Q & A: WHAT DOES A CHIROPRACTOR DO FOR HER BACK PAIN?

Well, just today, I have had 6 people who are following my running blog ask me..."and what do you do for back pain?" That is a great question and here is the answer. After six months of lower back pain that I couldn't get under control with great chiropractic care (thanks Toby), I got an MRI. The MRI, taken in late 2015, revealed a couple of disc bulges in my lumbar spine. The degenerative nature of the vertebrae in the area made it likely to that these bulges had been developing over a long period of time and

...I'm not gonna lie...I have not been easy on this body, with softball, horseback riding, my job and running a marathon a week in training miles. So, I took some time off in late 2015, had a steroid injection in early 2016 and spent some time healing. Since Jan 1st, 2016, I have only done 2 races and my long runs have been 6.5 miles and no more. In addition, I am doing abdominal exercises every day (instead of every other day), stretches to relieve tension in the sciatic nerve, daily, and in April I bought an inversion table and have been using that daily for 3-4 minutes. Yes, I believe all of this is helping, but it is going to take time for my pain to resolve completely. I tell people all the time, your back did not get this way overnight, it isn't going to heal overnight either. Of all people, I know that!!! Do I recommend this protocol to my patients? You better believe it! Please don't run out and buy an inversion table tomorrow and start hanging upside down for 20 minutes a day, though, I opted to get one because, I believe, if used correctly and carefully, it can be of benefit. I do not do sit-ups, lift weights and stay upside down for hours a day. Additionally, I do not have any health factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease which would be risky if I inverted. This is a great protocol for someone like me and likely for many of you. If any of you are interested in my abdominal routine or stretches for an irritated sciatic nerve, just ask, I have been giving them out since I developed them in the last few years.