As I wrote about two weeks ago, I threw my back out again... This was mostly due to stupidly trying to kick a soccer ball as far as I could! Yes, I did something stupid like my chiropractor told me I would eventually do. :-) When I went back to Dr. Pagano after throwing my back out, he explained that my back should heal relatively quickly since I had been doing so well up to that point. Once again, he was right...
I've had four chiropractic adjustments since then and my back has been steadily improving over a two week period. Now I can cut down my chiropractic frequency to once per week and then hopefully get back to once per month. On that note, this time I will make sure to keep it once per month! I definitely pushed it last time and I paid the price!
Golf Season is Approaching
It's supposed to warm up again this week and I plan to start swinging my clubs (with Dr. Pagano's approval of course). If all goes well, I can probably head to the range to hit a bucket of balls. Golf season is right around the corner... and I've got a new Ping G5 Driver in my bag! Can you say "Boom".
The Patient
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Throwing My Back Out Again - My Chiropractor Said I Would Do Something Stupid!
So most of you reading this post know that I've come a long way since I started going to Dr. Pagano, my chiropractor in Pennington, right? I've made great strides, my back has felt unbelievably well, and I've started exercising like I did in the past, including jogging. About a month ago, I was explaining to Dr. Pagano that I was really excited about where my back was, since the past 5 years of back pain have been troublesome... He quickly said, although you are doing really well, you will probably do something really stupid and throw out your back again! (of course this was said in a light-hearted way, but I could tell that he had seen this before...)
So here we are a month later and I had to rush to Dr. Pagano this week. Why, you ask? Well, I did something really stupid and threw out my back again! He was right after all... I was playing soccer with my daughter in the backyard and she thought it was really cool when I kicked the ball as far as I could (all the way across our lawn). So, I kept doing it, trying to kick it further and further... Not a good idea. I didn't feel any pain while kicking the ball, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to help my back. After about 9 or 10 heavy duty kicks, we went inside. It was the next morning that I felt a slight pull. Read on.
Traditionally, the bottom left side of my back was the problem. This time, I felt a nagging pain in the bottom right side. Nothing horrible, but my back was letting me know that it was a little angry. The pain was there the entire day. The next day, the pain was still there, but I decided to work out in the afternoon. I didn't jog, but I was using the treadmill as part of my circuit training. It was about 25 minutes in that I felt my entire lower back pull. It reminded me of when I first pulled my back 5 years ago. I stopped immediately, but knew I was in for a rough next week (or longer).
So I visited Dr. Pagano the next day and he aptly said, "I told you so!" (of course this was jokingly said again...) He performed a chiropractic adjustment and my back cracked like I never heard it crack before. He barely had to put any pressure and my lower back was popping and cracking like there was no tomorrow. Anyway, I am now stepping up my visits to him at least for the next few weeks. He believes that since my back has reacted so well over the past few months, that this back pull shouldn't last very long. I'm hoping to feel much better within the next 2 weeks. Let's hope that's the case...
The Patient
So here we are a month later and I had to rush to Dr. Pagano this week. Why, you ask? Well, I did something really stupid and threw out my back again! He was right after all... I was playing soccer with my daughter in the backyard and she thought it was really cool when I kicked the ball as far as I could (all the way across our lawn). So, I kept doing it, trying to kick it further and further... Not a good idea. I didn't feel any pain while kicking the ball, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to help my back. After about 9 or 10 heavy duty kicks, we went inside. It was the next morning that I felt a slight pull. Read on.
Traditionally, the bottom left side of my back was the problem. This time, I felt a nagging pain in the bottom right side. Nothing horrible, but my back was letting me know that it was a little angry. The pain was there the entire day. The next day, the pain was still there, but I decided to work out in the afternoon. I didn't jog, but I was using the treadmill as part of my circuit training. It was about 25 minutes in that I felt my entire lower back pull. It reminded me of when I first pulled my back 5 years ago. I stopped immediately, but knew I was in for a rough next week (or longer).
So I visited Dr. Pagano the next day and he aptly said, "I told you so!" (of course this was jokingly said again...) He performed a chiropractic adjustment and my back cracked like I never heard it crack before. He barely had to put any pressure and my lower back was popping and cracking like there was no tomorrow. Anyway, I am now stepping up my visits to him at least for the next few weeks. He believes that since my back has reacted so well over the past few months, that this back pull shouldn't last very long. I'm hoping to feel much better within the next 2 weeks. Let's hope that's the case...
