Lower back pain can be debilitating in any form. It can knock you down making it difficult to walk, sit, or even tie your shoes. There are many causes of lower back pain. One part of our lower back anatomy that is often overlooked is our SI joint.

The SI (sacroiliac) joint is often a forgotten joint as we tend to focus on the discs of the lumbar spine as the reason for all of our lower back pain. One reason it is often overlooked is because it behaves very differently from our other joints. Many of the joints that we think of are synovial joints which are more freely movable such as the shoulder and hip joints. The SI joint is different as it is partially a synovial joint as in the anterior part it is synovial and in the posterior portion it is syndesmosis or held together by ligaments. Because of this there is not a lot of movement in the SI joint, however, there is still movement and it is important that we have movement in our SI joints in order to perform daily activities such as walking.

There are many reasons to get pain in the SI joint. One common reason is due to a sprain of the SI ligaments. This could be due to lifting something heavy that causes too much stress on the SI ligaments or even a sudden hit from a car accident. Another common reason for SI joint pain is due to degenerative arthritis. When you get arthritis in your SI joint this can make it difficult to move due to narrowing of the joint space between the sacrum and ilium bones. A less common reason for of SI joint is arthritis due to an inflammatory disease such as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or enteropathic arthritis. These can cause pain in the SI joint due to narrowing of the joint space and they may take getting additional treatments from a specialist in order to get proper treatment.

When we experience an injury to the SI joint or the ligaments around the joint, we will have less movement due to tight ligaments and muscles around the joint. When this happens the SI joint won’t properly function which can cause pain when walking, sitting, or any movement that relies on SI joint movement. When the SI joint is the culprit of your lower back pain it can manifest in your lower back and can even go into your legs mimicking sciatica pain. 

Luckily there are things that you can do. Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation have been shown to be effective in decreasing SI joint pain. They have also been shown to be effective in treating SI joint pain caused by arthritis due to helping to improve joint range of motion. Exercises that focus on core stability have also been shown to help with SI joint pain. In our office we use therapeutic modalities such as therapeutic ultrasound and electric muscle stimulation to decrease pain. Acupuncture, massage, and physical therapy are also other great additional treatment options to help with SI joint pain.

For more information regarding chiropractic care and arthritis check out the link below
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/physical-therapies/chiropractic-care-for-arthritis

McGill Big 3 exercises are 3 exercises to help get rid of your lower back pain. They do this by helping to increase core strength and stability. Today we are going over the first exercise which is the modified curl up.

The modified curl up is not like a normal curl up or sit up. A normal sit up or abdominal work up focuses on flexing the spine to contract the abdominal muscles. To get the best understanding on how to do this work out it is best to watch the video above to see how to perform it. If you would rather here are instructions on how to perform it.

1. Lay on your back with one leg bent with the foot on the ground and the other leg is straight. If you are having leg pain or other symptoms (numbness, tingling, or weakness) bend the leg with the symptoms. If you are only having lower back pain alternate the bent leg per set.
   
   
2. Put your hands under your lower back (lumbar spine). It is important to maintain lordosis (natural curve of the lower back) while doing this exercise we don't want to flatten out your lower back as that can cause unwanted stress on the back. When putting the hands under your lumbar spine make sure you aren't arching your back too much but that you are in a good position that is comfortable for you and your back.
   
   
3. In this position you are ready to start the exercise. Keeping your hands under your lower back bring your elbows off the ground. Now to do the exercise bring your neck and shoulders off the ground slightly. You are going to hold this position for 8-10 seconds. The goal is to make sure you don't flex the lower back but keep it stable while doing the exercise. After 8-10 seconds you can go back to the ground and start the next repetition. Some common mistakes is bringing too much of your lower back off the ground flexing the spine. It is critical to make sure your spine is not flexing forward when doing this exercise. This will help you get the most benefit out of this exercise along with avoiding pain.
   
   
4. When doing the modified curl up exercise it is a good idea to do them in sets. Dr McGill suggests starting with 5 repetitions with each repetition being holding for 8-10 seconds and going back down. Once you have done the first set rest for 20 seconds. For the next set do 3 repetitions and then rest for 20 seconds. The last set do 1 repetition and then rest.

