The Surprising Link Between Neck and Lower Back Pain
If you’ve ever dealt with nagging neck pain, your lower back was probably the last thing you were thinking about–and vice versa. But if you’ve ever experienced both at once, you might have started wondering if they could be linked.
Well, your hunch was correct: Neck pain and lower back pain are often interconnected. The human body is a marvel of connectivity, where different parts support and affect each other. That’s why the physical therapists at Advantage Physical Therapy take a whole-body approach to your care. We’ll figure out where the underlying issue is actually located and work with you to address it directly.
Understanding the connection between neck pain and lower back pain can help you feel better in the long run.
Free Pain Assessment on November 18th
Don’t miss this chance for a FREE Pain Assessment — call 805.429.4206 today to reserve your spot!
Exploring the Neck and Lower Back Connection
Imagine you’re holding a chain, trying to tug it forward. Unbeknownst to you, however, the opposite end of that chain has gotten caught on a hook. No matter how hard you pull, you won’t be able to move the other end of the chain.
Your spine is a lot like that chain. Each vertebra is a link that depends on the others to maintain strength and balance. So, when one part of your spine is out of line, it can impact other parts. Here’s an example using poor posture, one of the most common culprits behind both neck and lower back pain:
Slouching, Compensations, and Interconnected Pain
Your spine is surrounded by muscles that work to support and stabilize it. When you slouch, constantly look down at a mobile device, or sit for too long without taking breaks, you can strain these muscles. Your body then responds to this strain by compensating elsewhere along the chain.
For example, when muscles in the lower back are strained or weakened, the upper back and neck muscles have to do extra work to compensate. Similarly, tension in the neck can lead to adjustments in posture that strain the lower back.
So what does this mean? Let’s say you spend a lot of time at your desk, putting strain on your lower back. Your body then moves further up your back to compensate for the weakness there, placing stress on your neck. As a result, you’re now dealing with lower back pain and neck pain.
This cycle of compensation and strain highlights the importance of treating the body as a whole.
How Our Physical Therapists Can Help You Find Relief
The team at Advantage Physical Therapy is highly trained to find the root causes of your discomfort. We start with a whole-body assessment to determine the specific areas of concern, then use targeted therapies to develop a customized treatment program.
With these treatments, our physical therapists aim to provide a comprehensive approach to managing and alleviating neck and lower back pain. Our ultimate goal is to empower our patients with the knowledge and skills they need for a healthier, more active lifestyle free from pain.
Treatment Techniques We Might Suggest
- Postural Awareness: One of the first steps to breaking the cycle is understanding how your posture affects your body. Our PTs will teach you to recognize and correct poor postures, whether you’re sitting, standing, or moving, to reduce strain on your neck and lower back. We’ll work on:
- Body mechanics to understand how to make conscious postural adjustments in daily life.
- Personalized workplace ergonomics, including proper workstation setup and tips for maintaining your ideal posture.
- Forming long-term habits to prevent pain and strain from returning.
- Manual Therapy: This hands-on approach helps to relax tense muscles, improve blood flow, and mobilize joints. By addressing specific areas of pain and stiffness, manual therapy can provide immediate relief and encourage the body’s natural healing process.
- Targeted Exercises: Strengthening and stretching exercises tailored to your needs can alleviate pressure on the spine, improve strength and mobility, and help support your spinal alignment. These exercises help alleviate current pain and prevent future issues by building a stronger, more resilient body.
Book an Appointment at Advantage Physical Therapy Today!
Don’t let poor posture and muscle strain create a domino effect. Let’s work together to strengthen your body’s chain and ensure each link is as strong and balanced as possible. Remember, a healthy posture and muscle strength are your best allies in the fight against pain.
Try an October “Reset” Before the Winter Holidays
With the weather finally starting to cool off, October is a great time to get back into the habit of physical activity before the holidays kick into gear. Here are some of our favorite ways to get moving in the fall:
- Go for a walk. Now’s the perfect time to take advantage of cooler temperatures. A brisk walk around your neighborhood is also a great way to admire your neighbors’ Halloween decorations.
- Enjoy a game of tag football. Why should the pros have all the fun? Invite your friends over for a friendly skirmish–no tackling required.
- Try a local hiking trail: You aren’t the only one enjoying the cooler weather. Spend a few hours exploring a nearby hiking trail and check out what nature’s doing to prepare for winter.
At Advantage Physical Therapy, we know things start to get busy at Halloween–but October is the perfect time to squeeze in some fun outdoor activities before things get going!
Recipe of the Month: Halloween Ghost Pizza
Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
- 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons (11 ounces, 312 grams) bread flour
- 1-⅛ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup (6 ounces, 177 ml) filtered water
Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- 16 ounces (2 8-ounce cans) tomato sauce
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1-½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Ghosts for Pizza
- 6 slices (4 ounces, 113 grams) sliced Mozzarella cheese
- 1 Tablespoon sliced black olives
Halloween Ghost Pizza
- 8 ounces Pizza Dough, room temperature
- 1-½ Tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- ¼ cup (.75 ounces, 22 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-½ cups (6 ounces, 170 grams) shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, for drizzling on cooked pizza
Instructions:
Pizza Dough
- Add bread flour, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse 5 times to combine. Add olive oil and water. Process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds. Let rest for 2 minutes.
- Process an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place in a large, lightly greased bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-½ hours. Yield: 1 pound of pizza dough – enough for two pizzas.
Super-Simple Pizza Sauce
- Add all ingredients to the blender. Purée for 30 seconds, or until all ingredients are well combined.
Ghosts for Pizza
- Trace an 11-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper. Flip to the other side. Set aside.
- Using ghost cookie cutters, cut out ghosts from sliced Mozzarella cheese. Position on parchment as you want them to appear on the finished pizza.
- Cut out eyes and mouths of black olive slices, and place them on the ghosts. Set aside until the pizza comes out of the oven.
Halloween Ghost Pizza
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- Brush 1-½ Tablespoons of olive oil in bottom of 12-inch cast-iron skillet; set aside.
- Divide pizza dough in half. Press and roll one piece of dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer to prepared cast-iron skillet; gently push it to the corners of the pan. Spread ⅓ cup of super-simple pizza sauce over surface of dough leaving ½-inch border around the edge. Top with ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and 1-½ cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Set skillet over medium heat and cook until the outside edge of the dough is set and the pizza is lightly puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to preheated oven; bake until the edge of the pizza is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pizza from oven; position the ghosts on the hot pizza.
- Remove pizza from cast-iron skillet. If desired, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.
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