The Patient
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
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Sacrum - The Source of My Back Problem
I know that I was in the dark for a number of years with regard to the source of my back pain. It wasn't until my chiropractor reviewed my x-rays with me, that I actually saw the source of my back pain, the sacrum. The sacral spine (to be specific) is a triangular shaped bone that is located below the lumbar region of your back. I have included a photo below:
I injured my back when I was doing some landscaping work on my new house about 5 years ago. I felt something pull in the lower left-hand side of my back while digging. The pain wasn't immediate...but I knew something was wrong. It didn't take long for the pain to hit me, just a few hours. And, boy did it hit me! I could barely walk it hurt so bad. After speaking with a lot of people that also have back pain, I have found that many of them also have problems with their lower back, and their sacrum to be specific.
The pain can be easily located (you can point directly to where the pain originates). For me, this is about 2 inches left of the base of my spine. Then there is a shooting pain down my left leg (commonly referred to as sciatica). The sciatica actually hurts more than the origin of the pain!
I tried everything to alleviate the pain, including stretching, icing the area, back exercises, etc. with the hope that my back would heal. 4.5 years later I finally understood that without professional help, it wouldn't heal. That's when I visited my chiropractor for the first time, Dr. Pagano in Pennington New Jersey. I have now been going to Dr. Pagano for 2 full months and I'm amazed at the results so far. My adjustments have really helped my back pain subside and I can do things now that I just couldn't do for the past 4.5 years. Needless to say, I'm extremely happy with my treatment.
So, if you are experiencing pain in your lower back, originating a few inches out from your spine, and you are experiencing sciatica (or pain shooting down your leg), then it very well could be your sacrum that's the issue. It was for me. Don't waste time trying to figure it out on your own...go to an experienced chiropractor and start treatments as soon as possible. Definitely look for a chiropractor that fits your needs, and make sure they come recommended.
Good luck and knock out your back pain!
The Patient
I injured my back when I was doing some landscaping work on my new house about 5 years ago. I felt something pull in the lower left-hand side of my back while digging. The pain wasn't immediate...but I knew something was wrong. It didn't take long for the pain to hit me, just a few hours. And, boy did it hit me! I could barely walk it hurt so bad. After speaking with a lot of people that also have back pain, I have found that many of them also have problems with their lower back, and their sacrum to be specific.
The pain can be easily located (you can point directly to where the pain originates). For me, this is about 2 inches left of the base of my spine. Then there is a shooting pain down my left leg (commonly referred to as sciatica). The sciatica actually hurts more than the origin of the pain!
I tried everything to alleviate the pain, including stretching, icing the area, back exercises, etc. with the hope that my back would heal. 4.5 years later I finally understood that without professional help, it wouldn't heal. That's when I visited my chiropractor for the first time, Dr. Pagano in Pennington New Jersey. I have now been going to Dr. Pagano for 2 full months and I'm amazed at the results so far. My adjustments have really helped my back pain subside and I can do things now that I just couldn't do for the past 4.5 years. Needless to say, I'm extremely happy with my treatment.
So, if you are experiencing pain in your lower back, originating a few inches out from your spine, and you are experiencing sciatica (or pain shooting down your leg), then it very well could be your sacrum that's the issue. It was for me. Don't waste time trying to figure it out on your own...go to an experienced chiropractor and start treatments as soon as possible. Definitely look for a chiropractor that fits your needs, and make sure they come recommended.
Good luck and knock out your back pain!
The Patient
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The Impact of Stress on Lower Back Pain
Quick Intro - My wife and I just had our second child last week! Mom and baby are doing great, in case you were wondering. Since this blog documents my chiropractic journey, I wanted to write a post about the effects of stress on lower back pain.
On my last visit to my chiropractor in Pennington prior to our son arriving, Dr. Pagano explained that when the baby arrives, my stress levels will naturally go up and this can impact my back. It's an exciting time, but also one that brings a lot of extra stress. The lack of sleep isn't going to help matters either! So how did my back respond to the added stress? Pretty good, actually. I wasn't completely without pain, but it held up nicely. Even when I slept in the hospital on a makeshift bed, my back felt pretty good.
When we came home from the hospital, the constant running around started to bother my back. I wanted to spend more time with my daughter also, since this was a big change for her, but that also meant more running around with a three year old! Fun, yes, but I'm not 25 years old anymore! So it was about 5 or 6 days in that my back started to feel a little funky. That said, it hasn't been bad and my stretching has really helped matters. I plan to start exercising again soon, so we'll see how the combination of a second child, more stress, lack of sleep, and working out impact my lower back issues. :-)
Here are some quick tips for those of you with bad lower backs who will be experiencing additional stress:
1. Prep before the stress hits! I knew that the baby would arrive soon, so I upped my exercise program and my stretching. I didn't want to be in a situation where I couldn't work out or stretch properly for a few weeks straight.
