Tending To The Mechanics Of Your Body

By Jan Howard

With humor and demonstration, using a replica of a spine, a local chiropractor discussed how people could feel good and eliminate the disabling effects of lower back pain through a better understanding of how the body works and incorporating that information into their lives.

“The majority of lower back pain is preventable,” Dr Richard Coopersmith of Newtown Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Center said.

 “Back Pain, Causes, Treatment and Prevention” was presented by Dr Coopersmith in The Learning Center at Ashlar of Newtown’s Lunch and Learn program April 10 at Lockwood Lodge on Toddy Hill Road. Dr Coopersmith has been practicing in Newtown for 22 years.

While the United States spends more money than other countries on health care, it has the highest ratios of health problems, he said.

To feel good and eliminate pain, people must better understand the mechanics related to the human body, Dr Coopersmith said.

Back pain can be lessened through gentle spinal manipulation, Dr Coopersmith said.

“Pain can have many reasons,” Dr Coopersmith said. “The back is a complex area that is not well understood.”

The chief causes of lower back pain are improper lifting, bending, and twisting, he said.

While there are 33 movable vertebrae, or bones, in the spine, not all share movement equally, Dr Coopersmith explained in discussing the anatomy of the spine.

Ligaments, connective tissues in the spine, prevent bones from moving outside their range of motion. When they are sprained, they heal slowly because of their nerve supply.

Muscles, which move the bones, have a rich blood supply but poorer nerve supply. When they are strained, they heal more quickly.

Between the vertebrae, disks act as shock absorbers. They contain cartilage that allows for bounce and give between bones, Dr Coopersmith explained. As disks become older and worn, they can develop fissures that allow the disk material to move outside it. This is what causes slipped disks and other injuries.

Nerve pain can result. Spinal nerves are the communication center in the central nervous system, Dr Coopersmith said. “They communicate between the outside environment and the brain to respond to the outside environment.”

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. When the sciatic nerve is irritated, pain may be experienced in the buttocks or legs. The further down pain extends, the worse it is. The pain originates from the spine.

 “When the body works well, you experience good health,” Dr Coopersmith said. “You experience pain, discomfort, and disease when it is not working well.”

The causes of pain are many, he said. “Every day we experience the demonic effects of gravity,” he noted, adding that good posture, how we sit, bend, and stand, would minimize that effect.

You don’t have to be picking up a 50-pound rock to hurt yourself. Sometimes, Dr Coopersmith noted, those with the most pain simply bent down to get a piece of paper, but did it wrong. Bending at the knees instead of the waist is the proper way to bend.

Injuries sustained as a young person cause problems in the future. “You pay for it later,” he said, noting today’s youngsters, who wear heavy backpacks, will have back problems as adults unless they practice good posture. He said some children carry weight in the backpacks that is almost equal to their own. This can cause problems later, he noted.

“We must teach young people good posture,” he said.

Backpacks with wheels would be a solution. However, he added, “Kids don’t like them. They’re not cool.

“There’s no one solution right now,” Dr Coopersmith said. “The level of fitness affects how the body reacts to weight.”

Repetitive trauma is the cause of one out of three workmen’s compensation claims for lower back pain, he said. There has been a shift in how people work, he noted. People sitting at computers have a tendency to slump, with their heads flexed. “This is a real issue,” he said.

Nutrition plays an enormous role in how we heal, our energy, and how we deal with stress, Dr Coopersmith said.

“Do we exercise and stretch?” he queried.

 To strengthen your back, Dr Coopersmith recommends calisthenics, aerobic exercise, and stretching. “These three things will keep you feeling well,” he said. “You will be more productive and creative.”

To avoid micro or gross trauma, you must be flexible and fit, he said. This will help to avoid back pain and reduce convalescence.

To avoid injury, Dr Coopersmith said, bend at the knees and rotate your body. “Look at what you’re going to lift. Does it require assistance? If so, get help. If not, bend at the knees, not at the waist, and keep your legs straight.

“Hold the item close to your body, and make sure the area is safe to lift in,” he said.

Incorrect bending can cause unnecessary wear and tear on the back, and it is never too late to do it right, he said.

The normal back has a slight curvature, so Dr Coopersmith suggests using a pillow behind you when you sit. When sitting in a recliner chair, use pillows behind your head and back.

For sciatic nerve pain, gentle extension exercises are recommended every two to three hours. Ice should be applied to the lower back for ten minutes every hour.

For information on upcoming programs at Ashlar of Newtown, call Hilda DeLucia at 364-3127.