Archive for the ‘Videos’ Category
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
hobbies
Hobbies can be pushed aside when you are suffering from back & neck pain, which is particularly sad as hobbies and passtimes can do so much to restore a sense of normalcy and help psychologically when you are hurting. Think about some of the things you really enjoy, and find ways to bring them back into your daily activities.
-Set aside some time, several times a week to do the things you love. Again, obvious, but we all get so wrapped up in the stuff we have to do, that we often forget to make room for the things we like to do.
-If your hobby exacerbates your pain, perhaps finding an adjunct to your hobby can provide some satisfaction. For example, if you are a bodybuilder dealing with a bout of low back pain, while now is probably not the time to resume bodybuilding- maybe you could train someone else, or better yet- write an article about your experience and send it to me here to post on the blog!
-You may have to modify how you participate in certain activities. In Susan’s case (from the video) she had to take regular breaks while painting in order to remain comfortable. When I had low back pain following an accident, I found that frequently changing the height of my piano bench helped prevent discomfort. You may need to experiment to find what works.
Our bodies and minds are so tightly linked, that leaving the activities you love behind will most certainly contribute to your pain. It may take some trial and error to find ways to make it work- but do the things you love- you will almost certainly feel better.
Be well!
-Andy
A view of our little patio garden- one of my hobbies.
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, Back Pain, back together, backtogether, hobbies, hobby, kirschner, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, psychology, Sciatica
Posted in Tips, Videos | No Comments »
Friday, April 30th, 2010
dubrow
Today, Matt Dubrow, D.O. presents his ‘One Thing.’ His recommendation, to stretch first thing in the morning, is a great one. You are far more likely to injure your back in the morning before you have adequately warmed up, than at any other time during the day. You would be surprised how many people throw their backs out while sitting on the edge of their bed putting on a pair of socks! Thank you again Matt!
I have asked stretching expert Jorden Gold to provide a follow up to this post, and give us his 3 best first-thing-in-the-morning stretches. Look for that post early next week.
Thanks for visiting,
Andy
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, Back Pain, back together, dubrow, kirschner, Low Back Pain, matt dubrow, one thing, stretch, stretching, Tips
Posted in stretching, The One Thing, Tips, Videos | No Comments »
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Well, we are fast approaching the end of the school year, and with that comes finals season. Normally, during the rest of the year I don’t see a whole lot of teenagers with back pain, but this time of year I almost always see more high school and college age students who are hurting. As you will hear me say again and again- we simply weren’t designed to sit on our butts all day long. Watch my video tip of the day, then proceed to some other simple tips you can do to help protect yourself (or your kids!) from back pain while studying for finals.
studenttip
To prevent yourself from experiencing back pain when studying for hours & hours & hours….
1) As I said in the video, get up periodically (optimally every 45 minutes or so.)
2) Keep yourself hydrated. Avoid the temptation to use energy drinks, as they will actually leave you dehydrated. Water will help you prevent stiffness, and ultimately if you are drinking enough, it will force you to adhere to (1) above.
3) If you are seated at a computer for studying, make sure your monitor is propped up to eye level (old phone books make a great monitor stand,) and your keyboard is at a height which allows you to have a neutral wrist position (with your wrists flat.) If you are using a laptop, and external keyboard can help you to optimize your position, and they are no longer an expensive proposition.
4) Use a book stand rather than holding onto a heavy textbook which will force you into an anatomically compromised position.
5) If your chair does not have one built in, roll up a small towel or t-shirt to use as a lumbar support. Place it into the small of your back.
These few suggestions may go far in preventing you from having to take finals in pain. I hope they help. If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, please share them with us on the blog.
Best,
-Andy
Photo from in the studio during appearance on Martha Stewart Radio Tuesday.
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, Back Pain, back together, backtogether, college, kirschner, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, pain, Sciatica, student, students, study habits, teenagers, teens
Posted in Ergonomics, Tip o' the Day/ B.T.T.o.D., Tips, Videos | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
Yesterday, I had a great time being interviewed by Terri Trespicio on Martha Stewart Radio. We covered all sorts of different topics on back & neck pain from callers all around the country. I was also the butt of some pretty hardcore ribbing about the tatami mat I sleep on- but I digress. It really was a lot of fun. Terri is a great host, and the callers all had interesting questions and comments. If you missed it, it will be rebroadcast this weekend- check out the Whole Living website for more info.
Following the show, I had the chance to speak with Terri about some of the lifestyle issues which can contribute to back pain. Ironically, Terri had been dealing with some back pain this past week, and was headed to her physician’s office right after the show.
Here’s the clip:
interviewterri
Thanks for stopping by, and be well!
-Andy
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, Back Pain, back together, backtogether, Ergonomics, kirschner, lifestyle, Low Back Pain, martha, Martha Stewart, prevention, Sirius, terri trespecio, trespecio, xm
Posted in Fitness & Exercise, Tips, Videos | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
erinfinnonething
Dr. Erin Finn is an Emergency Department physician, who sees every manner of back pain in her day to day work in the ER. Today she presents her ONE THING, a continuing series where experts in various fields share their number one suggestion for preventing or relieving back & neck pain.
You hear me harp over and over about the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle with regards to back pain. Here are some additional tips you can use to prevent becoming a victim of sitting on your butt:
-If you are sitting for more than 30 minutes, get up and stretch out your legs and back.
-Take a few minutes at lunch time to take a walk, even if it is just around your office building or school.
-If you have an exercise bike, or treadmill- set it up where you watch TV so you can take a sedentary activity, and make it an active one.
