About the Author Dr. Michael Henrichs
Since 2017, Dr. Michael Henrichs has been a trusted advisor to many people seeking answers concerning their physical health and well-being, specifically with lower back pain. Each and every week, Dr. Mike works with patients who seemingly never got any better from other, more typical treatments.
In this REPORT, Dr. Mike shares with you his 5 most common fixes to the lower back pain that comes to his office.
He currently owns a private practice (Iowa Spine and Performance) in Des Moines, Iowa and treats many active adults and athletes with back pain.
Did you know that 80% of Americans will suffer from lower back pain at one time or another during their lifetime?
If you are reading this report, you are probably aware of this as you fit somewhere into that 80%.
My name is Dr. Michael Henrichs and I have dedicated my life to helping people just like you lessen your pain in order to get back to doing the things you want and love.
Helping people have less low back pain is a passion of mine. Let me explain why… I myself suffered a lower back injury from a deadlift and was in pain for a very long time. It got to the point where I thought I NEEDED surgery to get rid of it. My pain got to be so bad that I thought I HAD NO OTHER OPTION. Luckily for me I found the right help and was able to avoid a surgery, but not everyone is that fortunate.
My goal for you is pretty simple: Don’t let the same thing happen to you that happens to so many oout there. I want you to be able to AVOID surgery and STOP taking those pain pills every day! Because of this, I have given you my MOST IMPORTANT tips to ending back pain and discomfort. These are the tips that many patients tell us they wish they had known as maybe they would have been able to avoid surgery!
5 easy tips that could make a BIG difference…
1) Never sit for more than 20 minutes at a time
In general, when you've hurt your low back sitting can be one of the worst things that you can do for your lower back. The only thing worse? Sitting for a LONG time. And by long, I mean anything longer than 20 minutes. You see, the muscles and ligaments of the spine start to actually change at the 20-minute mark and ‘learn’ to be in a flexed or hunched position. Why is this ‘flexed’ position so bad? Keep reading to find out…
2) Learn how to arch your back
People are always skeptical of this advice. However, the fact is that MOST people actually need to arch their spine rather than keep it flexed. The reason for this is pretty simple: Our body likes variety.
Sounds weird, right? Think about it like this… Most of us live our lives in a flexed position. We sit (flexed), bend over to tie our shoes (flexed), bend over to take out the trash (flexed), bend over to garden (flexed). I think you get the idea.
The bottom line is that we have to try and extend as much as possible in order to get our body the variety that it needs!
3) Lift heavy objects with a neutral back
So we already talked about how flexion is a bad position and we want to get some extension. However, when we need to lift heavy objects (suitcase, children, etc.) the best position is NEUTRAL. Essentially, this position is the ‘resting’ position of the spine and where it can withstand the most loading. When we have to load our spine and lift objects, it is essential that we keep our back in the most bio-mechanically sound position possible.
4) Figure out what is ACTUALLY hurting your back
One of the first things I work on with back pain patients is the simple knowledge of what makes their pain worse. Most people come to me and just say, “My back hurts all the time,” but when I stop and ask more questions, it becomes clear that the vast majority of people have pain during certain periods of the day, doing certain activities, or getting into certain positions. Oftentimes, simply being more aware of this can begin to make a change. I often find that getting people into or out of the positions that make them feel better, really goes a long way in taking the pain away long-term.
5) Seek out a professional who is qualified in dealing with your pain properly
I am a chiropractor and strength and conditioning coach by trade and because of this I have dedicated my career to helping people who want a better quality of life. I have learned that if you have been dealing with back pain for a long time, it simply won’t just go away. You will need someone who can guide you so that you do not lose the ability to do the things you love like playing with your children, lifting weights, or golfing.
I will end with this: One of my biggest pet peeves is when asking a patient about their pain. Often the response I get is something like this, “Oh, it’s not that bad just the NORMAL pain.” If you get nothing else out of this report, please just realize that PAIN. IS. NOT. NORMAL.
Conclusion:
So, there you have it: My best observations and insight into the most common causes of lower back pain and some tips and tricks to help you. I hope this guide provides clarity around many of the most common questions and topics that I get around this very common problem.
Let this guide is the beginning of a great, long-term relationship where myself and colleagues become a source of cutting edge health advice for you and make a real difference to your life.
You can contact me here: drmike@iowaspineandperformance.com
(515) 724-0260
Dedicated to Getting You Back to Doing What You Love,
Dr. Michael Henrichs
DISCLAIMER
Often, the above tips help to lessen back pain in ‘typical’ conditions. However, each person must be treated as an individual and will be given treatment specific to his or her needs. If you read this report and the tips do not work for you, they may simply not be the right tips. Without a full orthopedic, neurologic, and movement assessment we can not know for sure if these tips are the ones that will lessen your pain. We (Iowa Spine and Performance) offer the above service in our office. Please seek medical advice for your condition as serious injury could occur without it. There is no guarantee of results from this report.