OK, so I threw my back out a month ago, and as you read in my last post, my back has bounced back very quickly. I feel great overall and I am even running again. I went for a 3 mile run yesterday through Pennington. When I woke up this morning, I did feel some pain again... nothing crazy, but my back was reminding me that it wasn't too long ago that I threw it out. So what is causing that slight, but annoying pain?
The Weight of 2 Quarters:
When I first visited Dr. Pagano at Pagano Chiropractic Center, he placed two quarters on my hand, which I could barely feel. He said that even the light weight of 2 quarters would cause the pain I was feeling (which was pretty bad at the time...) When your back goes out of alignment, nerves that are trying to fit into an already small space, might have pressure on them from the misalignment. That pressure, even if it's only the weight of 2 quarters, is enough to cause some serious discomfort. That's what I am feeling now...
Now that I've been going for chiropractic adjustments for the last 5 months and educating myself on what is going on with my back, I've come up with some things to do when I feel the first hint of pain in my sacrum (lower back):
1. Stop major exercise like running, lifting weights, etc. I might still walk and do some light weights, but I'm now wise enough to know when my back is telling me something...like STOP WHATEVER YOU DID TO MAKE IT ANGRY!
2. Watch how I lift things... even small and light items. As Dr. Pagano told me, when you are about to lift something significant, you stabilize yourself, which cuts down on injury. However, when you go to lift something light or small, you don't prepare yourself. This is when you can do some damage... So, I watch my alignment when picking things up (and I definitely try and use my legs as much as possible.)
3. Hot Baths - When I start to feel a hint of pain, I start taking hot baths each night. This loosens up my back muscles and really seems to help. Heck, it's also really relaxing!
4. Go for chiropractic adjustments - When there's a sign that my back is angry, I go to Dr. Pagano and get an adjustment. There's obviously something off...and getting everything aligned is a no-brainer. If my schedule allows me to do so, I try and get in there asap.
5. Keep a log of what I did to throw out my back. I try and jot down all of the activities I performed the day before I feel my back start to hurt, which typically lets me know which one activity in particular pissed my back off! Then, I can always reference the list to remind me what I shouldn't do...I know it sounds weird, but when you are as competitive as me, you tend to do things that normal people wouldn't try!! And especially now that I'm getting older... Ouch.
I hope this list helps you when your back starts sending signals that it's out of alignment or just angry at what you did! If there is anything you do to help your back pain, please comment on this post...I'd love to hear your thoughts.
The Patient
Showing posts with label pennington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pennington. Show all posts
Friday, May 4, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Common Concerns About Going to a Chiropractor?
I started going to a chiropractor about 4 months ago and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Just read my blog posts to learn more about my story, but I feel as if I have a new back, based on my treatments by Dr. Pagano. That said, I put off going to a chiropractor for a long time (almost 5 years), due to some concerns I had about chiropractic treatments. I think many people have the same concerns so I have decided to list some of them below.
1. Does it really work?
Why go to a chiropractor when some people the treatments don't work, other swear by it, and there is generally a lot of controversy around the subject matter? Like many, I thought I could help my own cause. I stretched, worked out, stretched more, iced my back, used heat on my back, and probably did a dozen other things that had absolutely no effect. After a few weeks at the chiropractor, my back felt great. Go figure.
2. Will the treatments worsen my back condition?
Common misconception. You hear about the cracking and popping and start to feel concerned about what your chiropractor is actually doing. Are the treatments worsening my condition? No, on the contrary, the chiropractic adjustment can do wonders for your alignment... Believe me, I was all out of whack! I feel great now, experienced no pain from going to the chiropractor, and feel as if I should have made the leap a lot sooner!
3. Will I need to go for the rest of my life?
No, not if you have the right chiropractor! For example, Dr. Pagano in Pennington New Jersey, explained that I should go to him more in the beginning and then start to space out my visits based on how my back feels. I am only going to him once per month now, when in the beginning I was going to him a few times per week. If I keep improving, then I can probably space out my visits even more, maybe once every other month. If your chiropractor tries to lock you into 3 times per week for the foreseeable future, then walk out the door.
