Accidents and Injuries

Sometimes low back pain comes out of nowhere, but that sudden twinge in the lower back does have a cause. With some cases, there’s a trigger, like picking up a heavy object/furniture from an awkward position.  But sometimes it can be a mystery and a challenge to diagnose.

It is important to know the cause of lower back pain to figure out the proper treatment plan.

Otherwise, one could receive treatment for the wrong diagnosis and possibly exacerbate the existing injury.

Why do I need to know what triggers my back pain

Knowing what triggers back pain is the first step toward prevention and how to treat it.

Muscle spasms can stop you cold, and so I'm sure you don’t want another one.

Acute Back Pain

Acute low back pain typically comes on suddenly and lasts for a short time.

It often resolves on its own with self-care and a little time.

Back pain that lasts longer than three months, is considered chronic.

Chronic back pain can be more complex and require doctor/spine specialist-directed treatment, like physical therapy.

Lower Back Pain Is Common

Over 90 percent of adults will have some type of low back pain during their life.

It happens to be the number one cause of job disability globally and the leading contributor to missed work.

Lower back pain happens more often, compared to mid or upper back pain because of the location and all of the movement.

The lower back supports the upper body's weight.

The low back known as the (lumbar spine) absorbs and distributes all of the forces and stress when we move:

• Walking
• Standing
• Rest
• Sitting
• Sleeping

Spinal and abdominal muscles that are weakened heighten injury risk.

These factors combined make the lower back vulnerable to painful spinal conditions.

Common Triggers

When the lumbar spine:

• Muscles
• Tendons
• Ligaments

And other connective tissues get:

• Pulled
• Strained
• Sprained

Is when lower back pain happens.

Small tears in the disc can also contribute to back pain.

Basically, any number of activity and non-activity can cause damage to the spinal discs depending on the movement.

A study published in Arthritis Care & Research saw 999 people from 300 clinics in Australia, to examine their pain triggers.

The most common triggers include:

Manual tasks performed in an awkward posture

This includes:

• Lifting boxes with the back and not bending the knees
• Lifting something too heavy
• Moderate physical activity
• Vigorous physical activity

High intense strength training, long bike rides without proper conditioning, handling people or animals, and picking up children can be triggers and cause injury.

Other triggers include:

• Overstretching
• Twisting
• And Trauma

From:

• Falls
• Vehicle accidents
• Sports 

Triggers You Might Not Know About

Although we don't think about it being Distracted can increase the odds of low back pain.

When we're not paying attention,  we are more likely to lift and carry something too far from our body or distribute the weight unevenly.

Feeling tired and Fatigued is associated with lower back pain.

Getting the proper amount of sleep is vital to restore our bodies to optimal performance.

When we don't sleep the right amount of hours we make our bodies more susceptible to injury.

Treatment

Thankfully most cases are not serious and typically resolve within a few days to, four weeks healing on its own.

But if not, then there are these conservative treatments that can help you feel better and speed up healing.

Continue to Move Around

Depending on how much pain your body will allow, keep doing regular activities and exercise, as best as you can.

Activity increases blood flow, that moves oxygen and minerals/nutrients through the body.

Activity and movement help reduce muscle tension and inflammation.

Heat/Ice

This will not cure a strain or sprain, but they do help in pain reduction.

Heat helps loosen tight muscles.

This can be done by making warm compresses by soaking a towel in hot water.

Fold it to the size you need and wrap it around your lower back up to 20 minutes.  Then rest, massage and re-apply.

Therapy

Physical and manual therapies like:

• Chiropractic care
• Therapeutic UltraSound 
• Massage can bring temporary relief from short-term back pain.

If the pain is intense and interferes with daily activities, a chiropractor/physical therapist can offer exercises and stretches to:

• Improve posture
• Increase mobility
• Correct muscle imbalances

Acute lower back pain can stop you cold with its intensity.

Understanding triggers can take steps to maintain a healthy spine and avoid unpleasant surprises.

Medication

Both acetaminophen (Tylenol) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve pain.

These need to be taken, specifically as directed by your doctor. We've seen the opioid crisis going on and now this type of treatment is now a last resort. Various medical associations are now pushing towards natural and alternative therapies before turning to medication.

Prolonged use of NSAIDs (Aleve, Advil) can be associated with an upset stomach, kidney damage and gastrointestinal conditions and bleeding, among other conditions.

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Back pain is one of the most common health issues frequently diagnosed by healthcare professionals. Approximately 80 percent of the population will experience some type of back pain throughout their lifetimes. Because back pain can occur due to a wide array of health issues, diagnosis is essential to follow-up with the proper treatment approach. Dr. Alex Jimenez, chiropractor or doctor of chiropractic in El Paso, TX, utilizes chiropractic care to help treat back pain. Patients describe how their back pain affected their quality of life, and how Dr. Jimenez helped them improve their overall health and wellness with chiropractic. Patients highly recommend Dr. Jimenez and his staff as the non-surgical choice for back pain, among other common health issues.

Acute Whiplash-Associated Disorders:

Acute Whiplash

Each year in America there are between 6.5 million and 7 million Motor Vehicle Accidents or (MVA's) that affect many. Of those accidents, about three million involve some form of bodily injury. About two thirds of these injuries, while not debilitating, are permanent. When you are rear-ended your body is driven out from under your head. Although there is a great deal of soft tissue stretching that occurs in the soft tissues (LIGAMENTS, TENDONS, MUSCLES, and FASCIA), as your body travels forward at a significantly higher velocity than your head; at a certain point, these "soft tissues" cannot stretch anymore. This is the first point at which microscopic tissue tearing occurs. This is the beginning of the injury process.

