Let’s face it; if you live in a human body, your chances of having back pain over the course of your life are about 8 in 10. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason people go to their doctor. There are many underlying causes for pain in your back, including sports injuries, accidents, overuse, degeneration from … [Read more...]
Facet Joint Pain: Understanding and Managing This Common Back Issue
One of the most misunderstood aspects of your spine is something called facet joints. That’s primarily because it’s hard to describe exactly what a facet joint is and where it lives in your backbone, and what facet joints actually do. Today, I’m going to try to clear this up. In a previous post I talked about your discs, … [Read more...]
Exploring the Effects of Movement on Back Pain
It’s the rare person who is a stranger to back pain, with about 80 percent of people experiencing it sometime during their lives. And what’s worse is that in many cases, the pain seemingly comes out of nowhere. It’s common to hear a patient with back pain say that they were just reaching for soap in the shower, looking for … [Read more...]
Do X-Rays, MRIs, and CT Scans Hold the Key to Your Back Pain?
Your back hurts. Maybe a lot; it definitely has your attention. This may be a new kind of pain, or something you’ve had before, but now it’s blowing up, and you need to know what’s going on. When you make an appointment with your doctor, there’s a good chance that they’ll want some kind of imaging to help determine the … [Read more...]
Acute vs. Chronic Back Pain: What’s the Difference?
Pain has its own personality. It can feel sharp, dull, burning, stabbing, achy, or intermittent, only a little bit annoying or taking over your life. Pain can also be acute or chronic. And when it comes to back pain, chronic pain can be an entirely different beast. So, what’s the difference between acute and chronic … [Read more...]
How Do My Hip Flexors Impact Back Pain?
When you think about back pain, it’s common to think about problems with your discs, an imbalance in your muscles, facet joint issues, or a nerve impingement. However, there’s another common cause of back pain that you may not have heard about, and that’s your hip flexor muscles. Your hip flexors are actually a group of … [Read more...]
Bulging vs Herniated Disc: What’s the Difference?
I work with a lot of patients who have back pain, and when I say a lot, I mean a LOT. When it comes to pain, it’s probably the most common type I treat. In some cases, their back pain comes from problems with one or more discs. Often a patient will come to me with a diagnosis of a bulging disc or a herniated disc, and most … [Read more...]
Knead to Know: The Wonders of Tui Na
Many people are surprised to find out that there are many healing techniques in Chinese medicine beyond acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Some of these healing modalities are used as stand-alone treatments, but in my practice, they serve more as accessory techniques that augment my acupuncture treatments to promote … [Read more...]
Hope and Healing for Spinal Stenosis and Back Pain
Spinal stenosis is a common condition affecting millions worldwide, and here in Vancouver, many active individuals experience its limitations. It’s one of those conditions you may have heard about, but understanding exactly what’s going on can be confusing. That’s because it’s both a spine and a nerve problem, and it can … [Read more...]
Muscles that can Cause Low Back Pain
Back pain is a very common problem. Almost everybody at one time or another will experience some kind of issue with their back. In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons people seek medical care, miss time from work and are sidelined from their normal daily activities. There are several anatomical structures in your … [Read more...]
Help for Mountain Biking Injuries
At BodaHealth we see different kinds of sports injuries increase during different times of the year. When the snow has melted from the mountains around Vancouver, we tend to see an uptick in mountain biking injuries. This is a mixed blessing; Vancouver has some of the best mountain biking trails in the world. Near the city, … [Read more...]
What are the Most Common Sports Injuries?
The warm weather is finally here in Vancouver! With it comes a ton of opportunities to get out of the house and participate in your favorite sports. Whether you’re playing football, soccer, golf, throwing the Frisbee around, engaged in water sports or just hiking, injuries happen. While it’s possible to injure yourself in a … [Read more...]
I Enjoy Helping Others with Back Injuries
Practitioner Spotlight: Tara Wilson Tara Wilson is a woman of many talents. Not only is she one of BodaHealth’s Pilates instructors, she’s also a fascial stretch therapist, kinesiologist, exercise physiologist, retired professional dancer, wife and mother. We sat down with Tara to get her thoughts on movement, … [Read more...]
Can Acupuncture Prevent a Whiplash Injury From Becoming Chronic?
If you or anyone you know has had a whiplash injury, you know that it can be life-changing. An accident that happens in an instant may change your health and quality of life for months or years. While most whiplash injuries are the result of car accidents, they can also result from falls and other traumatic … [Read more...]