If you are thinking about going to a chiropractor and have similar concerns, do yourself a favor and stop thinking so much! Make an appointment with a recommended chiropractor and see if it makes sense for you. If you want to live in pain the rest of your life, then keep going over your concerns time and time again. If you want to help yourself and relieve your pain, try it out.
The Patient
1. Does it really work?
Why go to a chiropractor when some people the treatments don't work, other swear by it, and there is generally a lot of controversy around the subject matter? Like many, I thought I could help my own cause. I stretched, worked out, stretched more, iced my back, used heat on my back, and probably did a dozen other things that had absolutely no effect. After a few weeks at the chiropractor, my back felt great. Go figure.
2. Will the treatments worsen my back condition?
Common misconception. You hear about the cracking and popping and start to feel concerned about what your chiropractor is actually doing. Are the treatments worsening my condition? No, on the contrary, the chiropractic adjustment can do wonders for your alignment... Believe me, I was all out of whack! I feel great now, experienced no pain from going to the chiropractor, and feel as if I should have made the leap a lot sooner!
3. Will I need to go for the rest of my life?
No, not if you have the right chiropractor! For example, Dr. Pagano in Pennington New Jersey, explained that I should go to him more in the beginning and then start to space out my visits based on how my back feels. I am only going to him once per month now, when in the beginning I was going to him a few times per week. If I keep improving, then I can probably space out my visits even more, maybe once every other month. If your chiropractor tries to lock you into 3 times per week for the foreseeable future, then walk out the door.
If you are thinking about going to a chiropractor and have similar concerns, do yourself a favor and stop thinking so much! Make an appointment with a recommended chiropractor and see if it makes sense for you. If you want to live in pain the rest of your life, then keep going over your concerns time and time again. If you want to help yourself and relieve your pain, try it out.
The Patient
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Pagano Chiropractic - Vito Pagano, My Chiropractor in Pennington New Jersey
Although people are visiting this blog from all over the country, I've received several requests for my chiropractor's contact information. Therefore, instead of responding to each request, I figured I would just post his contact information here.
As you can tell in my blog posts, I highly recommend Dr. Pagano for many reasons, including his extensive background in training, his philosophy about frequency of visits, his demeanor, and his up front and honest opinions. If you live in the Greater Princeton Area (in New Jersey), including Pennington, Hopewell and Lawrenceville, then definitely give him a call.
Pagano Chiropractic Center
Vito Pagano, Doctor of Chiropractic
53 Hopewell Pennington Road
Pennington, NJ 08534
609-333-1172
As you can tell in my blog posts, I highly recommend Dr. Pagano for many reasons, including his extensive background in training, his philosophy about frequency of visits, his demeanor, and his up front and honest opinions. If you live in the Greater Princeton Area (in New Jersey), including Pennington, Hopewell and Lawrenceville, then definitely give him a call.
Pagano Chiropractic Center
Vito Pagano, Doctor of Chiropractic
53 Hopewell Pennington Road
Pennington, NJ 08534
609-333-1172
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Taking on the Driving Range - Back Pain vs. The Golf Swing
As I mentioned in my last post about lower back pain, my New Jersey based chiropractor (Dr. Vito Pagano) said that based on my improvement, I could even try out the golf range. For anyone who has golfed before, you know that the golf swing is a pretty intense motion, especially for someone with lower back pain. Over the 4 years my back has given me trouble, the day after golfing has been painful. So, how did my back do, now that I've been going to a chiropractor for a month? EXTREMELY WELL! Read on.
I hit a bucket of balls at Pennington Golf Center with almost no back pain at all. I hit my wedges, long irons, and even my driver, which is a longer, more powerful swing that would typically give me back trouble. I streteched my back out prior to going to the range and then after. The next morning would be the big test...that's typically when I would really feel the pain. I woke up and had no lower back pain! I was amazed. My sides were sore, but that had nothing to do with my back, that's just the typical "I haven't hit golf balls in a few months" soreness that goes away pretty quickly.