The head is now accelerating forward faster than the entire body. When the body comes to a stop (i.e. your vehicle slams into whatever is in front of it), the head will continue to travel forward. This is actually where the term "whiplash" comes from, and where it occurs. It's exactly the principle of physics that results in the tip of a bullwhip to 'crack' as it breaks the sound barrier. If this type of 'whipping' motion occurs in the neck, it can result in a great deal of soft tissue damage and subsequent formation of fibrosis and scar tissue. Additionally, it may lead to a great deal of occult (hidden) brain and nerve system trauma.

Dr. Alexander Jimenez D.C.

Study Design:

An experimental study of motor/sensory function and psychological distress in subjects with acute whiplash injury.

Objective:

Characterizing acute whiplash injuries in terms of motor/sensory systems dysfunction and psychological distress. This involves comparison of subjects with higher and lesser levels of pain and disability.

Summary Of Background Data:

Motor system dysfunction, sensory hypersensitivity, and psychological distress are present in chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD), but little is known of such factors in the acute stage of injury. As higher levels of pain and disability in acute WAD are accepted as signs of poor outcome, further characterization of this group from those with lesser symptoms is important.

Materials And Methods:

Motor function (cervical range of movement [ROM], joint position error [JPE]; activity of the superficial neck flexors [EMG] during a test of cranio-cervical flexion), quantitative sensory testing (pressure, thermal pain thresholds, and responses to the brachial plexus provocation test), and psychological distress (GHQ-28, TAMPA, IES) were measured in 80 whiplash subjects (WAD II or III) within 1 month of injury, as were 20 control subjects.

Results:

Three subgroups were identified in the cohort using cluster analysis based on the Neck Disability Index: those with mild, moderate, or severe pain and disability. All whiplash groups demonstrated decreased ROM and increased EMG compared with the controls (all P < 0.01). Only the moderate and severe groups demonstrated greater JPE and generalized hypersensitivity to all sensory tests (all P < 0.01). The three whiplash subgroups demonstrated evidence of psychological distress, although this was greater in the moderate and severe groups. Measures of psychological distress did not impact on between group differences in motor or sensory tests.

Conclusions:

Acute whiplash subjects with higher levels of pain and disability were distinguished by sensory hypersensitivity to a variety of stimuli, suggestive of central nervous system sensitization occurring soon after injury. These responses occurred independently of psychological distress. These findings may be important for the differential diagnosis of acute whiplash injury and could be one reason why those with higher initial pain and disability demonstrate a poorer outcome.

Sterling M1, Jull G, Vicenzino B, Kenardy J.

Author Information

Whiplash Research Unit, Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. m.sterling@shrs.uq.edu.au

When dealing with a sports injury or a similar type of injury, many people are familiar with the R.I.C.E. protocol for injury care. R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation and has long been used when treating everything from sprained ankles to banged up knees. With acute injury patients, experts recommend adding “P” for protection because of the protection of the area is absolutely vital in the healing process. It is crucial that this is implemented as soon after the injury as possible and it should be maintained for anywhere from 24 hours to 72 hours afterward. Of course, this depends on the severity of the injury.

P is for Protection: Injuries hurt and pain can be a good thing because it prevents you from further injuring that area. It encourages you to protect it.

It is essential to listen to your body and protect the injured area through full or partial immobilization and restricted use. The way you do this depends on the body part.

An arm or shoulder injury can be protected with the use of a sling. An ankle injury may require a brace or splint, and you may have to avoid or limit weight bearing for a while. This means using crutches a walker, or a cane.

R is for Rest: The body needs rest to heal. This could mean complete rest, but in many cases, it means what is known as “relative rest.” This means that it allows for enough rest to heal but is not entirely restrictive which could slow or inhibit recovery.

This means avoiding activities that are stressful to the area to the point that they cause pain or that they might compromise healing. Many times, though, some movement is a good thing, even beneficial. Some gentle movements can actually speed recovery.

Isometric contractions of the muscles and joints that surround the injury and even some range of motion exercises can help. The key is to keep the movements gentle and to listen to your body for guidance on how much and how far to push.

I is for Ice: Cryotherapy or cold treatments can come in the form of actual ice, or there can be other types such as a cold soak. When treating acute injuries at home, the best known, and probably the easiest way is to put some crushed ice in a freezer bag with a zip lock closure and wrap it in a small towel to keep the pack from directly touching the skin.

Frozen vegetables, like green beans, peas, or edamame work well too – just remember to use the towel as a barrier between the skin and the pack. You should not use the pack more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. The recommended cycle is 10 to 15 minutes on and 1 to 2 hours off.

In some cases, you may not be able to apply ice directly to the site. In those cases, you can use the pack at the joint above the affected area. For instance, a tightly wrapped ankle can still benefit from ice, you just apply the ice pack to the back on the knee on the same leg.

C is for Compression: A compression wrap can offer mild support and reduce swelling. Typically, an elastic bandage is used to compress or apply pressure to the injured tissue.

When applying a compression bandage, start it several inches below the area that is injured. It should be applied directly to your skin.

Use some tension as you wrap, but not to the point that it cuts off circulation (characterized by tingling or numbness and the soft tissue should not change color). Wrap the bandage in a figure eight configuration or spiral, depending on the area, stopping a few inches above the injury.

E is for Elevation: When an injured joint or extremity is not elevated, fluid can pool in the area and swelling can occur. This can lead to increased pain and limited range of motion. Elevation helps prevent these things from happening and can even help to speed up recovery.

The key to elevation is positioning the injured area at a level that is above the heart. The most effective way to accomplish this is to keep the area elevated as much as possible while awake and prop it up with pillows while sleeping for at least the first 24 to 48 hours. Some injuries may require more time though, so listen to your body.

Skateboarding Injury Treatment