Now assess how you are doing after this. If you were able to do it without pain but it was challenging continue with the same number of repetitions. If it was done easy raise each repetition per set by 1. Instead of 5, 3, 1 do 6, 4, 2. Now if it was painful doing it you need to check your form. Try resting for a while and doing it again later.

This is a great exercise to use when you are suffering from any type of lower back pain whether it debilitating or just an annoyance it will help you. If you have a sprain or a strain, disc bulge, sciatica pain, arthritis, spinal stenosis, or muscle pain in the lower back this exercise will help you. This exercise along with the other McGill Big 3 exercises have the best evidence of helping people get rid of their lower back pain and getting back to normal activity.

For more questions about what to do for lower back pain whatever the cause is ask one of our chiropractors or acupuncturist. They have years of experience in treating lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, or any other type of pain you are experiencing. They will help you feel better.

Work injuries are very common. Depending on what industry you are working in it is possible that you will get injured at work. Work injuries are very complicated with a lot of paperwork, trips to HR, doctor visits, and so much more.

While there are different types of injuries you can get at work it is important to know what to do when you get injured so you can know what you need to do.

1. Make sure to get away from whatever caused the injury. Stop doing the activity that is causing you pain. Get emergency first aid and necessary medical treatment as soon as possible.

2. Report the injury to your supervisor as soon as possible. Whether the injury comes on suddenly or developed over time you must report the injury to your supervisor and manager. Report it as soon as possible that way you can get the necessary help as soon as possible. It is also beneficial to report as quickly as possible since some of your work duties may aggravate your injury. If this is the case it may be necessary to modify your work injuries.

3. File a claim-Filing a claim starts the worker’s compensation process and protects your rights. Usually your employer will give you a claim form to fill out and will have someone to help you through the process. If you don’t know where to find this form you can click on this link for a claim form. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/FileAClaim.htm

4. Get treated-your work has a medical provider network with doctors and other specialists that can help you get out of pain and get you back to working full duty again. They will help you get the treatment that is needed. In most circumstances if you feel like you aren’t getting the best treatment you may get treatment from a different doctor or medical provider.

5. Keep documents-it is important to keep documents received during your treatments. Keep anything given by your work, primary treating doctor, or paperwork received from other treating doctors or medical providers. It may be important in the future.

6. Work as much as you can-in most cases continuing to work is the best option to help you recover quicker. Your doctor will try to find modifications so you can work without experiencing too much pain. By continuing to work you are staying active which has been shown to improve recovery time. In some cases that will cause more harm than benefit to continue working

7. Get an attorney-in some cases if you feel like you aren't getting the help you need you to get better it may may be a good idea to hire an attorney. They know how to help by their expert knowledge of workers compensation laws that can benefit you.

​At Accident and Sports Injury Clinic we want to help you get out of pain and back to working as soon as possible. Our Chiropractors and Acupuncturist have over 30 years of experience and are experts in helping with work related injuries. Our Massage therapists also have lots of experience helping to relax muscles that have been hurt at work. Along with chiropractic care you may also need additional therapies including acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, injections, or surgery. We will make sure to that you are taken care of whatever your need is.

If you have any questions about a work related injury or how chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage therapy can be beneficial to you please feel free to give us a call. We want to help you get relief from your injury.

Right now we are living in a world of uncertainty. The pandemic of the coronavirus has uprooted many of us from our normal lives and routines. Many of us have lost jobs, some of us are required to work very close to the virus, and some of us are going stir crazy from being at home. With so much negativity around us it is hard to keep a positive attitude. The coronavirus is all that is being talked about. The news makes it seems like that things will just keep getting worse. However, I want to talk about some ways that you can change your perspective and how you can be positive and have hope during this time.

