West Des Moines Back and Neck Pain due to Things like Sitting or Doing Computer Work

Working on a computer for a long time. Sitting too long. Bending over a project for too long. All sorts of positional issues may start back pain or neck pain. Spine researchers talk about flexion relaxation ratios (FRR) and flexion relaxation phenomena (FRP) that arise with such back and neck irritations.  Executive Chiropractic of Iowa is ready to help reduce West Des Moines neck pain and back pain with our chiropractic services as well as help troubleshoot ways to reduce the risk of pain when doing things you have to do all day or motions you want to do on occasion but know they are irritating to your back or neck.

LUMBAR SPINE and LOW BACK PAIN: Sitting

The curiosity of spinal pain researchers brings about some research-provoking questions like does sitting for an hour bring about pain in patients with a history of back pain (but don’t have back pain currently) versus those without. They didn’t find a difference in the flexion relaxation ratio (FRR) they measured but think that may be because an hour wasn’t long enough to trigger pain in the history-of-back-pain patients. (1) Hum? A reduction of the paraspinal muscle activity at maximum flexion shows the related flexion relaxation phenomenon (FRP). An analysis of 48 published studies on this topic found that nonspecific low back pain patients’ FRP was altered. Compared to asymptomatic patients, this difference was significant. (2) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa examines these types of issues in our West Des Moines back pain patients and neck pain patients.

CERVICAL SPINE and NECK PAIN

FRP and FRR can be evaluated in neck pain patients, too. In comparison to the lumbar spine’s FRP and FFR, cervical spine muscle reaction differences were noted in pain patients versus asymptomatic volunteers. The cervical flexion relaxation phenomenon was seen in neck extensor muscles when in flexion. Persistent muscle contraction due to diminished flexion relaxation places vertebral structures at risk due to too much loading. 84% of healthy subjects showed FRP while only 36% of in-pain patients did. FRR was less in neck pain patientsas well. (3) Further, when contrasting computer workers with neck pain to those without neck pain to those who don’t do computer work, researchers deduced that computer use could raise the use of the semispinalis capitis during neck extension, making it a possible predictor of symptomatic neck musculoskeletal disorders as its initiation was seen in both types of computer users’ necks. (4) Such a finding is useful to healthcare providers like your chiropractor to see what this muscle does on extension and guide our patients on how to strengthen the cervical extensor muscles.

RELIEF FOR NECK AND BACK PAIN

Cox® Technic is gentle, relieving West Des Moines chiropractic treatment for back and neck pain. Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Sean Delahunt on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains the effectiveness and gentleness of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his patient with neck pain.   

CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa

Schedule your next West Des Moines chiropractic appointment with Executive Chiropractic of Iowa. For relief of spine pain due to positional activities, our treatment plan decreases the pain and offers tips on how to reduce the risk of pain while doing what you want and have to do.