We have a deck/balcony on the second floor of our house that Sharon likes to call our "City Cottage Deck". It's not very big but we have a BBQ and table and chairs on it and we find it very peaceful and a lot of fun. When the weather is nice Sharon and I like to sit out there and enjoy an evening meal as we watch the clouds and sunset over the cityscape (it is on the west side of building). I've included a couple of pictures showing you the lovely skies. Even our two black labs (Samson and Delilah) like to spend their evenings lounging out there.
Often times we will chat about interesting health and wellness related subjects. She will fill me in on something she read in one of her fitness magazines. I will give her the synopsis of the latest research articles that I've read.
The other day, as we were on the "City Cottage Deck" enjoying a wonderful new recipe, I mentioned to Sharon that she should add it to the website. We chatted about how much everyone loves it when she puts a new recipe there. Then it dawned on me that maybe I should share some of the health and wellness tidbits with you as well.
I've always agreed with the statement "Knowledge is Power". The more you know about health and wellness the better able you are to avoid the things that move you away from health and add the things that move you toward wellness.
Most people first come to a chiropractor out of desperation. They've tried many different things to help with their lower back, neck or headache pain with little satisfaction. They are finding the pain from their condition is horribly debilitating. It is affecting all aspects of their work and personal life. Finally they try chiropractic and are pleasantly surprised at how effective it can be. They begin to realize that not only can they get relief from their spinal problems and pain, but if they really want to, they can continue to improve beyond the relief point and move themselves more and more toward health and wellness with a little bit of help from their Wellness Chiro.
Here are some stats about back pain that I think you'll find very interesting - Sharon certainly did. You may actually be surprised by some of the numbers!
• Back pain is the number one disability for those under age 45.
• In the United States, there is an expected 31 million people with lower back pain at any given time and in Canada that translates into an equivalent 3.1 million people.
• Back pain runs second, after only the common cold, as the top reason for visiting a healthcare provider.
• Experts place the likelihood of any person to experience some type of back problem in their lifetime at about 80%. That's four out of every five people!
• Over 5 billion dollars $$$ are spent per year in Canada in the pursuit of clearing up cases of back pain.
• Around 30 to 40 percent of all workplace absences are due to back pain.
• Approximately one quarter of U.S. adults reported having low back pain lasting at least one whole day in the past three months, and 7.6 percent reported at least one episode of severe acute low back pain within a one-year period.
• One-half of all working Canadians admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
• Approximately 2 percent of the U.S. work force is compensated for back injuries each year and an equivalent number would apply here in Canada.
• Lower back pain accounts for two thirds of all back pain-related cases.
• More than two-thirds of back strains are caused by lifting and other exertions like pulling and pushing.
• 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.
The key to proper treatment of back pain is to understand the cause. Remember, pain is always a sign that something is wrong and if continually ignored may lead to more serious harm. Chiropractors are experts in assessing the root cause of back pain and putting you on the right course to recovery and moving toward Wellness, and not just masking over the symptoms.