Backache? You're Not Alone. Improve your WFH Posture.

As we approach over four months of working from home, quarantining, and social distancing, the community at large can agree that we’ve never done so much sitting in our lives.

Whether you’re sitting at your desk, working from your couch or bed, or are binging in Netflix, our now more-sedentary-than-ever-before lifestyles can wreak havoc on our musculoskeletal system (and more) and cause physical pain. When you factor in lack of movement, changes in nutrition, stress, lack of routine, and missing out on social opportunities it can feel as though your life has been turned upside down (because it has!) The last thing you need is a back or neck ache on top of it.

Ergonomics (pretty much how you sit when you’re working) is super important, especially now that we’re at home. How you sit can directly impact your posture, circulation, and pressure on your joints and muscles.

A recent post by Time magazine highlighted these issues in their April post titled, “Getting Back Pain While Working From Home? An Ergonomics Expert Offers Advice.” They offered the following 10 tips.

1. View your computer screen with a straight neck.

2. Put your screen sideways to a bright window.

3. View any paper documents with a straight neck.

4. Put your keyboard and mouse or touchpad at a comfortable height in front of you.

5. Don’t use a soft, squishy wrist rest.

6. Alternate between typing/mousing and using voice input.

7. Sit back in your chair.

8. When sitting, rest your feet flat on either the floor or foot support.

9. Limit the time you work on your bed.

10. Avoid prolonged standing for computer work.

You can also look into purchasing posture-friendly supports, and try to change up where you work from time to time. Be sure to take lots of water breaks, walking around your home to get in some movement, or even set a timer on your phone to go off every 20 minutes, reminding you to move and take a breath!

As you incorporate these new tips, we at NJ Acupuncture Center are here to help you heal and minimize your existing back and neck pain. Call or click here to schedule an appointment today!

What You Should Know About Acupuncture and Low Back Pain

Back pain is, unfortunately, something that affects so many of us — specifically low back pain.

It can range from an annoying ache to debilitating, mobility limiting pain that seems to flare up at the worst times. And if you’re suffering, you’re not alone.

In fact, here are some alarming statistics from the American Chiropractic Association:

Worldwide, back pain is the single leading cause of disability, preventing many people from engaging in work as well as other everyday activities.2

• Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. In fact, it accounts for 264 million lost workdays in one year—approximately two workdays for every full-time worker in the country.

• Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives.

• Back pain is the third most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, behind skin disorders and osteoarthritis/joint disorders.

• Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.

• Low-back pain costs Americans at least $50 billion in health care costs each year and when you factor in lost wages and decreased productivity, that figure rises to more than $100 billion.

Shocked?

We aren’t. We treat back pain every single day, and we can help you too.

With proper treatment, acupuncture can trigger the release of endorphins and other pain-relieving hormones (endorphins) to help calm the nerves. It can also help to calm and relax you, thus relaxing any tense muscles or spasms that are caused by the pain.

Acupuncture will also rebalance your qi, and promote healthy blood flow to the areas of your body that need it the most.

Come in today for a free consultation, and be on your way to improvement in no time.

Why Acupuncture Will Become Even More Popular For Spinal Issues

It’s likely that you or someone you know, at some point, has or will deal with back or neck pain. Nearly 80% of us will seek medical care because of these types of issues, which all start with one of the most important areas of our body—the spine.

The problem is, the treatment for these types of pain has traditionally been relatively narrow. There’s almost certainly a link between the prevalence of neck and back pain and the growing opioid crisis across the United States. More people are being prescribed addictive, harmful drugs to treat pain, which only creates a negative cycle.

But as Acupuncture Today reports, there’s a good chance that more people will soon be seeking acupuncture to help with spine-related issues rather than turning to medications. That’s partially because as we learn more about the spine itself, the evidence is growing that natural, conservative care can not only be the best form of relief, but is better positioned to help prevent pain from getting worse in the first place.

“Advanced diagnostic imaging will continue to expose new features of pathology associated with neck and back pain,” Acupuncture Today writes. “Greater emphasis will be places on biomechanics assessment, conservative pain management, and biological solutions which promote favorable tissue regeneration, remodeling, and repair.”

Acupuncture, through, harnessing the body’s energy, promotes self-healing. Without the need for any invasive, external chemicals like those found in most medications, acupuncture allows for natural pain management and relief. When it comes to back and neck issues, the root problem is in the spine, where energy is being blocked. Acupuncture opens up the pathways that allow the energy to regulate and flow freely.

As more and more research shows that spinal issues can be better prevented and treated through holistic, biological solutions, acupuncture will continue to grow as the best way to treat back and neck pain.

Can Acupuncture Prevent Lower Back Surgery?

Every patient seeking acupuncture encounters the treatment for different reasons.

Whether it's to improve your overall sense of well being or to treat a highly specific problem, its one of the least invasive and most natural ways to help combat physical, mental and emotional ailments.

One of the most common reasons acupuncture is sought after is back pain, and it's no surprise —  7 out of 10 Americans complaining of suffering from the condition at some point in their lives. But aside from helping to alleviate the pain, can it help to prevent the need for surgery down the line?  It's possible.

According to Medical News Bulletin, a Korean study went on to show that when compared with patients who sought acupuncture treatment, those who did not had a higher likelihood of needing surgery. 

The results suggested two possible reasons: acupuncture is effective at managing low back pain thereby decreasing the need for any lumbar surgery, and that the combination of both traditional and conventional medicine in Korea decreases the need for surgery.  It is also noted that study participants in the group that received acupuncture were,  "far more likely to receive other types of therapy too than those patients in the group that did not receive acupuncture: they received only conventional medicine treatments."

While additional studies are needed to confirm if acupuncture has the same effect when patients with low back pain of similar severity are compared (the researchers didn't know the level of severity for each patient) the results are quite favorable.

Once again, the potential and power of acupuncture is evident, and the benefits of seeking holistic and natural treatments prior to undergoing any severe or invasive procedures are so important to know. 

Why Acupuncture is Your Best Bet to Beat That Bad Back

If you’ve felt some back pain recently, you’re not alone. About one in four adults in the US have experienced some sort of back pain over the last 3 months. And many times, particularly as we age, it’s difficult to pinpoint how or why you’ve got that soreness, knot or pulsating pain.

For years, many of us, whether under the orders of doctors or on our own, have reached for the ibuprofen or acetaminophen bottle to try and relieve back pain. But now, the American College of Physicians is recommending a new first line of defense against back pain before trying any sort of medication—natural therapies, among which acupuncture is one of them.

“There’s been a push over the past few years in my practice and in many others to push away from medications ― particularly opioids,” Allen Chen, director of physiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian/The Spine Hospital said to the Huffington Post, adding that this sea change to natural remedies has been long overdue.

There are a number of natural, physiological processes that those who suffer from back pain can opt for, including physical therapy, massage, and yoga. Acupuncture, however, is particularly suited to remedy back pain safely and for the long term because of its ability to treat root causes of pain and restore balance in the body.

For pain like back aches and soreness, licensed acupuncturists are able to “stimulate the proper points, especially polar points on the hands and feet, that rush blood back to the nervous system to assist the body in inflammation reduction," says Mona Ahdoot Dan, an LA-based acupuncturist. This act is similar to what medications are designed to do, but acupuncture is able to do this without the harmful side effects that painkillers and opioids come with.

Thankfully, with the ACP recognizing the benefits of holistic treatments like acupuncture, more and more people will stay away from harmful medications when their back starts acting up.