Knowing Your Limitations Keeps the Chiropractor Away

Dr. Pagano fixed my back again...after the soccer episode I explain in a previous post. After that happened, I started to understand that knowing your limitations is critical, especially as you get older. I'm almost 35 so I can't move at the pace I used to. That's unfortunate, since I'm a highly competitive person, both professionally and personally. So, I've decided to list some things you can do to stay within your safe boundaries while performing physical activities.

Think Before You Act

Simply put, before you do something really physical, stop and ask yourself what the impact could be. Practical example: I was cutting some of the trees in my backyard recently and needed to jump to grab a branch. Before I jumped (which would have probably hurt my back), I thought about it for a second. Then I went and grabbed a ladder instead. In the old days, I would have just jumped!

Don't Overdo It

If you are going to run, don't run 10 miles, run 3 or 4. If you want to play golf, don't hit 36 holes, hit 18. If you want to play company softball, play once per week and not double headers after work. I think you get the point.

Take Care of Your Back

Visit your chiropractor on a regular basis, which is determined by you and your chiropractor. Now that my back is feeling better, I only go in once per 3 or 4 weeks versus a few times per week. Also, take hot baths, stretch, and be wary of things that can throw your back out. For me, it's alignment (whether that's running, sleeping, sitting, etc.)

Don't Be Baited Into Doing Something Stupid

When you get together with old friends or coworkers, don't be baited into doing stupid things. For example, don't bowl for 3 hours at a company event if it will kill your back! Don't golf 2 days in a row if an old friend is in town, and don't think that you are younger than you really are and go out all night only to find out the next morning that you did something stupid and threw out your back! ;-)

I hope these tips help you out...I'm learning as I'm going. I think the world of my chiropractor, but I'd rather not see him very often! :-)

The Patient

Steps I Take to Minimize Recurring Lower Back Pain

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

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

The Common Pitfall of Chiropractic Patients - Don't Get Overconfident Says My Chiropractor!

I've been going to a chiropractor now for about 7 weeks and I must say that I feel great! My back is doing well, I'm working out, and I'm able to do things painlessly that once caused a lot of problems. I've been jogging, lifting weights, circuit training, etc. with no major problems. I'm blown away with the results of going to the chiropractor. So at my last visit to Dr. Pagano, I asked "Why do you think I'm doing so well so quickly?? My back feels incredible and I'm only 6 to 7 weeks in!" Dr. Pagano looked at me and said, "You are definitely doing well, but chances are that you'll do something careless as you test your back..." This comment stems from a lot of experience. So I asked him to explain.

Basically, as people start to feel better, they test the limits of their back, neck, or whatever problem they were once facing. Think about it, I'm doing it now. I've been increasing my running over the past few weeks along with weight training, I'm picking up my daughter more, carrying more weight, shoveling snow, etc. I wake up and feel great, but very easily I could wake up and not feel so great... Dr. Pagano knows that I'll do something in the future that doesn't agree with my back, so I shouldn't get overconfident. Good advice and I'll take it!

So for now, things are going extremely well. I'm going for a chiropractic adjustment every other week and will hopefully push that to once a month. That is, until I do something stupid!! :-)

The Patient