2. Limit the stress, if possible. Sounds funny, right? What I mean is stay away from additional drivers of stress, when you know that one area will be bringing most of it. For example, if a certain someone special really bothers you, stay away from them until the stress dies down. Then you can handle their hijinks like you normally would.
3. Even if you are tired, keep an eye on activities or movements that will bother your back. For me in the past, lying a certain way or bending a certain way could throw out my back. I haven't had that issue in a while now, but I was conscious of this during the high stress time. You might be able to catch something before it negatively impacts your back.
In closing, the stress only slightly impacted my bad back, especially since I followed the tips I mentioned above. Above all, stretching and keeping an eye on bad form really seemed to help.
Good luck.
The Patient
On my last visit to my chiropractor in Pennington prior to our son arriving, Dr. Pagano explained that when the baby arrives, my stress levels will naturally go up and this can impact my back. It's an exciting time, but also one that brings a lot of extra stress. The lack of sleep isn't going to help matters either! So how did my back respond to the added stress? Pretty good, actually. I wasn't completely without pain, but it held up nicely. Even when I slept in the hospital on a makeshift bed, my back felt pretty good.
When we came home from the hospital, the constant running around started to bother my back. I wanted to spend more time with my daughter also, since this was a big change for her, but that also meant more running around with a three year old! Fun, yes, but I'm not 25 years old anymore! So it was about 5 or 6 days in that my back started to feel a little funky. That said, it hasn't been bad and my stretching has really helped matters. I plan to start exercising again soon, so we'll see how the combination of a second child, more stress, lack of sleep, and working out impact my lower back issues. :-)
Here are some quick tips for those of you with bad lower backs who will be experiencing additional stress:
1. Prep before the stress hits! I knew that the baby would arrive soon, so I upped my exercise program and my stretching. I didn't want to be in a situation where I couldn't work out or stretch properly for a few weeks straight.
2. Limit the stress, if possible. Sounds funny, right? What I mean is stay away from additional drivers of stress, when you know that one area will be bringing most of it. For example, if a certain someone special really bothers you, stay away from them until the stress dies down. Then you can handle their hijinks like you normally would.
3. Even if you are tired, keep an eye on activities or movements that will bother your back. For me in the past, lying a certain way or bending a certain way could throw out my back. I haven't had that issue in a while now, but I was conscious of this during the high stress time. You might be able to catch something before it negatively impacts your back.
In closing, the stress only slightly impacted my bad back, especially since I followed the tips I mentioned above. Above all, stretching and keeping an eye on bad form really seemed to help.
Good luck.
The Patient
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
What to Look for in a Chiropractor
Once my blog went live, I have received several questions about how to choose a chiropractor. Since I was in that position less than 2 months ago, I thought I would write a quick list of items that I think are important when looking for the right chiropractor for you.
1. Complete Transparency - Up front and honest about everything.
After I threw my back out and decided to go to a chiropractor, I really didn't know where to start. I initially ended up visiting a chiropractor in my area that has been around for a long time. To make a long story short, he wasn't right for me. It had nothing to do with how good of a chiropractor he was, but had everything to do with how he ran his practice. Then I visited Dr. Pagano in Pennington and I understood the difference between finding a chiropractor and finding the right chiropractor. Within 45 minutes, we covered pricing, his philosophy about frequency of visits, he reviewed my x-rays with me, and we are all set for my first adjustment. This is the way I work in my business and it felt right to have someone treating me the same way that I treat my clients and customers. The core point to take away from this bullet is to make sure you feel comfortable with the chiropractor. Are they personable? Are they up front with their pricing? Do they seem honest? How many times do they want to see you? If they cannot answer these questions, run. :-)
2. Philosophy About Frequency of Visits
I briefly mentioned this in my first bullet, but it's important enough to have its own line item. I'm sure you have heard stories about people that start receiving chiropractic treatments and then find themselves going back time and time again for years. They don't have much pain anymore, but they still keep going! I didn't want to find myself in that situation. Dr. Pagano's philosophy matched my expectations. Once my back started feeling better, he wanted to me to visit him every other week. Then if that worked well, I could visit him once per month. Then if that worked well, I could probably come every other month. That made sense to me... Make sure you understand your chiropractor's philosophy about frequency of visits. If you don't, you may find yourself at his office 3 times per week for the rest of your life!
