair of any damaged structures. The most important thing you can do when in pain is see a chiropractor, but it doesn’t stop there! In order to keep your spine from developing a more serious condition and falling back into those bad patterns of improper movement and pain, your  spine will need regular maintenance to sustain proper function. Just like getting fit at the gym, you can’t expect results by going once a fortnight or once a month, especially at the start you need to go a few times in a shorter time period to get things rolling and improving the way you want it!

Dr Scott’s Helpful Tips!

1. Keep moving! It’s simple enough but far too many patients believe that if you have an injury that you should take time off and rest sitting on the couch binge watching the latest episodes of love island. You need to modify how you move to not aggravate your symptoms but keep moving never the less. If jogging hurts, walking is a great option. If walking hurts then a gentle swim is also a great option. The point is there is always an option to keep moving, however sitting at home all day should never be an option All this does is promotes your spine to seize up and tighten. This not only puts more pressure on your spine and increases pain but it also makes us chiropractors job a lot harder!
2. “But Dr Scott, I sit at a desk all day at work” – this is something easily countered by putting a 20-30 minute timer on your phone or watch to remind yourself to get up out of your chair, have a stretch, do a lap or two around the office. This takes only 30 seconds of your time but just helps to keep everything moving. 
3. When you come in for your adjustment, come in early and take some time to lay face down on the bed and allow for your spine to relax while taking some deep breathes before the adjustment.
4. After an adjustment, go for a walk, drink some water, stretch, use a heat pack, go for a massage, watch the sunset that afternoon! Do anything that you know will help your physical and mental state heal and repair the best.

Here at Karrinyup Wellness Centre we have a team that will help you to  regain spinal health and strengthen your core.  Book in for a no obligation, complimentary spinal health assessment to see if we can help you. During this visit one of our friendly chiropractors will conduct a thorough spinal examination, complete postural assessment and answer any questions you have.  If your spinal health check indicates that chiropractic could help you, we will invite you to come in for a full Initial Consultation, although there’ll be no obligation to do so. It’s a great way of finding out if and how we can help without any cost to you!

Dr Scott Brownrigg
Chiropractor

Oct 20, 2021 By Dr Scott Brownrigg

B.Sc. (Chiro), B. Chiro DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTIC

Dr Scott’s philosophy is “why not service your body like you would service your car”. He believes in order to prevent your body from having a breakdown, you must take care of it by regularly servicing it, not only through chiropractic but also through nutrition, exercise and practices that strengthen your mental health and relieve stress.

Dr Scott is a graduate of Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, where he studied and received his Bachelor in Science (Chiropractic) and Bachelor of Chiropractic.