Decompression works to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerves, by gently pulling the vertebral bones apart and acting upon some of the structures which might be applying force to the neurological structures, including herniated discs.

Spinal decompression is not indicated for all type of stenosis, but for appropriate conditions, this treatment offers a real hope for true and lasting relief from stenosis back pain.

Surgical Decompression for Spinal Stenosis

Surgical decompression for stenosis conditions is generally best used when the source of canal or foraminal narrowing is severe arthritic change. The procedure used in these cases is usually a laminectomy, foraminotomy, or both. Decompression surgery is also used for many disc conditions, such as herniated disc casuing spinal stenosis, often in combination with a discectomy procedure or spinal fusion.

Curative statistics are not very good for any type of back surgery and are particularly poor when treating disc issues. Many disc conditions are misdiagnosed as the actual source of pain, while even correctly identified causative disc concerns often re-herniate immediately or eventually after surgery, sometimes getting worse, not better.  I  always advise using extreme caution when considering spinal stenosis surgery.

Non-Surgical Decompression for Spinal Stenosis

Traction is an antiquated notion and rarely does anything positive in its traditional form of confining the patient bed with attached weights or resistance devices to progressively separate the spinal bones over time. The usual result is continuing pain and muscular atrophy. This dated approach to care is a complete waste of time and statistically is usually counterproductive.

Inversion is a popular do-it-yourself home remedy for some forms of spinal stenosis and neuroforaminal stenosis. I am not an advocate, but I have seen good results for some patients. Just remember that inversion can be risky for many patients, so it is always best to research the treatment thoroughly before using an inversion table or boot system for back pain treatment.

Newer spinal decompression unit, like the DRX9000, is perfect for offering hope for some types of back and neck pain. The therapy works best for herniated and degenerated discs which have been implicated as the source of pain. Nonsurgical decompression can treat some forms of spinal arthritis, as well, but not nearly as effectively or universally as soft tissue pathologies.

Decompression for Spinal Stenosis Advice

As always, I advise avoiding surgery, whenever possible. When it is truly needed, go with the least invasive approach which will get the job done and always take great time and effort in choosing a surgeon. Remember, they literally hold your life and future functionality in their hands on the operating table.  Modern nonsurgical spinal decompression is a good option for many patients, since treatment duration and costs are finite (no going to the doctor for months or years) and may actually cure the structural issues. Just remember to always investigate the care provider and decompression system utilized prior to starting treatment, since not all are equal in their curative results.

Does your neck or back feel tight or stiff when you wake up in the morning or get up from sitting in the same position for an extended period of time?  Have you ever felt slight discomfort when bending over to tie your shoes or pick something up from the floor? Do you feel pain or hear “clicking and popping” when turning or stretching your neck? If you answered yes to any of these questions heed this warning! What you’re experiencing are signs that you are at risk for even simple everyday tasks to cause serious debilitating conditions, such as a herniated disc.

Millions suffer with disc problems every day. Many just suffer with the problem or take a medication to cover up the pain and agony that associates the problem – low back pain, sciatic pain, and numbness and tingling. A herniated disc is a disc in the spine that pushes out and puts pressure on the nerves coming out of the spine. The question almost never solved nor uncovered is what caused the disc herniation in the first place! The accident or fall or injury forces the disc to herniate, but what physically happens to cause this?

If you were to look at your spine from the side it should have three 45 degree curves in it: one in the neck, one in the mid-back, and one in the low back.  The three perfectly symmetrical curves help to support and hold up your body and to absorb the impact of everyday life. Without these curves, your spine becomes unstable. The most common area of disc herniations, the low back, should have a 45 degree curve. If that curve starts to straighten out it is like straightening out a banana with it’s peel on. What happens to the banana? It smashes. That is exactly what happens to the discs, which are in between every vertebrae in your spine. A slip or fall, or constant bad posture, or too much improper lifting, etc. cause that curve in the low back to decrease and straighten out. As the curve straightens, more and more pressure is put on the discs. Eventually the discs cannot take it anymore and finally one will give.  The discs bulges out like a squeezed balloon. This bulging presses into the near by nerve and makes it extremely irritated, hence all the pain.

A surgeon will go in, scrape off the bulging disc so it stops irritating the nerve. But, does that fix the problem? No, the banana is still mashed, you just cleaned up the banana mush that was spilling out of the peel. This quick fix type of patchwork is why up to 50-90% of back surgeries fail within 5 years, and then new patchwork needs to be done!¹ If you constantly patch the holes in your car’s tires and never realign them, what happens? A blow out! Now that’s a dangerous way to live.

