Patient Education
Georgia Spine & Neurosurgery Center is dedicated to providing world-class, contemporary neurosurgical services to our patients with the utmost of care and compassion. Our experienced healthcare professionals are dedicated to treating each patient as an individual, deserving of our time, attention, and respect. We believe patients should learn as much about their condition and in order to make an informed decision regarding the best treatment options. On the following tabs you will find links to animations to learn more about some common spine problems, as well as non-surgical treatment options. To learn more about the surgical treatment options we specialize in, please see our scope of practice section.
Tips to Treat Your Back Pain
1. Stop sitting so much.
Compressive forces on your spine increase significantly when you sit. In the short run, this can lead to back pain. Over time, prolonged sitting can result in accelerated disc degeneration. If you have a desk job, you should stand up every 30 minute, even if just for a minute or two. If you have a desk job, consider a standing desk. Did you know standing burns about 50 cal/hour? You can burn 400 cal at work using a standing desk!
2. Pay attention to your posture and body mechanics.
Having good posture allows the forces in the spine to be distributed more evenly or naturally, which can not only reduce back pain, but can also reduce the progression of the degenerative changes in the spine. No one can have perfect posture all the time, but poor posture the majority the time leads to increased back pain (and neck pain). Proper body mechanics means doing activities of daily living like lifting, carrying objects, and bending using good posture. For example, you should lift with your legs, not your back.
3. Walk
Walking is not only good exercise, but it’s really one of the best things you can do for your back. Walking is particularly good at strengthening the multifidus muscles in your back, which are majors spine stabilizers. Walking also helps prevent the hips from getting tight, and tight hips can result in increased back pain.
4. Strengthen your back and core muscles.
Your back and core muscles are particularly important spine stabilizers. When these muscles are strong, they help share the load or the work that your spine does. Not only does that reduced back pain, but by sharing the load, in a way the spine itself works less, so degenerates or ages more slowly. Many people who are fit and go to the gym still don’t have a strong core. There are a number of back and core exercises that you can learn in physical therapy. Yoga and Pilates are also particularly good for the back and core.
5. Education
The more you learn about your spine, particularly the importance of your back / core muscles, good posture and proper body mechanics, the more likely you will be able to treat your own back pain and avoid invasive procedures like injections and surgery. Do not let the results of an MRI dictate your course of treatment. Everyone develops degenerative changes in their spine, and often the changes that are read on the MRI (bulging disc, bone spur, etc.) are just normal aging changes and are NOT the cause of your symptoms.