-Park your car a few spots out when you are grocery shopping, or going to the mall- the extra few steps won’t hurt.
-Don’t lose track of how much time you are wasting on the internet. GET UP!
-If you are a student, put some of your notes on 3×5 cards so you can ‘stroll & study.’
-Take the stairs when you can.
So try to keep moving. Like Dr. Finn said- if you rest, you rust!
Be well!
-Andy
Posted in The One Thing, Videos | No Comments »
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Today, I answer one of the most frequently asked questions in my practice: After all of the treatments, adjustments, therapy- why am I still in pain?
Some helpful tips follow the video. Enjoy!
WhyIstillhavepain
Here are some things to pay attention to in your spine lifestyle. Addressing these few things may go a long way towards helping you to find relief. Take a look at these:
1) Make sure your workspace is as ergonomically optimized as possible. Good chair, good organization of work related materials, etc…
2) Get regular sleep. Optimize your sleep environment- supportive mattress, dark room, quiet. Don’t consume caffeine within several hours of your bedtime.
3) Get regular exercise, and exercise properly- maintaining an optimal body composition will help take the strain off of your back. Good form will ensure that you are working the correct muscle groups, and prevent you from harming yourself further.
4) Minimize the weight of the items you carry with your. Dump out the contents of your purse or briefcase and get rid of everything you don’t really need.
5) Make sure your car is as spine friendly as possible; Adjust seating and controls for easy, unstrained reach. Add a lumbar support (a rolled up t-shirt will do.) Set your mirrors so you aren’t cocking your head one way or another.
6) Consume plenty of water daily. This helps to eliminate cellular waste from your system, and allows you to heal and function more efficiently. Take a few minutes, several times a day to do some relaxing, restorative deep breathing exercises.
7) And as always, use a headset while you are on the phone- Cradling your phone between your ear & shoulder is one sure way to wreck your neck!
A good place to start is to pay attention to those areas where you spend the most time. Invite your partner to pay attention as well- sometimes an objective second party set of eyes will notice things you will not.
Be well!
-Andy
Victoria & Albert Museum, Kensington, London
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, back, back health, Back Pain, back together, backtogether, chronic pain, health, lifestyle, muscle spasm, neck, Neck Pain, pain, Sciatica, spine, Tips
Posted in Announcements, Ergonomics, Fitness & Exercise, General Health Information, Tips, Videos | No Comments »
Friday, March 26th, 2010
So after careful consideration, I have opted not to get swept into the discussion regarding Health Care Reform beyond what I have already said. Some of the letters I received were so nasty, and came from both sides of the debate. I figure, I posted a non-partisan piece, and I am going to remain non-partisan here on BackWords. I thank you all for your letters, and please feel free to submit questions and comments which are non-political in nature.
Here is a video post which says pretty much as much, and also answers a viewer question regarding spinal decompression therapy. I have seen adds for this popping up pretty much all over the place for the past several years. See a photo of one of the devices below (I did not take this photograph, it was emailed to me, so please forgive me for using it if it is yours!)
drs9000-HCR
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, Back Pain, back together, backtogether, chiropractic, DRS9000, health care reform, kirschner, Neck Pain, spinal decompression
Posted in politics, Videos, Viewer Question | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
dead sea alternative
Standing on the bank of the Dead Sea seemed like an opportune time to introduce my series on alternative treatments for back and neck pain.
There are so many different options in the world of alternative medicine- some are wonderfully effective, and some, well- I will let you judge for yourself. This series will not be like some of the others, which came out over a short period of time. This will be an ongoing feature which will recur from time to time. I will not only review some of the more popular approaches like acupuncture and prolotherapy, but I will show you some of the more esoteric approaches as well. I hope you will stop in and check them out.
Please, keep those cards and letters coming- your input helps to make the site more interesting and fun.
Thanks for stopping by,
-Andy
Tags: alternative, alternative medicine, Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, arthritis, Back Pain, back together, dead sea, ein gedi, israel, Neck Pain, psoriasis, Sciatica, spasm
Posted in Announcements, Videos | No Comments »
Friday, March 5th, 2010
The latest installment of my introductions to the different types of spinal surgery. I thank my daughter for working as cameraman during our trip- sorry for the shaky video.
discreplacement2
As I related in the video post, the disc replacement is a relatively new compared to most of what’s out there. It is a pretty elaborate procedure, and the recovery time will vary largely based upon the overall health, weight, age, and fitness of the patient prior to the surgery.
Below is an image of the prosthetic device itself.
One type of replacement disc prosthesis.
Thanks for visiting, in the next installment of this surgery series, I will review the foraminotomy and a brief wrap up. Look for more posts from Israel this week.
Best,
Andy
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, Back Pain, back surgery, back together, backtogether, disc, disc replacement surgery, israel, kirschner, Low Back Pain, masada, massada, Sciatica, spinal surgery, Surgery
Posted in Low Back Pain, Sciatica, Surgery, Videos | No Comments »
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
bobcampbellonething
Today, Bob Campbell, Physical Therapist from Rasansky Physical Therapy shares his ‘one thing.’ His clip is based on the observation (shared by many practitioners) that lots of patients will give up on their home exercises once their pain resolves. Remember- most back & neck pain is the result of lots of cumulative effects- and that some of these, if not most, are lifestyle issues. If you do not address the lifestyle issues which caused you back pain after you have been treated, your pain is not likely to stay away for long.
Thanks for checking in,
-Andy
Tags: Andrew Kirschner, andy kirschner, Back Pain, back together, backtogether, exercise, exercises, Neck Pain, physical therapy, rasansky, The One Thing
Posted in The One Thing, Videos | No Comments »
