Altitude Physical Therapy

pt pearls of wisdom

  • COVID-19
  • Locations
    • All Locations
    • Boulder
    • Broomfield
    • Englewood
    • Lafayette
    • Longmont
    • Wheat Ridge
  • For Patients
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Friends and Family Program
    • Patient Paperwork
    • Body Part Questionnaire
    • Am I Covered?
    • Your First Visit
    • Why Physical Therapy?
    • Injury Finder
    • Services
    • FAQ
  • Physical Therapists
  • Reviews
    • Review Boulder
    • Review Broomfield
    • Review Englewood
    • Review Lafayette
    • Review Longmont
    • Review Wheat Ridge
  • PT Pearls
  • Pay Online
  • Wellness Warehouse

3/19/2020

New era, new back pain

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
​It comes as no surprise that the incidence of upper back pain is increasing in an era of rising screen time, sedentary work, and long commutes.  Many people have come to accept their upper back pain as part of life. I, too, was among those people several years ago after suffering a compression fracture in my mid-back from a snowboarding accident.  Two years after my injury I had worse pain than two months after the fracture occurred. I couldn’t make sense of it: my doctors told me my fracture had healed great. The problem was that I was sitting more than ever before, had poor posture, and allowed my back to get really weak.

Times have changed

Picture
​Our addiction to screens for both work and pleasure has been a major factor in increasing upper back pain.  According to research from RescueTime, a phone use app, people generally spend an average of three hours and 15 minutes on their phones every day.  Young adults look at their phones between 45 and 70 times a day. The New York Post wrote last year that Americans are spending half of their waking hours in front of screens (TV, computer, and phone).  This all adds up to more sitting, less spinal movement, and more strain on our postural muscles.

​So why does this lead to pain?  Because spines need motion! The joints of our spine need to move in order to maintain healthy cartilage, range of motion, and bone density.  Bones and cartilage are living tissue and require appropriate stress to be healthy. Our back muscles are just as important and benefit from day-to-day motion in addition to regular resistance activity.  When we stare at screens and slouch in our chairs we over-stretch certain back muscles, allow our chest muscles to shorten, and increase strain on our spines.

Strengthen, strengthen, strengthen

​Eight years ago I did not know how to get out of this cycle of chronic upper back pain.  Luckily, today I do. I was able to see a physical therapist who helped me get to the bottom of it (and, admittedly, one physical therapist who didn’t).  So what helped me? Recognizing that my back was weak! For a former swimmer and water polo player this was hard to admit. I could still hammer out 50 pushups in a row and run a sub-6 minute mile, but my back couldn’t handle sitting for 30 minutes straight.  
​With the help of my PT, I started aggressively strengthening my mid-back muscles. I started doing exercises like rows, planks, and deadlifts (an often overlooked exercise for mid-back strength). I committed to a five day a week training plan. I stretched my back over a foam roller daily.  And, guess what, I got better.
Picture
​Additionally I improved my computer setup.  Like most grad students I was using a laptop for all my computer needs.  The downside of a laptop is the inability to have an ergonomic position for both the arms and the back.  If the keyboard is at an appropriate height, the screen is about 12 inches lower than it should be. I ponied up $20 for a used monitor and brought my screen up to an appropriate height.  This in conjunction with strengthening helped me to become nearly pain-free within a month.

​I share my story because I want other people living with upper back pain to know that, in most cases, it can be improved or completely resolved.  If you’re living with upper back pain don’t hesitate to schedule a physical therapy appointment with your local physical therapist to see if you too can relieve your back pain.

Author

Eric Hanyak, PT, DPT

Picture

Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Achilles Pain
    AC Joint
    Back Pain
    Balance
    Concussion
    Detraining
    Frozen Shoulder
    Gait
    Home Exercise Program
    Hydration
    Ice Or Heat
    Infection
    Joint By Joint
    Kinesiotape
    MRI
    Muscle Strain
    National PT Month
    Osteoarthritis
    Pain
    Rehabilitation Journey
    Shoulder Impingement
    Squat Mechanics
    Strength Training
    Tendonitis
    Triathletes
    Vertigo

    Authors

    Christina Bateman, PT, DPT
    Lisa Corken, PT, DPT
    Chelsey Creedon, PT, DPT
    Bridget End, PT, DPT
    Elana Gordon, PT, DPT
    Eric Hanyak, PT, DPT
    Heather Shaughnessy, PT, DPT
    David Simmons, PT, DPT

Paperwork
Schedule
Contact Us
Pay my bill
  • COVID-19
  • Locations
    • All Locations
    • Boulder
    • Broomfield
    • Englewood
    • Lafayette
    • Longmont
    • Wheat Ridge
  • For Patients
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Friends and Family Program
    • Patient Paperwork
    • Body Part Questionnaire
    • Am I Covered?
    • Your First Visit
    • Why Physical Therapy?
    • Injury Finder
    • Services
    • FAQ
  • Physical Therapists
  • Reviews
    • Review Boulder
    • Review Broomfield
    • Review Englewood
    • Review Lafayette
    • Review Longmont
    • Review Wheat Ridge
  • PT Pearls
  • Pay Online
  • Wellness Warehouse