pittsburgh-dentist.com

Suburban Dental

LOWER BACK PAIN by Raymond C. Forbes D.M.D.

It has been said that the spine is the antenna of the body. It should be a straight pathway for energy to flow. In Tai Chi for example it is emphasized that the spine be kept straight during all movements. Mal-alignment of the discs and vertebrae can disrupt this flow. Osteopathic physicians do adjustments of the bones as do chiropractors. When MD’s do adjustments of the bones they call it medical manipulation. A dental colleague of mine was once in charge of continuing education at Loyola Dental School. He was in charge of organizing a five day symposium on head and neck pain. Such notables as Nathan Alan Shore, and Dr. Janet Travell, a physician who treated JFK, were speakers. Dr. Travell also recommended that Dr. Lester Blumenthal a physician from LaJolla Ca. speak since he did manipulative medicine. This colleague of mine hired Dr Blumenthal and when they met he told him that dentists have a lot of lower back pain. In fact he said, just that morning he bent over to tie his shoes and he felt a sharp pain in his lower back that wouldn’t go away. He said, "Oh that’s just a slipped sacro-iliac joint" So my colleague said , now we know what it is what should we do about it.?. He said sit on the edge of a chair with the right foot planted flat on the floor. Next, pick up my left knee with my left hand then grab my left ankle with my right hand. Then keeping my spine straight, lift straight up as hard as I could and hold it as long as I could, and when I couldn’t hold it any longer kick my leg straight out. Do this exercise 2-3 times a day on both sides for a few weeks. Your ligaments have been stretched and this will tighten them up. My colleagues pain went away immediately and he was a believer in manipulation. This maneuver can also be done while standing on one leg. In fact in a normal Tai Chi routine there are several kicks done in a similar manner, the only difference being that the top of the leg is more horizontal. This however can be easily modified to bring the top of the leg more vertically to get more of a stretch. The move also ends in a kick straight out! Is this an ancient Chinese adjustment of the sacro-iliac joint? I have tried this many times and it works wonders.