Category: Lower back pain

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Options for Low Back Pain in Meriden

Recent Article in JAMA Highlights Spinal Manipulation for Low Back Pain

JAMA Patient Page image of recommended first line treatments of acute and chronic lower back pain including spinal manipulation.
“Patients should stay active as tolerated and begin with nondrug treatments, including superficial heat, massage…and spinal manipulation.”

This JAMA patient page provides some great information for both acute and chronic sufferers of low back pain. It reiterates some things chiropractors have been saying for decades. However, it is always nice to see recommendations from the broader medical community. Such as highlighting the importance of conservative care before drugs or surgery. Spinal manipulation, also known as the chiropractic adjustment, is again touted. A great first line treatment option for both acute and chronic cases of low back pain. Combined with exercise and other non-drug treatment options, spinal manipulation is safe and effective.

There are many options to choose from when picking a treatment for your lower back pain. You can easily take a supermarket approach. But, you don’t need to waste your time and money down the aisle trying the latest fads, creams, lotions, potions, and miracle cures. The tried and true combination of time, early return to activity, exercise therapy, and chiropractic spinal manipulation remain at the forefront of first line intervention for lower back pain.

If you or someone you know is suffering from lower back pain, call Dr. Reich at Omni Physical & Aquatic Therapy Center, Inc. in Meriden at (203)235-0171.

About the Author

photo of Dr. Erik Reich with his son on his shoulders
Dr. Erik Reich, Meriden chiropractor, and his son.

Dr. Erik Reich is a chiropractor in Meriden, CT. He practices at Omni Physical & Aquatic Therapy Center, Inc.  located at 303 South Broad Street. Where he treats all types of patients from high school athletes, seniors, victims of trauma such as auto accidents, and desk jockeys. Dr. Reich enjoys staying active through a variety of sports, time at the gym, and finding new vegetarian food spots. Spending time with his wife and son, and their Boston terrier, is something Dr. Reich also enjoys.

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Stenosis Treatment in Meriden

Have you heard the term “lumbar stenosis” regarding back pain or leg pain you are experiencing? If you or a loved one suffer from lower back and leg pain, and have been told you have stenosis, you may have some questions. So, where can you find stenosis treatment in Meriden, CT? My name is Dr. Erik Reich and I am a chiropractor in Meriden, CT. As a chiropractic physician I have treated many people suffering from lumbar stenosis over the past 8 years of clinical practice. Many cases of stenosis respond incredibly well to conservative chiropractic treatment, which is both non-invasive and drug free.

Picture of a badly inflamed lumbar spine illustration, demonstrating lumbar stenosis. Dr. Erik Reich treats lumbar stenosis patients in Meriden.
Dr. Erik Reich is a chiropractor in Meriden who treats neuromusculoskeletal conditions including pain and disability arising from spinal stenosis.

What is Lumbar Stenosis?

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition where the spinal canal narrows. Then, the narrowing can cause pressure on the nerves resulting in pain or other symptoms travelling into the legs. Lumbar stenosis can have several causes. For example, it can be caused by bony changes such as osteoarthritis, or congenital narrowing of the spinal canal, and spinal ligament thickening. Also, disc derangement such as herniation can also lead to narrowing and stenosis symptoms.

Do I Need Surgery?

Recent studies comparing surgery for lumbar stenosis versus conservative treatment such as physical therapy show similar outcomes. However, surgery carries added risks. Granted, for certain people surgery is an absolute necessity. To rule out surgery, a thorough history and examination should always be performed.

The risks associated with surgery typically do not arise in non-invasive treatment options such as chiropractic care. Therefore, while outcomes may be similar, many patients opt for a conservative non-invasive approach before considering surgery.

How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help?

There are several key components to an effective chiropractic treatment plan for addressing lumbar stenosis symptoms.

First, patient education is a key component of any successful treatment plan. High quality, evidence informed education about the condition, expected outcomes, goals of treatment, and possible side effects should be relayed. With better information, the patient often experiences better results.

Second, pain needs to be addressed. However, pain is only one symptom of stenosis which must be dealt with. It is hard to accomplish the goals of treatment if you are in pain. So passive care such as heat, massage, joint manipulation or adjustments, flexion-distraction, and other interventions are warranted to reduce painful symptoms to the point where active treatment, like an exercise program, can commence.

Third, active treatment moves to the forefront. Once pain has been reduced or eliminated, active treatment should begin in earnest. You should expect guided exercises, home stretching, and nutrition counseling. Symptoms from lumbar stenosis typically respond well to active care. Positive changes can usually be felt within the first week or two of treatment. Although every patient is unique and “it depends.”

