Things you didn't know about your back pain? - Natasha Eekhout (Paladin Biokineticists)

If you haven’t yet experienced the nagging pain in your lower back, well then heck that’s pretty impressive and you can consider yourself to be one of the lucky ones! It seems like a prevalent condition but how much do we really know about it?

1.      Back pain is one of the most prevalent ailments and surprisingly costs the country more than cancer and diabetic treatments combined, bet you didn’t know that! At least 80 out of 100 people will experience back pain, usually caused by everyday strains and sprains, during their life time and often it’s recoverable, if not, then you may have yourself a problem.

2.      Stop being a hypochondriac, scans aren’t necessarily required when you’re experiencing back pain. A short visit to your healthcare provider such as a physiotherapist will be able to identify if a scan is really needed depending on your symptoms and past medical history. A Biokineticist may also be of use to you, prescribing specific rehabilitative exercises to prevent further pain and injury.

3.      Interpretation of your scans can be skewed and misinterpreted. Research has shown that back scans of people who have bulging or herniated discs don’t even experience pain. Often people who do have back pain are told that all of these indicators are definitely the cause of the pain, when sometimes it may be referred from elsewhere or simply just muscle weakness. The results of your scans can be compared to baldness – it happens with age and overall genetics and there isn’t much we can do about it except for preventing further degeneration.

4.      More pain does not mean more damage! This might sound a bit strange, but this may be related to changes in environments or hypersensitivity. So when you’re having a bad day at work (murphy’s law) that little pain may just come about to aggravate you even more.

5.      When a disc or joint is ‘out of place’ it also doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the result of your pain. Yes in some cases it may be, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and go for the whole manipulation thing unless it is really diagnosed and required.

6.      Bed rest is NOT the answer! Yes ok you may be in pain, and resting a day or two after your painful incident such as spraining an ankle is a good idea. However when it comes to back pain, depending on your symptoms, bed rest will only make your condition worse.

7.      Surgery… no! Just no. As a biokineticist we avoid this at all costs if possible and believe that conservative treatment is the way to go, unless it’s seriously debilitating and preventing those daily activities of yours.

8.      For most of us a good night’s sleep is hard to come by, and often this is related a shoddy night’s sleep. Improving your sleeping routines can help reduce the pain.

9.      Schoolbags are schoolbags, how else would you like to carry around those books? Research shows that weighted schoolbags aren’t necessarily the cause of your kid’s back pain and often, seeing as most kid’s these days just take it easy on the couch, it may be a simple way to get some physical activity into their daily agenda of xbox, play station and television.

10.  Stress levels can negatively affect your pain. So put a smile on your dile, take up something you enjoy and reduce that anxiety and those mood swings.

11.  Lifting goods and bending is seen as a no go when you have back pain. This may sometimes cause some strain and result in you being pretty immobile, relying on others to carry out your demands, which may not be such a bad thing. However this may become quite annoying for your newly acquainted ‘butlers.’ The key is to perform your movements carefully, avoiding them will just make them a whole lot worse to execute.

12.  Exercise is one of the most effective and drug free remedies you can use to help out with the pain, and the most awesome part about it, is that it’s free! Physical activity relaxes muscle tension, releases endorphins and generally improves your immune system. Under-used muscles tend to feel more pain and often need a couple sessions to wake up.

13.  The perfect sitting position doesn’t quite exist. I bet you’re all sitting up straight now aren’t you? Contrary to belief, everybody sits differently and obviously this is comfortable for you. Instead of sitting or standing in a super rigid posture, loosen up and move in a relaxed manner.

14.  ‘Persistent’ back pain can indeed get better! Treatment can take a while, and may not happen immediately. Take all of the above mentioned factors into consideration when seeking treatment, one form ain’t gonna make the cut! 

     Natasha completed her BSc Sports Science undergraduate degree at The University of Johannesburg and her BHSc honours degree in Biokinetics at The University of the Witwatersrand. 

She has a passion for a variety of sports in particular soccer, tennis, running and kickboxing which have contributed to a strong interest in orthopaedic rehabilitation and working with athletes. Other areas of focus include diabetic and cardiac rehabilitation, as well as weight loss and a keen enthusiasm for working with children of all ages. 

Natasha can be contacted on 082 476 9727 or natashaeekhout@kinetics.co.za

Why sleep is such an important factor in weight management - Michelle Smit (Paladin Biokineticists)

Ever wondered why you are constantly hungry and craving unhealthy calorie loaded foods, the day after a restless night’s sleep? The answer is actually quite simple. Increased evidence shows that sleep has a direct influence on eating behaviours. Excess body weight, poor diet quality and increased food intake, are all associated with short sleep duration, poor sleep quality and later bed times.  There may also be bidirectional effects between weight gain and increased sleep, such as insufficient sleep causing weight gain and obesity, and obesity in turn causing insufficient sleep, hence creating a setting for a vicious cycle.

The relationship between sleep and weight gain is complex and involves the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Leptin, which is produced in fat cells, is responsible for the satisfied feeling experienced after a meal; thus signalling to the body that sufficient food has been ingested. Ghrelin, which is produced in the stomach and pancreas, does exactly the opposite and signals to the brain that it is time to eat. The body regulates leptin and ghrelin during periods of sleep.

Thus inadequate sleep leads to high levels of ghrelin in the body, and constant hunger. It furthermore causes low levels of leptin in the body, leading to an unsatisfied feeling, even after a meal. Adequate sleep helps the body maintain proper levels of these hormones. It is thus evident that sleep has a direct influence on eating patterns.

So how many hours of sleep is sufficient? Research shows that between 7 and 9 hours of sleep is needed for optimal brain function, but between 8 and 10 hours is needed for optimal weight management.

The moral of the story is that for optimal weight management sleep is just as important as exercise and a balanced diet, so pull those pillows closer and enjoy a good nap.   

Michelle obtained her degree in human movement sciences at the University of Potchefstroom and her BSc honours degree in Biokinetics at the University of Zululand. 

She has a keen interest in orthopaedic rehabilitation, particularly the shoulder joint, as well as chronic disease managemen/ rehabilitation and enjoys working with people of all ages. 

She enjoys netball and swimming and working with athletes on any level. 

Michelle can be contacted on 084 579 3174 or michellesmit@kinetics.co.za