Too many people in agony from herniated disc pain learn about this condition the hard way: after the suffering has already began. The pain is so debilitating at times that many feel the only pathway to relief is to cut. But surgery is not the answer. The majority of back surgeries fail.² The return of the pain after back surgery is so common it has a special name: Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS). FBSS often entails chronic pain, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, and de-conditioning.³ In addition it also increases one’s risk of developing peripheral artery disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. These people are left with a further damaged spine, additional pain, and the original unresolved problem. Most devastating of all, if not properly addressed, disc herniations keep people from doing the things they love to do with the people they love to do them with.

Are yousuffering with debilitating back pain, sciatica or leg pain? Get relief with spinal decompression therapy. At The Vancouver Spinal decompression clinic, we use the Spinal decompression therapy, Cold Laser Therapy and chiropractic to provide relief. Check out your options for treatment by visiting Vancouver Spinal decompression Clinic, or call for your complimentary consultation and examination at
604-984-4601.

The drugs include traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as well as new generation anti-inflammatory drugs, known as COX-2 inhibitors.  NSAIDs have been among the most freely prescribed of all pain suppressing medications in patients with osteoarthritis and other painful conditions. In  2004, the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib was withdrawn from the market after a trial found that the drug increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. Since then, there has been much debate about the cardiovascular safety of COX-2 inhibitors and traditional NSAIDs, but little has been done to stem the tide of prescriptions.

The BMJ study, conducted by researchers in Switzerland, involved a comprehensive analysis of all randomized controlled trials comparing any NSAID with other NSAIDs or placebo.  They included 31 trials and 116,429 patients taking seven different drugs (naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib, etoricoxib, rofecoxib, lumiracoxib) or placebo to provide a more reliable estimate of the cardiovascular risks of
these drugs than previous studies.  In 29 trials there were a total of 554 heart attacks; in 26 trials there were 377 strokes, and in 28 trials there were 676 deaths. While the absolute risk of cardiovascular problems among people taking painkillers was low, the researchers did find that, relative to placebo, the drugs carried important risks.

For instance, compared with placebo, rofecoxib and lumiracoxib were associated with twice the risk of heart attack, while ibuprofen was associated with more than three times the risk of stroke. Etoricoxib and diclofenac were associated with the highest (around four times) risk of cardiovascular death.  The researchers concluded: “Although uncertainty remains, little evidence exists to suggest that any of the investigated drugs are safe in cardiovascular terms. Cardiovascular risk needs to be taken into account when prescribing any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.”

An accompanying editorial says these cardiovascular risks are worrying because many patients have both cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal disease , and suggests that it is time for an evaluation of a broader range of alternatives.

SOURCES: “Cardiovascular safety of
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: network meta-analysis” BMJ 2011;
342:c7086 (www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.c7086)

“Cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs”
(BMJ 2011; 342:c6618) http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.c6618

As a  chiropractor I turn my patients on to several options to consider for home care and strengthening in an effort to alleviate the symptoms of lower back pain in between their adjustments. Remember to take it easy. Your lower back may be sore for a reason. The moves I will discuss here are meant to be done slowly, in a relaxed mode.

First, an ice pack may be used to reduce inflammation in the first 72hrs and then heat application. Try using it a couple times a day for 15 minutes at a time – just don’t go too long! Let your body be your guide.

In addition, stretching will also help to relax the muscles. For one to try, lie flat on your back on the floor with legs stretched out in front of you. Pull one knee up to your chest and hug it with your arms to your chest. Feel a stretch in your lower back, but do not pull so hard that your cause pain. Gently release and straighten the leg and repeat with the opposite leg. This may also be done with both legs at once. Another good one is to kneel on the floor, with your knees tucked under you. Place your palms flat on the floor and stretch them out in front of you as far as you can reach. Hold this position for 30 seconds. As you pull your hands back to you, roll the stretch through your back. Repeat a few times as desired.

To strengthen the lower back the following exercises are helpful: lie flat on your stomach on the floor, with legs straight. For comfort, you may rest your chin on your hands. Keeping legs straight, raise the left leg up, about 12 inches off the floor and lower it straight back down. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions on the left leg and then follow with the right. Depending on your comfort level, do 1-2 sets.