Dr. Erik Reich is a Chiropractor Providing Lumbar Stenosis Treatment in Meriden

photo of Dr. Erik Reich with his son on his shoulders
Dr. Reich, Meriden chiropractor, and his son.

Dr. Erik Reich is a Chiropractic Physician in Meriden, CT. He practices at Omni Physical & Aquatic Therapy Center, Inc. . Where he treats all types of patients from high school athletes, seniors, and traumatic injuries such as work and car accidents. Spending time with his wife and son, and their Boston terrier, is something Dr. Reich also enjoys.

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New Year’s Resolutions for the Back Pain Sufferer

Happy New Year!

2019 is coming to an end. As we embrace the new year, and you are making your New Year’s Resolutions to finally kick back pain to the curb, keep these points in mind. Because as a society approximately 80% of us have or will experience back pain, this is the perfect season to resolve to beat the odds. At an annual health care burden in the billions of dollars, lower back pain is a scourge felt worldwide. But these New Year’s Resolutions can help you overcome one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

  1. Exercise at least 20 minutes a day, 7 days a week.
  2. Stop smoking.
  3. Eat at least 6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
  4. Get more and better sleep.
  5. Seek help if your symptoms are not resolving.
Picture of a man holding his lower back in pain arched into extension with a caption stating that Dr. Erik Reich in Meriden, CT treats back pain in the blog for New year's Resolutions for back pain sufferers.
Dr. Erik Reich is a chiropractor in Meriden, CT who treats all types of musculoskeletal back pain.

Exercise for Your Back Pain

It may seem counter intuitive to exercise a part of your body that may be injured or in pain but science regularly backs this up. Therefore, one of the best interventions for both acute (new) and chronic (old) pain is graded exposure to exercise. If you are unsure of where or how to begin an exercise program while in pain, see resolution #5 – Seek Help!

Stop Smoking

Needless to say this is old news for a variety of health reasons, but in terms of back pain, smoking is very bad for both pain intensity experienced, healing time, and outcomes overall. I recently wrote a blog on this very subject here.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies pictured on the blog of Dr. Erik Reich Meriden Chiropractor for New Year's Resolutions for back pain sufferers.
Increased fruit and vegetable intake is associated with better healing and pain reduction.

When you consume more fruits and vegetables your body heals better, this is well documented in the scientific literature. Vitamin A is required for cell and bone formation, cellular differentiation, and immune function. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen and connective tissue formation and as a tissue antioxidant. Fruits and vegetables also contain fiber which is filling and satiety will reduce cravings for more inflammatory foods (processed foods, sweets, chips, etc.) which should be avoided when healing.

Better Sleep, Better health

Two recent studies in just the past month or two have shed more light on the important role sleep plays in your health outcomes. In one study which was discussed in this article, lack of and poor quality sleep was shown to increase pain felt by up to 30%. Furthermore, in another recent example, a study showed how sleep helps to clean the brain and allow your body to remove toxins.

Ask for Help

The human body is resilient. You are highly adaptable and given the right inputs the body will take care of the output. But garbage in = garbage out. So if you are experiencing back pain, make some simple (but not easy) lifestyle changes to give yourself the greatest chance to recover. Or if you are unsure of how to make these changes, don’t hesitate to reach out and get some help.

Dr. Erik Reich is available for appointments Monday – Friday and can be reached by phone at (203)235-0171.

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Why is Smoking Bad for Healing After Disc Injury?

If you want to get better faster and with less pain after a disc injury, don’t smoke.

Picture of an anatomical model of a lumbar disc herniation on the website of Meriden CT chiropractor Dr. Erik Reich
Scientific studies routinely demonstrate that smokers have more pain, decreased healing ability, and longer recuperation times”, states Dr. Erik Reich, a chiropractor in Meriden, CT.

It’s no surprise that smoking is bad for you. If you are a smoker, you’ve most likely been told by friends, family members, and your doctor to quit the habit already a million times. However, as a chiropractor, let me be perhaps the first to state it this way: smoking is terrible for your health after a disc injury.

In this study by Tsarouhas A et al. the authors state, ” Smoking habits were found to have a negative dose-dependent effect on the transcript levels of MMP-3 and MMP-13 and a positive correlation with pain intensity, suggesting an unfavorable role for smoking in the regression process of herniated disc fragments. “

In other words, smokers take longer to heal after a disc injury. Smokers also experience more pain with disc injury than non-smokers. Anyone who has had a cervical or lumbar disc herniation can tell you, they can be extremely painful and debilitating. Therefore, you should give yourself every advantage when you are trying to heal after such an injury to your spine. If you are a smoker, be aware that continuing to smoke during the healing process has been demonstrated to slow recovery, increase pain intensity, and result in poor outcomes. So stop smoking for disc health!

