Page 129 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2015

“The spine allows us to stand straight and function,” said Eric Wolfson, M.D., medical director of neurosciences neurological surgery at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.
When he initially sees a patient with back pain, Wolfson takes a history and does an examination and imaging studies before making a recommendation. While his advice to the patient might include weight loss and more exercise, Wolfson said one of the surprising contributions to spinal discomfort is smoking cigarettes.
“Smoking is a tremendous factor in neck and back pain. It causes lack of blood supply to that portion of the spine. Cigarette smokers have older spines than non-smokers,” he said.
A majority of back pain issues, he has found, do not require surgery. “There might be surgery if there is a failure in pain management or there is a progressive neurological deficit in the patient,” Wolfson said.
Should a person require spinal surgery, Wolfson recommends a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopedic surgeon because of the differences in medical training.
Among the nonsurgical options for dealing with back pain is going to a chiropractor, a professional who diagnoses and treats neuromuscular disorders with an emphasis on treatment through manual adjustment or manipulation of the spine. Chiropractors are trained in the proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure that will enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. The treatments can be used to help restore mobility to areas injured from a traumatic event, such as a fall, or repetitive stress, such as sitting without proper back support.
When Jernigan initially sees a patient, his goal is to determine the underlining cause of the discomfort. “I want to help restore the function of the joints, and this includes the muscles and the nerves. I educate the patient along the way for preventative maintenance,” he said.
Steven L. Miller, D.C., with Spine Institute of Mississippi, suggested procedures he uses to treat back pain are chiropractic manipulation, deep tissue laser therapy, spinal decompression, massage therapy, physiotherapy and aquatic therapy.
Of course, people would be happy if they never experience back pain in their lives, so taking preventative measures, according to Miller, should include:
• Stretch hamstring muscles in the legs every day to avoid lower back pain. This also will help with knee pain.
• Perform core exercises by working the quads and back extensors or abs and hamstrings within the same workout session to prevent muscular imbalances.
• If exercising on a track, alternate directions. This will prevent over stressing one side of your joints. This also can apply to road running.
• Stay well hydrated.
• Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Sleep
with legs bent in a side-lying position with a pillow between your legs or on your back with a pillow under your legs.
• Sleep with a pillow that fits you, and allows your head to be in a neutral position to allow proper spinal alignment.
• While sitting, cross your legs at the feet, not the knees
• Lift objects using your legs and never with your back. Never twist while lifting. Always square up to the object you are lifting.
• Take frequent breaks from your work desk and do gentle stretching.
• Use lumbar support when you are sitting.
• Keep your computer or electronic devices at eye level while working.
In addition to following back healthy advice, Wolfson advises using common sense in everyday activities to avoid suffering from back pain. “If someone is lifting a refrigerator up a flight of stairs, I’m out,” he said.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net August 2015 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 129
Jeremy Jernigan, D.C. Jernigan Chiropractic
Eric Wolfson, M.D.
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
Steven L. Miller, D.C.
Spine Institute of Mississippi