In a variation of the above exercise, follow with a set of this movement. Again, lie flat on your stomach on the floor. This time place your arms at your sides and hold your held just slightly off the floor. Instead of raising your legs, this time you will raise your torso at the waist. Lift your body up at the waist so that your shoulders, chest and abdomen are a few inches off the floor. This movement will use the muscles of the lower back, as did the previous move. Lower yourself back down, pausing just above the floor and repeat. Do 10-20 repetitions, based on your level of comfort.

These exercises appear to be very simple moves. Since they do not use any added resistance, they may also seem too easy to develop any strength. However, when done slowly, and consistently working towards daily, I have found them to relieve any lower back pain. It just takes some time and effort.  The key is to do them without fail and together with stretching. Just remember to check with your Doctor of Chiropractic when you try something new, and to always use common sense. If you are suffering from severe pain or getting worse, consider consulting the advice of a Chiropractor.  If you or someone you know who suffers from low back pain, share this article with them by clicking below or call Dr. Akhavan at 604-990-6676 for a consultation.

Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

The causes of B-12 deficiency defined as Pernicious anemia can be from several factors. The body fails to absorb B-12 through the stomach or intestines, causing the red blood cells to enlarge then destroyed in bone marrow. When the stomach is unable to produce intrinsic factor, which helps in the absorption of B12, the body then begins to exhibit symptoms of deficiency.

Vitamin B-12 is naturally found in dairy and meat products, there are no vegetables that produce B-12. If there is no underlying disease process in your body, it is acceptable to continue with a vegan diet when supplements of B-12 are taken. However, if you suffer from deficiency for other reasons causing the inability to absorb B-12 an oral vitamin will not help you, because the stomach and intestines cannot absorb without the intrinsic factor that may be missing.

Risk Factors and Cause of B-12 Deficiencies

• People taking ulcer and heartburn medication (although rare it is a possibility since ulcers may form due to an overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach)
• Heredity can play a big part of the disease process; people from Northern European and African-American decent have a higher percentage rate of developing the disease.
• Senior Citizens (60+)
• Vegetarians (to include newborns of Vegans)
• Gastrointestinal disease (Chron’s Disease, Stomach/Intestinal cancer, overgrowth of bacteria, Diverticulitis, and chronic colitis)
• Immune-system Disorders (Graves disease, Addison’s Disease, Diabetes, Under active thyroid disorder, Thyroid cancer)
• Eating disorders (Bulimia and Anorexia)
• Stomach and intestinal surgeries where parts of the organs removed. (Gastric bypass, removal of the ileum)

General Symptoms:

• Weight loss
• Nausea and poor appetite
• Diarrhea (chronic)
• Jaundice (yellow-orange color of the skin)
• Weakness
• Fatigue easily
• Shortness of breath
• Tachycardia (fast heart rate), palpitations
• Lightheaded or Vertigo (dizziness)
• Sore mouth, bleeding gums and beefy red tongue.

Dangers and irreversible disorders if not treated in an appropriate time period, because it affects the nervous system causing possible permanent damage. This is due to long-term lack of healthy red blood cells in the body.

• Short and long term memory loss
• Depression
• Dementia
• Psychosis
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty tasking
• Generalized muscle weakness (Commonly seen in Chiropractic offices)
• Tingling and numbness in hand and feet( Commonly seen in Chiropractic offices)

Treatment is to replace the lost B-12 with injections into the deep muscle of the body, usually the hip, or large deltoid muscle. Injections are giving daily for the first week until blood test return with a normal level. Then the patient will receive a monthly injection of B-12 with a blood test to assure the condition has not returned and levels remain normal. People who have waited to long in seeking treatment can maintain a normal blood level with treatment, but cannot regain the nervous system damage.

It cannot be stressed enough at the importance of a yearly check-up with your physician. Most illnesses can be caught and treated without undue affect to the body. Maintaining a healthy diet can reduce your chances of dietary related B-12 deficiency. Those who have chronic illness cannot prevent the deficiency however it can be treated.

A muscle cramp is a sudden and unintended contraction that occurs most often in the calf or foot, and causes pain. Incidents are often at night. Muscles contract and relax in rhythm to produce movement. Striped muscles have transverse bands, are attached to bone and contract when we want them to. Smooth muscle contracts and relaxes without any conscious effort or instruction from us. Muscle cramps are also known as spasms and are different from fasciculation. The latter is a fluttering of a group of muscles connected to a single part of our nerves known as motor neurons; fasciculation produces twitching and is not painful. Pain and sudden contraction without normal relaxation, characterize a muscle spasm.

