Back Pain: The ONE Thing That Makes Sciatica Worse & What To Do About It

By Dean Volk, The Carolinas Leading PT

Sometimes IT happens.

You’re going about your normal day, you’re feel great and don’t think twice about any ‘health problems’ because they’re way off in the future anyway, but then all of a sudden you feel a twinge in your lower-back…

And immediately you know something’s not right.

Maybe you even begin to kid yourself into thinking that it’s nothing, that after a good night sleep it will go away on its own. But the thing is, when lower back pain strikes, (and if you don’t do anything about it quick), it can leave you suffering for much longer than you should.

Which is exactly what happens to many of my clinets, before they come to see me.
Many clients came in to see me in a great deal of pain – often times so bad that they can hardly even get out of bed in the morning, (not without struggling for 20 minutes anyway!).

Here’s what typically happens… weeks or months ago they were simply bending down to pick up a piece of paper, a ball, a pen, or doing something simple like folding laundry, or simply bending into the dryer, and they notice a sudden ‘PING!’, something in their back “went.” And like most people who come to see me with low-back pain, they brush aside, hoping they wake up the next day as if it never even happened.

But the following day, the pain was still there.

Their back was still ache, but they decide to leave it a little longer as it does not seem urgent enough for a doctor visit, thinking that if they just get through the next days, the pain would ease off.
But those days turned into weeks, and their back pain grows worse and worse – and the problem was, all of the sitting and resting they did, thinking it would make it ‘better’, was adding pressure to their back, causing a shooting pain to run down her leg, which meant very little to no walking, and even time off work…

…This condition is also known as Sciatica.

Sciatica is when a disc at the base of your spine is put under too much pressure… and it irritates a nerve that runs down your leg – often causing numbness even pins and needles as well as pain.
The pain from Sciatica is often so excruciating it makes it almost impossible to get out of the house, drive, go shopping, or even sleep comfortably – and nearly always gets worse when you sit.
To put it simply – it’s a painful and life-limiting condition that can happen as a result of not getting your back pain seen to as soon as pain strikes.

But there are things you CAN do, such as specific exercises to help you get back to feeling healthy and on your feet again without worrying that your back is going to put you out.

Here are Three Simple Tips:

1. Avoid sitting for any longer than is absolutely necessary
2. As an exercise – stand up, put your hands on your bum and lean back – hold for 10 seconds. It may be painful, but you’re helping it the long run
3. Watch my video where I show an actual client from a workshop get quick easy relief with two very simple, easy to perform exercises. To view it, click HERE

Announcements:

If you want more information to recover from Back pain and Sciatica, I have put together a FREE Low Back Report with information to help you immediately as well. IF interested, please click HERE to get your free copy, for you or a loved one.

One other thing we will be doing throughout the year is offering FREE Low Back Pain and Sciatica workshops. They will typically be on Saturdays throughout the year, and IF this interests you, or you know someone who may be able to benefit from it, please email me personally at dean@volkpt.com so I can be sure you are notified of where and when our next workshop will be. (we are holding a SPECIAL TUESDAY night, 7/26 FREE Workshop in Concord location. Call 704-707-4282 and register with Jen for this FREE life changing event!!

Should I Be Worried That My Knees Click

By Dean Volk, The Carolinas Leading PT

SO many clients who come to see me ask why their knees pop and should they worry, if it is not painful. A knee that decides to ‘pop’ or make a cracking sound can sometimes feel worrying, and I’m sure that most of us at one time or another have knelt down and had our knees make a clicking or popping noise…

Please don’t worry, these noises are common and come along as an inevitable consequence as we grow older.

And in fact, it’s so common that it’s one of the most frequent questions I’m asked and brings many people into my clinics.

Chances are that if you’re aged 40+, clicks and pops may be one of the first sounds that you hear when you get out of bed in the morning, and it’s likely that you’ll hear your knees creaking when you bend your legs too, and move into different positions.

It happens to a lot of people, and it’s nothing to be concerned about, however, it’s definitely something to look into before it could turn into something that brings you knee pain…

Why Do Knees Click As We Get Older?

Well as it happens, this is one of the easiest things to explain…

Your knees job is to act like a cushion that protects your body, and absorbs the shock it receives each time your foot lands when you walk. Your knees take a pounding from every surface you walk on, regardless of what activity you do.

Add everyday walking, to going out for a jog, playing golf, a game of bowls, or simply enjoying a longer walk with your friends around the woods at the weekend – that’s a lot of impact that your knees take over the years.

And as a result, the protective cartilage (the cushion), can begin to wear down… and because your knee joint is tough, inevitably as you move, your knee joint rubs together and clicking noises occur!

Now the thing is, these noises don’t always bring knee pain – not to begin with anyway. But it can often be a sign that pain and stiffness may be on the way – and while that may sound worrying, if you choose to do something about it now, you might just be able to stop knee pain right in its tracks.