1. Keep yourself physically healthy- I'm sure this has been hammered time and time again but this is key for happier life. Make sure you are eating good foods like nutritious fruits and vegetable and other nutrient rich foods. Avoid eating foods with empty calories liked fried foods, fast foods, sweets, etc. Also with so much time at home avoid eating just to eat like snacking on chips. Try instead having nutritious snacks such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. It is also important to keep yourself active. Do something to work out and keep active each day. Some great ideas are going for a walk (make sure to maintain social distancing), work in your yard, participate in a dance party with your family, find some home workouts you can do with family or by yourself. There is a lot you can do to keep yourself healthy.

2. Find time to explore hobbies- I know it is easy to find a new show to binge watch on TV especially if you are tired but with more time at home it is a good idea to explore a new hobby. There are a lot of great fun things to do that could occupy your mind. Maybe it is picking up an instrument to play. You could start knitting or gardening. It could be as simple as picking up a book, writing a story, or learning about your ancestors. Finding something new to learn will help keep your mind occupied and help you foster continual learning in your life.

3. Be grateful what you have- It is very easy to find something wrong or to say I wish I had this. Instead of doing that think about all the great things you do have. It could be as simple as a place to live or health. It could be a family or a job. It could also be that we have improvement in technologies and knowledge to better combat the virus. Taking to time to think about all the things you do have will help you focus on that rather than on the things you don't have.

4. Remain hopeful and take action- Even if it seems that everything is going wrong you can always have hope. Try to focus and think that things will get better. Be optimistic of things to come. I think the biggest way to keep hope is to take action. If you are hopeful for things to get better do everything you can to make it happen. If you fail that's okay just try again. We all fail but the important thing is getting up after you fail.

5. Don't get overwhelmed- It may seem like there is a million things to do. It is important to not get overwhelmed with everything that is going on. Focus on one task at a time. Once you get one task done go to the next one. If you think of everything you need to do it can bog you down and make it difficult to start. Focusing on one task at a time will help you get everything done.

I hope this can help you through these difficult times. If you do these things I know it can help you to be more positive. If you are feeling depressed or have trouble with persistent negative thoughts make sure to talk to a mental health specialist.

When people talk about their lower back pain many people throw out the word sciatica to describe their pain and how it is causing them pain and affecting their activities. Lets talk about sciatica pain to determine what it is, how it is caused, and what can be done to help the pain.

Sciatica is when something is causing compression or irritation to the nerve roots of the sciatica nerve or compression or irritation to the sciatica nerve itself. Sciatica is much more complex than this but lets talk about what you experience when you have sciatica pain. 
With sciatica the pain is felt as moderate to severe pain that starts in the low back and shoots sharp pain down one or both legs.  You may also experience numbness and tingling in one or both legs with or without the sharp pain. 

There are many causes of sciatica pain. One of the most common reasons for sciatica pain is a bulging or herniated disc. Other common causes may be osteoarthritis causing nerve impingement or narrowing of the space where nerve roots leave the spinal canal also know as stenosis.

Our chiropractors and acupuncturist can help you get rid of your back and leg pain. Studies have shown that receiving chiropractic adjustments or acupuncture can help decrease your leg pain and get you back to doing what you love. This is done by helping to relax the muscles surrounding the injured area and increasing restricted joint movement of the injured area. This will help to promote proper healing of the damaged tissues in the surrounding area.

Along with Chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture care we can help you by instructing in exercises and stretches to help the injured area. These will help to promote movement in the damaged area and help to strengthen weak muscles. By strengthening the muscles we can help stabilize the area to help decrease leg pain and help to strengthen the core which will help to prevent further injuries in the future.

When you experience sciatica pain it is always a good idea to try chiropractic care and acupuncture to see if it helps with the pain and other symptoms. Physical therapy is also another great option to help manage sciatica pain. When these options fail and don't provide relief it is a good idea to talk to your doctor about other treatment options such as using medications, shots, or surgery.

If you are experiencing any sciatica pain make sure to make an appointment with your Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, or other Doctor today. They can help determine the cause of the sciatica pain and make sure you are getting the best treatment possible. 

The Study below shows the effectiveness of spinal manipulation (adjustment) in helping with sciatica pain specifically caused by a disc injury.

The Effect of Spinal Mobilization With Leg Movement in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy-A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30521781