The contraction and relaxation of muscle is controlled by calcium, magnesium, and water as well as by chemicals called hormones produced by the thyroid, a gland in the neck. An imbalance in the amount of either calcium or magnesium circulating in blood, may cause a muscle spasm. Such imbalance is often due to a defect in diet or the digestive system, or it may result from acute kidney failure, a condition in which the removal of waste from blood and the re-filtration of useful minerals such as calcium, is affected. Calcium may be lost from the body due to certain medication. Both calcium and magnesium may also become unbalanced when people take mineral and vitamin supplements on their own, without consulting a doctor. Calcium or magnesium imbalance and kidney failure are important causes of muscle spasm.

Much of the human body is just water. This simple but vital ingredient of life is lost through urine, stool and perspiration. It is also lost when a person vomits. Water loss is replaced through diet, mostly liquid but also solid. Excessive water loss or dehydration also results in muscle spasm.

People have the capacity to work at a certain pace. This capacity varies from individual to individual and it can also increase or decrease in a person through regular exercise or the lack of it. Physical work in excess of stamina causes the body to become tired and weary. Fatigue may also result in muscle spasm.

The thyroid gland produces two hormones T3 and T4. A small gland at the base of the brain, called the pituitary, controls the thyroid. The latter produces TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone. Inadequate production of T3 or T4, due to a defect in the thyroid or an imbalance in TSH from the pituitary, may cause muscle spasm.

Alcoholism is also known to be a cause of muscle spasm. Serious defects of the central nervous system, involving the brain and spinal cord, are rare causes of muscle spasm. Multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke and injuries to the spine are examples of such rare and serious conditions.

Stretching the muscle may relieve spasm. A chiropractor can find out the reason for a muscle spasm by asking about the conditions in which the incident occurred and the habits and background of the patient.  Blood tests can establish whether the kidneys, thyroid or pituitary are involved.

Sometimes it can seem as though complementary/alternative treatments and traditional medicine live in two different worlds — “Never the twain shall meet,” as the saying goes. We go to the doctor when we’re sick or for regular screenings and to the yoga studio or massage therapist for physical exercise and relaxation. Yet rarely if ever do we talk to our doctors about how one can support the other.

Now the tide may be turning — a recent study in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine has found that three percent of people seeking out mind/body treatments, such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, are doing so based on a referral from a medical provider.

Dozens of US hospitals and major medical centers now offer complementary treatments in addition to conventional medical care and some of these therapies are covered by health insurance.

According to Mayo Clinic, below is an alphabetical listing of the top 10 complementary therapies:

1. Acupuncture. In this treatment from traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncturists insert thin needles into strategic, energy-balancing points on the body. Acupuncture can prevent and treat nausea and vomiting and help relieve many types of pain, including that from osteoarthritis, low back pain, neck pain, headaches and postsurgical pain.

2. Guided imagery. Patients imagine a beautiful, soothing environment, such as a warm beach. Guided imagery, also referred to as visualization, helps reduce anxiety in patients who become claustrophobic during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans or who are having outpatient surgery without general anesthesia.

3. Hypnosis. The patient is led into a state of deep relaxation and focused attention by either a hypnotherapist or an instructional audio (self-hypnosis), and verbal suggestions are made to help relieve anxiety, pain, tension headaches and insomnia.

4. Massage. A massage therapist manipulates the body’s soft tissue — muscle, skin and tendons — using fingertips, hands and fists. Massage treats anxiety and low back pain and improves postsurgical healing.

5. Meditation. Attention is focused on breathing and/or on a word, phrase or sound (mantra), leading to a more relaxed body and calmer mind. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic use meditation to treat patients with anxiety and high blood pressure and to help people quit smoking without medication.

6. Music therapy. Many complementary medical centers employ music therapists. However, you can use music therapy on your own by listening to soothing music or your favorite genres.

7. Spinal manipulation. Practiced by chiropractors, osteopaths (medical doctors whose training allows them to correct structural problems in the musculoskeletal system), this hands-on technique adjusts the spine to properly align the vertebrae with muscles, joints and nerves. Spinal manipulation is an accepted medical practice for low back pain and according to a recent Consumer Reports Health Ratings survey (May, 2009), fifty-eight percent of those who tried chiropractic manipulation said it helped a lot, and 59 percent were “completely” or “very” satisfied with their chiropractor. Chiropractic care can also provide a safe and effective alternative to surgery and prescription medication.