3. Find a Chiropractor with Similar Types of Patients
I exercise a lot, from jogging to weight training to playing sports like baseball, tennis, and golf. Dr. Pagano has a background in training, so when I explained the back problems I was having after working out, he immediately could give me real world examples of how other patients in the same situation dealt with it and improved. This was important to me and it gave me confidence that my treatments would help my situation. For example, once I started feeling better, he gave me good recommendations for beginning to exercise again. He also explained how to start weight training again so it wouldn't affect my back, how to start running again, how to stretch, etc. This was extremely valuable to me, and should be to you.
4. A Chiropractic Plan of Action
After reviewing my x-rays with me and explaining what was wrong with my back, Dr. Pagano explained clearly how we were going to tackle the problem. This included explaining what a chiropractic adjustment was, which areas of my back we were going to focus on, how many visits it would take to get me on the right path, what my exercise schedule should look like, so on and so forth. If you cannot map out your plan, then your expectations may be improperly set, you cannot measure your improvement against the plan, and you may end up getting frustrated. This chiropractic plan of action is extremely important. Ask about it when you visit the chiropractor for the first time. If they don't believe in setting a plan, then I would find a chiropractor that does.
I'm sure I will add to this list later on, but it's a good starting point. Again, I was in your position 2 months ago and I would have liked to have seen a list like this. Good luck and ask a lot of questions. Find a chiropractor that matches up well with your needs and you'll be in good shape. No pun intended.
1. Complete Transparency - Up front and honest about everything.
After I threw my back out and decided to go to a chiropractor, I really didn't know where to start. I initially ended up visiting a chiropractor in my area that has been around for a long time. To make a long story short, he wasn't right for me. It had nothing to do with how good of a chiropractor he was, but had everything to do with how he ran his practice. Then I visited Dr. Pagano in Pennington and I understood the difference between finding a chiropractor and finding the right chiropractor. Within 45 minutes, we covered pricing, his philosophy about frequency of visits, he reviewed my x-rays with me, and we are all set for my first adjustment. This is the way I work in my business and it felt right to have someone treating me the same way that I treat my clients and customers. The core point to take away from this bullet is to make sure you feel comfortable with the chiropractor. Are they personable? Are they up front with their pricing? Do they seem honest? How many times do they want to see you? If they cannot answer these questions, run. :-)
2. Philosophy About Frequency of Visits
I briefly mentioned this in my first bullet, but it's important enough to have its own line item. I'm sure you have heard stories about people that start receiving chiropractic treatments and then find themselves going back time and time again for years. They don't have much pain anymore, but they still keep going! I didn't want to find myself in that situation. Dr. Pagano's philosophy matched my expectations. Once my back started feeling better, he wanted to me to visit him every other week. Then if that worked well, I could visit him once per month. Then if that worked well, I could probably come every other month. That made sense to me... Make sure you understand your chiropractor's philosophy about frequency of visits. If you don't, you may find yourself at his office 3 times per week for the rest of your life!
3. Find a Chiropractor with Similar Types of Patients
I exercise a lot, from jogging to weight training to playing sports like baseball, tennis, and golf. Dr. Pagano has a background in training, so when I explained the back problems I was having after working out, he immediately could give me real world examples of how other patients in the same situation dealt with it and improved. This was important to me and it gave me confidence that my treatments would help my situation. For example, once I started feeling better, he gave me good recommendations for beginning to exercise again. He also explained how to start weight training again so it wouldn't affect my back, how to start running again, how to stretch, etc. This was extremely valuable to me, and should be to you.
4. A Chiropractic Plan of Action
After reviewing my x-rays with me and explaining what was wrong with my back, Dr. Pagano explained clearly how we were going to tackle the problem. This included explaining what a chiropractic adjustment was, which areas of my back we were going to focus on, how many visits it would take to get me on the right path, what my exercise schedule should look like, so on and so forth. If you cannot map out your plan, then your expectations may be improperly set, you cannot measure your improvement against the plan, and you may end up getting frustrated. This chiropractic plan of action is extremely important. Ask about it when you visit the chiropractor for the first time. If they don't believe in setting a plan, then I would find a chiropractor that does.
I'm sure I will add to this list later on, but it's a good starting point. Again, I was in your position 2 months ago and I would have liked to have seen a list like this. Good luck and ask a lot of questions. Find a chiropractor that matches up well with your needs and you'll be in good shape. No pun intended.