So what can you do about it?…

Well there are a number of simple exercises you can do to stretch or strengthen the muscles around your knees, and help to protect your joints. By doing these once a day, you WILL notice a significant difference, and hopefully won’t have to put up with clicking noises for much longer.

One example of an exercise is the quad stretch. This is where you rest one hand on a hard surface (like your kitchen counter), and with the other hand, hold onto your foot behind your back as you bend your knee towards your bottom.

There are plenty more tips and simple exercises that you can do from home in our free information guide—Email me at dean@volkpt.com and put Free Knee Report in the subject line and I will get it right to you. You can always send me a quick note about what you are looking for in this report and I will do my best to answer all your questions quickly. 

Even the Dogs Know Water is Needed

By Dean Volk, PT, Carolinas Leading Therapist

One thing we started doing at Volk PT this summer is enjoying Therapy Dog visits to help alleviate the stress in our clients, but also to try to help us all enjoy the Dog Dayz of Summer. If you have a dog, you should notice how much more water they are drinking now, compared to the cooler months. Even the Dogs know the need of hydrating to maintain their health and energy levels.

 

With the heat of the summer upon us, it is especially important to keep drinking water!! It is so easy to overlook the most basic need our body has, but during the heat of the summer it could be a costly oversight.

Many people enjoy just getting outdoors and walking, sun tanning or laying by the pool or working in their yard, during this time of year. For many, walking is a very simple and affordable form of exercise. For some, it is about being more “being one with nature”', others just love the warmth of the sun on their face, while others get outside as an effective way to decrease stress.

Whatever your reason for being out and about in the heat, remember to drink enough water to keep you hydrated and healthy. It is critical for everyone, those of us who exercise, even more critical for our body to get enough water for normal function and repair. The old golden rule for water drinking was simply drinking 8 glasses of 8oz/day. Though one size does not fit all, as we are all different shapes, sizes and we have different activity levels. More recently, it is suggested to daily drink between .5oz. and 1oz. of water for each pound you weigh. That being said, the warmer the weather, the more toward the higher end of that range you will need.

Enjoy the outdoors, get active, keep moving and remember it is vital to your health to stay hydrated!!!

Sitting… Is It Really THAT Bad For You?

 I bet you’re sitting down while reading this…

Whether you’re sitting in a coffee shop, you’re at work at your desk, lounging on your sofa after a long day, or sat up in bed, you’re probably sitting comfortably while reading this.

And I don’t blame you – sitting has become so ingrained in our daily lives that most of us (myself included), spend more time in a chair every day than we do sleeping.

Let me ask you this: Did you know that the average person spends 9.5 hours a day seated, and around another 7 asleep?

Well, if this sounds like you, you’re not alone – after all chairs are almost everywhere we turn…

From the seats in our car, to the office chair, to the sofa where we watch TV. Sitting seems like the most natural thing to do in the world, I’m sure you’d agree? However, what if I told you that sitting was actually worse for you than you thought? What if sitting all day brings on far more health issues than you could imagine? Just think about your typical daily routine for a second…

How many hours did you count that you spend sitting in a chair? If it’s 9, (or more), then you may want to consider making some small changes to reduce the risk of unwanted health problems creeping up on you. Here’s why – simply, our bodies are not designed to sit.

If you think about it, hundreds and thousands of years ago we spent most of our time standing. We were either hunting, gathering or traveling, and although we’re very lucky that times have changed and we no longer have to hunt for our food, a few modern ‘conveniences’ have actually made things harder for us. 

Sitting is one of those conveniences that can cause all sorts of problems to our body when it’s done in excess (also known as the typical ‘sedentary lifestyle’).

When we spend a long time sitting down, this puts a lot of pressure on our lower back. While you might not realize it, as hours of sitting time gradually build up, and can result in health issues such as bad backs, tight and tense shoulder muscles and even painful, swollen knees.

As well as unwanted aches and pains, too much sitting can also weaken your muscles, can give you bad posture and even leads to weight gain.

So how can we fix this problem you might be wondering?… Well, if we could all work with a standing desk that would certainly help, but I realize that’s not (always) going to be possible so one thing you can start doing today, is to get up every 30 minutes.

Set a timer on your computer, or keep an eye on your clock and get up and move. This could be a quick walk around the office, a walk to the printer or to grab drink of water. Simply get up and move! Any extra time spent being active is a bonus.

One of our clients, Stephanie, had a really great idea, she goes for 20 minute walk each morning before heading to work which makes all the difference, and she even tells me it makes her feel more productive for the day!

So to sum it up – we’re creatures of habit, and our bodies are a result of those habits – getting up and moving more might feel hard at first, but do it enough and it’ll soon become second nature, you’ll feel healthier, more active and reduce the risk of back pain too.