A young woman briskly traverses the stairs, downwards to the kitchen. Near the bottom she slips, falling firmly onto her buttocks. She’s more startled than anything, arising and getting on with her day. However, she later notices pain in the right side of her pelvis when her weight is substantially shifted to her right leg and when she sits crossed legged on the floor during stretching. She also notes right gluteal pain when rotating her leg inwards and outwards. She hopes that the symptoms spontaneously resolve soon so as to not interfere with caring for her newborn and her body reshaping program.

Upon visiting her doctor, he finds no problems on x-ray. He informed her that normal hormone induced laxity of pelvic ligaments during late pregnancy, followed by the trauma (fall) resulted in some sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The stability of the joints between the sacrum and pelvic bones is provided by ligaments, no muscles directly support the SI joints.

Some important conservative care include restricted activity (avoid that which aggravates your condition), deep massage if there is an apparent occasional painful locking of the joints, flexibility exercises to engage the soft tissue as it heals. Deep heat and ice application will provide analgesia and promote circulation. You may address pain with oral OTC and prescription medicines, or preferred herbal analgesics. The target tissues are often too deep for topical medicated rubs.

Contact us with specific questions regarding contemporary assessment and management of sacroiliac joint injuries.

The heavy scents of spices waft from ethnic cuisine towards the waterline. Gazing down the paths at the edge of the marina, antique lamps glowing along the tree-lined route, the enticing laughter and soft music reach out to me as I stroll briskly towards you.

Active again, investing in hearty play, great food and healthy behaviors once more. Socially active again because I am taking care of myself, preventively, regularly, finding natural tools to keep me moving. Welcome to living a contemporary, healthy, good nutrition-filled, fit and enjoyable life.

If you want an alternative perspectives on contemporary health, nutrition and fitness, we are here.

The Funalt III Group

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Causes of spondylitis (spinal inflammation) and spondylosis (spinal degeneration) are multifactorial. Disc related concerns tend to be central to most conversations about low back pain.
Intervertebral discs are composed of a gelatinous (proteoglycan = protein/sugar) molecules than absorb water like sponges. However, over time, these proteoglycans break down like old motor oil and can no longer function as when they were new. As such, with diminished nucleus function, decreased blood flow (fluid replacement) to the discs, and damaged concentric peripheral rings, the discs are prone to break down over time as well.

Fortunately, nearby pain fibers need nutrition as well. As such, it is likely that some pain fibers become dysfunctional simultaneously with lumbar disc degeneration, accounting for the lack of concordance (direct relationship) between finding structural degeneration and spinal pain. That is to say, although you will all get older (if you are fortunate to do so), an x-ray that demonstrates degeneration does not specify that you will have pain.

Moreover, it also suggests that surgical resolution (e.g., micro-discectomy) of specific disc deformities (e.g., localized protrusions, herniations) may not relieve the pain because the herniations may not be the primary or sole contributors to the pain.

In response to harmful or painful stimuli our bodies release numerous biochemicals. Some of these chemicals may unfortunately cause local inflammation and tissue degradation in the absence of counteractive agents and efforts. Counteractive measures would be those that can decrease inflammation and maintain or support retention of integrity, flexibility and strength of the affected tissues. As such, improving surrounding circulation and maintaining motion are thereby integral to the healing process. Therefore, stretching, exercise, physical fitness and weight management are always relevant factors in addressing lumbar health, either as primary or complementary intervention.

This is not going to be a one, three, or 5-day plan; of course, you have to invest in yourself for the long haul. Are you looking for a low back pain cure? Golfers, tennis players, bowlers, and the rest of you weekend athletes with low back pain who find yourself on the web needn’t look for an MD yet.  You can develop some self-care and self cure plans for your spine health.

Just get up, shape up, get lean, stay flexible, work on your fitness and we’ll see you next time.

Most of the nutrition and fluid for absorption into the lumbar discs comes from the blood flow in the ends of the each vertebral body (endplates) between which these discs reside. These vertebral endplate vessels are extremely small. Additionally, they are subject to the same congestion as larger vessels in our bodies. As such, if your high cholesterol laden dietary habits and poor exercise habits place you at risk for fat-associated heart disease, it also places these micro-vessels at risk for blockage. That means your discs will become malnourished, shrunken and at greater risk for injury.

