January’s Performance Topic

Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain (LBP) is a condition that over 80% of Americans will experience at one point or another during their lifetime.  Over 99% of all lower back pain cases are classified as non-specific and stem from muscle imbalance, poor spinal mobility and stability, and overall movement and postural dysfunction.  As with many musculoskeletal conditions, more often than not, the cause of the problem has little to do with the location of the symptoms.  Below are a few things to consider if you’ve been struggling with lower back pain.

Improve your hip mobility - a lack of hip mobility can lead to excessive movement of the lower back, an area that should otherwise move very little.

Improve your glute strength – proper glute strength is essential for pelvic stability and will help to “unload” the lower back.

Improve your trunk muscle endurance – a common finding in people with lower back pain is the inability of the core muscles to stabilize the spine for extended periods of time.

All cases of LBP are NOT due to degenerative disc disease – recent studies have shown that it is difficult to correlate the findings of lumbar disc degeneration on MRI with symptoms of lower back pain.  In fact, a 2010 study showed that as high as 85% of subjects without lower back pain had the presence of lumbar disc degeneration on MRI.

If you’ve been bothered by lower back pain that’s making it harder to stick with your workout program, call or stop by Performance Chiropractic Center today.

November’s Performance Topic

Anterior Knee Pain

Anterior knee pain goes by many different names such as patellofemoral syndrome, chondromalacia patellae, and patellar tendonitis to name a few. The problem with anterior knee pain aside from its debilitating nature is how it is often treated. Far too often the treatment protocol is aimed at treating the site of pain, the knee joint itself. In reality, problems at the ankle and hip can ultimately manifest as knee pain. Research has shown that symptoms of anterior knee pain in adolescents and middle-aged adults are a risk factor for early onset degenerative arthritis of the knee.

Common findings in people with anterior knee pain:

• Poor ankle mobility
• Poor hip mobility
• Poor hip rotation strength (internal and external)
• Decreased inner thigh strength
• Gluteal muscle tightness
• Quadriceps overactivity
• Hamstring weakness

If you’ve been experiencing knee pain that’s making it harder to stick with your workout program, call or stop by Performance Chiropractic Center today