8. Spirituality. For some people, this means religious observance, prayer or faith in a “higher being.” For others, spirituality can be found through a deep appreciation of nature or art or participation in a secular community.

9. Tai chi.This gentle exercise, derived from Chinese martial arts, consists of a series of defined postures and movements performed slowly and gracefully. Medically, it is used to improve balance in older people who are prone to falls.

10. Yoga. These stretching postures and breathing exercises, which originated in India, help calm body and mind. Yoga is particularly effective for stress relief, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, anxiety and depression.

*To learn more about complementary therapies, go to http://www.nccam.nih.gov, the Web site of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Good  posture means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints  and ligaments can work as nature intended. It means your vital organs  are in the right position and can function at peak efficiency. Good posture also helps contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Chiropractic Care for Good Posture

Without  good posture, your overall health and total efficiency may be  compromised. Because the long-term effects of poor posture can affect  bodily systems (such as  digestion, elimination, breathing, muscles, joints and ligaments), a  person who has poor posture may often be tired or unable to work  efficiently or move properly.

Good posture helps us stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions that  place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during  movement and weight-bearing activities. Correct posture also:

• Helps us keep our bones and joints in correct alignment so that our  muscles are used correctly, decreasing the abnormal wearing of joint  surfaces that could result in degenerative arthritis and joint pain.
• Reduces the stress on the ligaments holding the spinal joints together, minimizing the likelihood of injury.
• Allows muscles to work more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy and, therefore, preventing muscle fatigue.
• Helps prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders, and even back and muscular pain.

Dr. Ali Akhavan, North Vancouver Chiropractor recommends the following posture tips:

How do I sit properly?

• Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don’t reach the floor.
• Don’t cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees.
• Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
• Your knees should be at or above the level of your hips.
• Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.
• Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
• Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.

How do I stand properly?

• Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
• Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
• Tuck your stomach in.
• Keep your head level-your earlobes should be in line with your  shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side
• Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you have to stand for a long time.

What is the proper lying position?

• Find the mattress that is right for you. While a firm mattress is  generally recommended, some people find that softer mattresses reduce  their back pain. Your comfort is important.
• Sleep with a pillow. Special pillows are available to help with postural problems resulting from a poor sleeping position.
• Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• Sleeping on your side or back is more often helpful for back pain.
• If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs.
• If you sleep on your back, keep a pillow under your knees.

The  good news is that most everyone can avoid the problems caused by bad  posture…and you can make improvements at any age. Look at your  posture…others do!! Straighten  up and stay healthy!

If you or someone you know suffers from poor posture or would like to find out more about the treatment of chiropractic, call  North Vancouver Chiropractor, Dr. Ali Akhavan @ Grande Chiropractic for a consultation TODAY at (604)990-6676.

I am sure that if you are reading this you probably are suffering from lower back pain or at least have at some point been suffering from back ache. One of the biggest problems for back pain sufferers is that if you surf the net there are literally thousands of people claiming that they have miraculous exercises to cure your back pain. However there is only one problem. If you don’t know what to do you could make your problem worse, much worse.

Let’s take a lower back L5-S1 disc bulge as an example. It’s the most commonly affected disc because it’s at the end of the spine and has the most amount of stress put on it. It’s also the area where the lumbar curve changes from a lordosis to a kyphosis where it meets the sacrum. This area of changing curves is another reason that the stresses are greater at this region. The sciatic nerve exits at this region and this is why sciatica is most common as far as lumbar pinched nerves are concerned. The majority of disc bulges in this region tend to be posterior disc bulges, in other words the bulge is being pushed from the front of the spine to the back (away from the navel). Therefore if you were to do exercises that exacerbate it such as flexion exercises you could push the disc bulge further in the wrong direction making your problem worse. In fact, I had a client see me this morning who had been doing yoga for the past 6 months and every time she did forward bending yoga postures she made her back worse, so much so that she has given up yoga altogether. I would surmise that she has a posterior disc problem or at very least ligament problems that are constantly being overstretched doing these exercises.

Another problem stretch for lumbar disc problems is the lumbar torsion stretch. Many of you would be aware of this one too. It’s where you lay on your back and pull one leg across your body with the opposite am outstretched. This too can make certain disc bulges worse!

Likewise if your problem was from spinal stenosis you could do extension exercises and aggravate your pain by doing these.

