Unfortunately, a large portion of the population experiences lower back pain at some point. The lower back is a point of extreme pressure and weight from the rest of the body. If you have an injury on your body, it can travel to the back and cause issues. Dr. Han Jo Kim is a spine surgeon committed to treating all varieties of back pain. If you are experiencing back pain, we recommend visiting a spine specialist Long Island.
Lower Back Pains Symptoms
Lower Back Pain can be excruciating and indicate a more severe problem than just pain. It is essential to understand the different pain symptoms associated with back pain to know what to explain to your spine specialist Long Island. Here are a few of the most common symptoms of lower back problems:
- Pain that travels to the lower extremities: Lower back pain can travel down to your thighs, feet, and legs and cause more pain overall. Typically this type of pain is a sharp, numbing, or tingling pain generally associated with a nerve problem.
- Dull aching lower back pain: This pain is more of a dull, constant pain than sharp, burning pain. This dull pain can also bring along more symptoms such as muscle spasms and limited mobility in the back. This pain likely doesn’t travel to other body parts as it is more localized to the lower back.
- Pain that usually is only present at the beginning of the day: This type of pain is likely excruciating when you wake up in the morning; however, it relieves itself once you get up and move around throughout the day. Limited movement after sleeping for a long time means there is not as much blood moving around throughout the body, which can cause pain.
- Pain that is increased/decreased depending on your positioning: Some pain can be associated with specific postures or positionings. For example, when someone is standing straight up, they may experience severe pain. However, the pain may be relieved by leaning on something.
The different types of pain are likely associated with other lower back pain causes. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can cause back pain. The best way to address your back pain is to see a spine specialist Long Island. A doctor will ensure you get the proper treatment for the symptoms you are experiencing. Don’t let your back pain go unaddressed, as it can impact your mobility and quality of life.
Lower Back Pain Causes
Lower back pain can be a symptom of many different conditions and problems. Unfortunately, the only way to be sure of a particular diagnosis is to use imaging and a doctor’s expertise. Understanding your diagnosis can help you get the best treatment possible and make a full recovery. Here are a few examples of different lower back pain causes:
- Sprains and Strains: It is possible to sprain a ligament or strain a muscle in your back. It can cause severe pain depending on the extent of the sprain. These injuries can occur through lifting heavy objects with your back instead of legs, poor posture, and playing sports. Typically this pain does not last a long time; however, it is crucial to give your back rest if this is causing your pain.
- Herniated Disc: There are “jelly” like cushions that separate the vertebrae throughout your back. These cushions help maintain mobility and protection throughout the back. These discs can break and leak due to overuse or an injury. The inside of these discs can cause inflammation in the back and can impact the back nerves, resulting in severe pain.
- Joint Dysfunction: Joints throughout the back are prone to injury. If inflammation occurs around these joints, you will likely experience severe pain as these joints are essential to everyday movement.
- Tumors: While this is less common, tumors in the back are a possible cause of lower back pain. Tumors likely spread from other body areas to the spine, causing the pain. These tumors can grow and cause pressure on different areas of the back.
Diagnosis/Treatment
We strongly recommend you visit a spine specialist Long Island for any back pain you may have. No one should have to live their life suffering from extreme pain, especially in such an essential part of the body. Your back is vital to your movement and completion of daily activities. At a doctor’s office, they will likely address your family history of back pain. They will also likely perform a physical exam of some sort. A physical exam can include different body movements and identifying where/when there is pain. A doctor will also recommend diagnostic imaging! For example, a doctor typically starts with an X-ray to determine if there are any bone abnormalities. They may choose to send you for more detailed imaging, such as an MRI or CT scan.
Finally, doctors will recommend treatment options to relieve your back pain. Treatment can consist of rest, medication, and heat/ice on the impacted area. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to correct the issue causing severe pain.
Contact Our Spine Specialist Long Island
Dr. Han Jo Kim and his team are ready to help you get ahold of your back pain today. We specialize in spine surgery and are equipped with the expertise and tools to relieve your pain. Contact our office if your back pain is impacting your daily life. We will get you back to feeling better in no time as Dr. Han Jo Kim is a spine specialist Long Island.
Did you know that everyone experiences low back pain at some point in their lifetime? It can be brought on by simple things like bending over to pick up a pencil off the floor or more intense tasks like shoveling snow or lifting heavy objects. There are many ways to prevent this type of injury from occurring. If you are experiencing lumbar spine pain, contact Dr. Han Jo Kim, spine surgeon connecticut today! There are many exercises you can do at home to help prevent future injury and help heal your current injury. Check out some exercises from our spine specialist Long Island:
- Knee-To-Knee Pose – Place both of your feet together on the ground, keeping your knees bent. Lift your left knee slowly towards your chest and take a deep breath in. Now slowly exhale while you lower your left leg back down to the starting position. Repeat this exercise ten times for each leg.
- Seated Row – Sit up straight on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Place both arms behind you, grabbing onto the edge of the seat. Your palms should be facing each other, and your elbows should be straight out to the sides. Take a deep breath in as you squeeze your shoulder blades together while pulling your arms back towards your body. Repeat this exercise ten times for maximum results.
Spine Specialist Long Island
If you are experiencing pain, visit our spine specialist Long Island, to discuss how to treat lumbar spine pain and prevent it from happening again. If you feel like the pain is getting worse or becomes intolerable over time, go to the nearest emergency room. It’s important not to let back pain keep you from living life to the fullest. There are ways to treat lumbar spine pain and prevent it from happening again. If you experience any of the signs described above, visit our spine specialist Long Island, today!