A few days later, and I still have no after effects from the range. You better believe I'm going to keep up my visits to Dr. Pagano.
More to come.
The Patient
I hit a bucket of balls at Pennington Golf Center with almost no back pain at all. I hit my wedges, long irons, and even my driver, which is a longer, more powerful swing that would typically give me back trouble. I streteched my back out prior to going to the range and then after. The next morning would be the big test...that's typically when I would really feel the pain. I woke up and had no lower back pain! I was amazed. My sides were sore, but that had nothing to do with my back, that's just the typical "I haven't hit golf balls in a few months" soreness that goes away pretty quickly.
A few days later, and I still have no after effects from the range. You better believe I'm going to keep up my visits to Dr. Pagano.
More to come.
The Patient
Friday, December 29, 2006
Enough is Enough...Find Me a Pennington Chiropractor
It's 6AM on a Monday morning. I've got a lot to do today...a lunch with a business associate, three projects that I'm leading for my company, and my daughter's almost three (so for the parents out there reading my post, you know how tiring that can be!)
I go to get up from bed and the pain I feel is extraordinary. Yes, this is a nagging back issue that I've had for years, but today is different...it's more acute, more extreme, and the pain is so bad, I feel it might actually impact my life. I'm a little nervous.
I push myself and get out of bed, walking like an old man towards the kitchen. It will get better, right? The pain will subside... I think. It doesn't...not yet anyway. I eat breakfast. My back is still killing me. I check email. My back gets worse. OK, I've had enough!
TODAY IS THE DAY I CHOOSE NOT TO BE IN PAIN ANYMORE!! I turn to my wife and say, "Remember when you told me to go to a chiropractor? Well, get the phone numbers out! I've had enough pain."
Five years ago, I pulled my back while working in my yard. I had no kids at the time, I worked out 4-5 times per week, and I was in great shape. I thought the back pain would go away over time, but it kept coming back. Typically, once per month I would feel some type of back pull (sometimes bad, sometimes mild), but it always reminded me that it was there...
So I called my primary care physician and asked for a referral. The call came a few hours later and with no hesitation, the nurse told me, "Dr. Vito Pagano, a Pennington Chiropractor who is so good at what he does, some of us even go to him! You will be in good hands." OK, Dr. Pagano, I'm going to give you a shot to fix my ailing back! After looking through the listings of Hopewell Chiropractors, Pennington Chiropractors and Princeton Chiropractors, I'm glad my doctor could offer some guidance.
So my story begins...
The Patient
I go to get up from bed and the pain I feel is extraordinary. Yes, this is a nagging back issue that I've had for years, but today is different...it's more acute, more extreme, and the pain is so bad, I feel it might actually impact my life. I'm a little nervous.
I push myself and get out of bed, walking like an old man towards the kitchen. It will get better, right? The pain will subside... I think. It doesn't...not yet anyway. I eat breakfast. My back is still killing me. I check email. My back gets worse. OK, I've had enough!
TODAY IS THE DAY I CHOOSE NOT TO BE IN PAIN ANYMORE!! I turn to my wife and say, "Remember when you told me to go to a chiropractor? Well, get the phone numbers out! I've had enough pain."
Five years ago, I pulled my back while working in my yard. I had no kids at the time, I worked out 4-5 times per week, and I was in great shape. I thought the back pain would go away over time, but it kept coming back. Typically, once per month I would feel some type of back pull (sometimes bad, sometimes mild), but it always reminded me that it was there...
So I called my primary care physician and asked for a referral. The call came a few hours later and with no hesitation, the nurse told me, "Dr. Vito Pagano, a Pennington Chiropractor who is so good at what he does, some of us even go to him! You will be in good hands." OK, Dr. Pagano, I'm going to give you a shot to fix my ailing back! After looking through the listings of Hopewell Chiropractors, Pennington Chiropractors and Princeton Chiropractors, I'm glad my doctor could offer some guidance.
So my story begins...
The Patient