So the stretch I would do is one that is safe, both stretches and strengthens common weak and tight muscles and will ease back pain. The stretch I choose is to loosen our lower back muscles that are contracted chronically all day every day and are major contributors to back pain in most cases. The majority of us sit all day at our desks, in our cars or at the computers and chronically shorten a muscle called the illiopsoas. When this is tight it can pull on our lower backs and make sleeping on our backs and stomachs, sitting and even standing painful. If I was on a desert island and could only do one stretch it would be to loosen the illiopsoas muscles. One of the major problems when this muscle is too tight is that it restricts our amount of hip extension. This is very important because when we don’t have enough hip extension which we need to walk and do our daily tasks, our body compensates and finds extension elsewhere. This happens at the lumbar spine which is not good! If your hip can’t extend like it should your lower back does the compensating which means you now have hips that are to tight and a back that is getting too much movement when it should be doing its role as a stabiliser. It is imperative that this be turned around because it will and does lead commonly to back pain. What you want is to have the hips more mobile by doing the lunge stretch and your back staying in its more neutral position with reduced movement. Your back needs to be stable not moving around all over the place to compensate for other tight and poorly performing muscle groups.

Therefore the lunge stretch is the best single back exercise if you had to do just one! It also makes your body work hard to balance whilst you do it so it hasn’t the added bonus of strengthening certain other integral muscle groups as well.

I must add that it is very often taught poorly and not correctly. To be effective it must be done properly otherwise you can aggravate your back by doing it.

Here is a test for you to see

There is a lot of talk these days about core strength and for very good reasons. You need core strength to help your body in everything you do. If not, you are in a lot higher risk bracket of injury. But how do you know if you have good core strength or not? North Vancouver Chiropractor, Dr. Akhavan will show you a test so that you can evaluate your own core strength.

But why should we even bother about having a strong core? Firstly, it is not just your abdominals as many people believe. Your back, stomach, hips are all a part of what is known as your core muscle groups. The reason that these muscles need to be strong is that they support you when you do your daily activities. If they are not strong enough, when you have to do a certain activity your other muscles are then recruited to become stabilisers and you have just set up imbalances leading to injuries.

A classic example of this is the painful lower back when standing. Many people can not stand for very long because their back starts to ache. This is because they do not use their abdominals when standing and allow their lower backs to overarch. This creates a forward tilt in the pelvis. Two perfect examples of this are men with large stomachs (the classic beer belly) and pregnant women. Both suffer from lower back pain due to not using their abdominals to tilt their pelvis which will decrease their arch in their lower backs and remove the back pain. When there is an arch in the lower back that is bigger than it should be it then aggravates the facet joints which causes pain. It is a situation that is totally avoidable! Have you ever wondered why they have that rail in bars for you to put a foot on? It’s because by putting one foot up on the rail takes away some of the arch (from the forward tilted pelvis) and helps the lower back. A man with less lower back pain while standing will happily drink more beer! Very clever indeed.

Once you start using your core muscles for things as simple as standing correctly you will have less back pain. An easy way to check this is to look at a person’s belt from side on. The belt should be horizontal not tipped down at the front. So often you will see the person’s belt higher at the back and lower at the front. This is because they are not using their abdominals.

here’s the test for your core

The core strength test

• Lay down in a plank position on your forearms. (This is the position as if you were doing a push-up but instead of your hands touching the ground you are resting on your forearms.) Do not arch your back! Your back should be straight which works your abdominals. Hold for one minute.if you can do this for one minute you have good core strength. if you can do it for 30-60 seconds you average core strength and if you can do it for less than 30 seconds you dont have core strength!

if you could do it for 60 seconds you may like to try the advanced core test below

• Now in the same position lift the right arm of the ground and hold for 15 seconds
• Return the right arm and now do the same with the left arm. Hold for 15 seconds.
• Return the left arm and now lift the left leg out straight behind you. Do not arch your lower back. The torso should remain perfectly still, this means that your core is stabilising you. Hold for 15 seconds.
• Return the left leg and do the same with the right leg for 15 seconds. Don’t arch your back.
• Now return the right leg and lift both your left leg and right arm at the same time. Don’t arch your back and try to remain steady at all times. Hold for 15 seconds
• Finally, return the arm and leg and do the opposite arm and leg for 15 seconds.

If you can do this you have good core strength.

If you could not complete this you do not have sufficient core strength and you should do this test as an exercise 3-4 times per week to build up your stamina. You will soon be stronger and have better core strength stamina which means you will have fewer problems with your lower back, your neck and your shoulders.