How To Prevent Lumbar Spine Pain?
Like many parts of the body, the lumbar spine, or lower back, is susceptible to injury. The primary problem that causes low back pain in the United States is herniated discs; this type of injury occurs when small, gel-like discs that act as shock absorbers between each vertebra protrude outwards and pressure the nerves. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent this type of injury from occurring. Here are some simple things that everyone can do every day to avoid lumbar spine injury:
- Stay Active. This means that you should get up and move around every day if you feel like your muscles are getting tight or hard to move; this is a sign that you’re not active enough throughout the day.
- Move Around – One such way of staying active without even realizing it is by taking advantage of your desk job! Many people work on computers all day at their jobs. Instead of setting an alarm or a timer to remind them to get up and stretch, use the time that you’re waiting for programs to load or websites to refresh as your reminder. It’s important to get up from your desk every hour and walk around the office; this will not only prevent future injury but can increase mental alertness at work too!
- Exercise – This is another great way to prevent injury is by fitting in exercise wherever you can. If you live near a park, try walking or biking every day. If the weather isn’t permitting for those activities, find another way to stay active such as running up and down your stairs ten times before getting ready for work or doing five push-ups every time you walk through the door. Even just going for a walk at lunch every day can improve your quality of life and positively affect your back pain.
The point is always to be sure that you’re moving around, even if it’s simply tapping your toes under the desk or taking quick breaks from sitting down to stretch out your muscles.
Dr. Han Jo Kim – Spine Specialist Long Island
Lumbar spine pain is caused by herniated discs that put pressure on the nerves. If you experience any signs of low back pain, visit our spine specialist Long Island, today! There are many ways to prevent lumbar pain injury, such as staying active throughout the day and doing gentle exercises like chair stretches. Try to fit in the activity whenever you can. Even little things like tapping your toes or doing push-ups when you walk through the door can significantly affect your back pain. If you are experiencing lumbar spine pain, contact Dr. Han Jo Kim today!
Scoliosis is a condition that causes your spine to curve sideways, and it has no known cure. While typically not severe enough to require surgery, it can be difficult for sufferers to live with – which is why many people wonder if stretching can help scoliosis. If you have scoliosis, contact Dr. Han Jo Kim for a spine specialist Long Island today!
It is important for people living with scoliosis to take special care when exercising their spine since it has already been damaged in some way by the condition. Exercise can exacerbate or even cause pain in people with this condition, so stretching exercises should be done cautiously and not pushed too far.
In these exercises, patients are taught to stretch and strengthen muscles. In some cases, the patient’s spine is also stretched to help it grow straighter, but this increases the risk of damaging your spine and discs. The exercises that do not stretch the spine tend to be exercised like Pilates and yoga, focusing on strengthening muscles.
Spine Specialist Long Island
However, there are other factors to consider beyond whether or not stretching can help scoliosis specifically, and it’s important if you’re thinking about doing exercises like these to consult a doctor first. They will be able to advise you on what kind of stretches would be safest for your specific case and will also be able to tell you if your scoliosis is severe enough for surgery.
Stretching helps patients with scoliosis build strength and endurance in their muscles without putting too much pressure on their spine. Stretching is a great way to help strengthen muscles and make them more flexible, but it’s important to do so carefully! If you’re concerned about scoliosis and want to know more, contact Dr. Han Jo Kim for a spine specialist Long Island today!
Exercises For Scoliosis
There is a range of different exercises for scoliosis. Some common exercises include:
- Stretching – Stretching makes muscles more flexible and can be an important part of treatment. The best stretches for scoliosis will aim to stretch the spine itself rather than any other parts of the body.
- Strengthening – this is a way of making muscles stronger. Stronger muscles will help support the spine and can reduce pain and the severity of symptoms.
- Balance exercises – balance exercises train the brain to maintain good posture and use the muscles in your body more effectively. They can be essential for reducing the risk of falls and minimizing ongoing symptoms.
- Spinal manipulation – spinal manipulation is when a medical professional uses their hands or an instrument to adjust the spine manually. This can be used as part of the treatment for scoliosis. It depends on the severity of symptoms at diagnosis, your physiotherapist or doctor in conjunction with other types of exercise.
What Can We Do To Strengthen Our Core?
There is a range of different exercises that can be done to strengthen the core muscles. Here are a few examples:
- Crunches – This is a great exercise for strengthening your abdominal muscles and can also help with good posture!
- Plank – while it’s important not to hold one position for too long, planks can help build endurance in your core muscles and help with good posture.
- Side planks are a great strengthening exercise for your obliques (your side muscles), used in everyday tasks like standing up or getting out of bed. If you’re struggling, try putting one leg up on a chair or table for support.
- Push-ups – push-ups are an excellent way to strengthen your chest muscles, which of course, are used every time you stand up straight! They can also help with good posture.
- Leg lifts are also great for strengthening the muscles of your abdomen, which are used in many daily activities.
- Swimming is a great exercise for people with scoliosis. SInbecause it’s low impact and can be done with minimal risk of harming or exacerbating the back. It also means you don’t have to put too much pressure on your spine!
- Squats – Squats are another way to build strength in your legs and core. Aim to do at least ten squats every day to feel the benefits!
Han Jo Kim – Spine Specialist Long Island
Therefore, exercises are a great way to build strength in your muscles, which can help with symptoms of scoliosis. Stretching is also important for scoliosis patients because it helps strengthen the muscles around the spine without putting too much pressure on them. If you would like more information about the best exercises for your particular case of scoliosis, contact Dr. Han Jo Kim for a spine specialist Long Island today!