In sharing this study and the information in it, it is my hope that if you are a smoker experiencing back pain, but especially back pain due to trauma or disc injury, you seriously consider quitting immediately. I know you’ve heard it before about the negative health consequences of smoking cigarettes, but this study makes the connection between smoking and back pain in a way most people are still unaware.

Graphs of MMP levels from a study on disc herniations and the effects of smoking on the website of Meriden, CT chiropractor Dr. Erik Reich
Significantly lower MMP-3 (c) and MMP-13 (d) mRNA levels were observed in discs removed from patients smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day compared to non-smoking patients 

I have no doubt that studies coming out in the future will build on the negative relationship between smoking and back pain, but in the meantime if you want my clinical advice: stop smoking for disc health now to improve your outcomes from suffering a spine related injury. Of course this is in addition to eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, and if you need help doing that call (203)2350171 today.

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Should you see a chiropractor for lower back pain?

If you have ever suffered from lower back pain you are not alone. Prevalence of lower back pain is estimated to affect up to 80% or more of the population. However, there is no one cause of back discomfort. As a back pain sufferer there is a virtual supermarket of treatment options out there. You may even experience symptoms severe enough to see a doctor. Because there is this supermarket of options, you may be offered medication, physical therapy, patches, ointments, rest, ice, heat, exercise, chiropractic care, or something else entirely.

lower back pain illustration

Chiropractic care is safe and effective without relying on invasive procedures or medications.

Patients report high levels of satisfaction with chiropractic care.

Is chiropractic care effective for lower back pain?

Studies have suggested the important and effective role chiropractic care can play in managing lower back pain for decades. In 2018 a series of papers in The Lancet focusing on low back pain as a significant driver of pain and disability across the world, specifically recommended non-invasive and non-drug interventions as first line treatment to address lower back pain. Chiropractic care, which often includes patient education, exercise, and of course, manipulative therapy (chiropractic adjustment of the spine or extremities) has been shown to effectively manage most cases of back pain with high rates of patient satisfaction reported.

High patient satisfaction with chiropractic care.

Patients love their chiropractors. You will not wait at your appointment for hours. A detailed history and examination will be taken and performed. Your treatment will be based on current research guidelines, the doctor’s experience, and your personal goals and preferences.

“Chiropractic patients were found to be more satisfied with their back care providers after four weeks of treatment than were medical patients. Results from observational studies suggested that back pain patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than with medical care. Additionally, studies conclude that patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than they were with physical therapy after six weeks.”

          Hertzman-Miller et al (2002), American Journal of Public Health

Cost effectiveness of chiropractic care.

Another thing to consider is how much your treatment will cost when you are suffering from back pain. You will be presented with a multitude of treatment options including medicine, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, and even surgery. Chiropractic care has been found to be one of the most cost effective means to address back injuries.

Findings from a study utilizing data from the North Carolina State Health Plan collected between 2000-2009 show that care by a doctor of chiropractic (DC) alone or DC care in conjunction with care by a medical doctor (MD)  incurred “appreciably fewer charges” for uncomplicated lower back pain than MD care with or without care by a physical therapist. 

          Hurwitz et al. (2016), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 

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Dealing with Low Back Pain

What a patient needs to know when dealing with lower back pain.

A picture of a man holding his lower back in pain.
Dr. Erik Reich in Meriden treats non-traumatic lower back pain and other muskuloskeletal conditions.

First and foremost, the human body is resilient and adaptable. Most cases of lower back pain resolve with little to no intervention. Taking a hot shower, a walk, and some light stretching is often enough to ease a hurting lower back after a day or two. If pain or symptoms persist, an evaluation and treatment may be a better course of action. However, many cases of lower back pain get better with a return to normal activity and time.

If your lower back pain does not resolve, or if trauma or overuse injury is involved (a fall, car accident, over zealous gardening or home improvement job, sports injury) then a visit to the office is a better idea.

At the office a thorough intake, history, and examination will be performed so that the cause of your lower back pain can be determined and a personalized plan of care will be recommended including education about your back pain, hot or cold compresses, physio-therapeutic modalities, stretching and exercises, and spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustment of the spine).

You will be reassured to know that the vast majority of lower back pain episodes respond very well to this type of conservative care. Furthermore, despite a great deal of pain and worry, your lower back pain can be helped with gentle chiropractic care.

About Dr. Erik Reich

Dr. Erik Reich is a Chiropractic Physician in Meriden, CT. He practices at Omni Physical & Aquatic Therapy Center, Inc. . Where he treats all types of patients from high school athletes, seniors, and traumatic injuries such as work and car accidents. Spending time with his wife and son, and their Boston terrier, is something Dr. Reich also enjoys.