Over time, repeated spinal overload and cumulative trauma to the spine results in micro-tears in the disc fibers. Some tears may cause separation of the discs from the endplates, while others may not be functionally disruptive until they expand over time resulting in loss of nuclear nutrition and hydration. The effect of coalescence of adjacent tears of the concentric disc rings can produce a gap in the disc rings  in a radial pattern (like a spoke from the middle of a wheel) that will cause the nucleus to shift outward (extrude) towards the disc margins causing protrusions and herniations.

With extrusion of the nucleus away from its central location, the resulting disc height is diminished and additional load is placed upon the lateral aspects of the vertebral bodies, the facet joints. These joints are the surfaces at which adjacent vertebrae interconnect. The additional load produces a low-grade inflammation at the facet joints, and stimulates increased bone growth and mineral deposits around these joints as a means to increase structural load bearing capacity. Unfortunately, this overgrowth and mineral deposition impinges upon other nearby structures, including nerves, adding to the pain.

The reasons for mechanical back pain persisting beyond normal periods for healing of ligaments, muscles, bone and similar tissue have not yet been fully determined by medical science. However, other orthopedic conditions (e.g., chronic lateral epicondylitis, CLE) may serve as a model. Misnamed, CLE should be called epicondyl-osis not epicondyl-itis. It has actually advanced beyond an inflammatory state (-itis) and persists in a more degenerated state (-osis) that will not heal via typical treatment approaches. Likewise, the mechanical spinal structures (spondy-) probably get into a degenerated state (spondylosis) and only respond partially to customary use of anti-inflammatory products.

Causes of spondylitis (spinal inflammation) and spondylosis (spinal degeneration) are multifactorial. However, you can help cure your low back pain with relaxing stretches, exercise, physical fitness and weight management. These actions are always relevant factors in addressing lumbar health, either as primary or complementary intervention.

So, help cure your low back pain. Get up, shape up, get lean, stay flexible, work on your fitness and we’ll see you next time.

Trauma to the spine and degenerative changes to the spinal elements are the most common causes of prolonged lumbar pain. Development of CT and MRI has popularized the discussion of bulging discs. Although identifiable via these tests, protrusions and herniations are frequently not the actual pain sources. These radiological tools are not going to cure your low back pain, rather they only provide multifaceted, cross-sectional views of the anatomy. Moreover, they inadequately represent mechanical function, and provide no insight regarding neurophysiology, general and local chemistry at the spinal tissue or the psychological status of the patient, which all contribute to symptom status.

In spite of the above noted facts regarding lumbar pain, the discs exist. You might think of them as a cross section of an onion ring with a strong, gelatin center (nucleus). The ring elements contain the receptors that keep your brain aware of spinal function. The nucleus provides the majority of the shock absorber function at each vertebral level.

Like a sponge, the young nucleus can absorb more than twice its weight in water, essentially pumping itself up. So, rather than air shocks, you ride on hydraulic shocks. However, as you enter your thirties, natural degeneration of small local blood supply diminishes the fluids to the discs and with less water available to absorb, they shrink, producing a decreased intervertebral disc space height visible on x-ray eventually.  You know that older adults frequently seem to have shrunken from their former, youthful height, they have – the shrinkage of multiple discs results in older people becoming shorter.

Most of the nutrition and fluids absorbed into the discs come from the blood flow in the ends of the adjacent vertebral bodies between which these discs reside. These vertebral endplate vessels are extremely small. Additionally, they are subject to the same congestion as larger vessels in our bodies. If your high cholesterol-laden dietary habits and poor exercise habits places you at risk for fat-associated heart disease, it also places these micro-vessels at risk for vascular blockage. As such, your discs will become malnourished, shrunken and at greater risk for injury.

Injuries to the back and back pain are generally multifactorial. However, relaxation, stretching, exercise, physical fitness and weight management are always relevant factors in addressing lumbar health, either as primary or complementary interventions. Additionally, watch your diet and lose the excess fat from it.

So, if you wish to help cure your low back pain, get up, shape up, get lean, stay flexible, work on your fitness and we’ll see you next time.