Seminars

Mark your calendars because we have a couple of good seminars coming up.
-On May 4th, Dr. Graham of the Spine Diagnositc Clinic will be speaking on managing chronic pain. This event will be co-sponsored by Boston Scientific. The seminar is FREE and will be at 6:30 at our Bankers Avenue location.
-Next up will be Dr. Stringer on May 11th in Denham Springs. She will be speaking on treating joint pain. Another good one! Make sure you sign up. You can find more info on our website, www.dutchpt.com/hyhy.htm

Back pain in the garden.

Many of you will begin working in your gardens & yards now that the weather is so pretty. I noticed a lot of people in my neighborhood hard at work and I saw most of them grabbing at their backs as if they were in pain. We put together a few tips to help you avoid the back aches that come with yard work.

First, it is imporant to bend from the knees to minimize the stress to the lower back.

Sencond, avoid repetitive forward bending by positioning yourself closer to the ground and by keeping your back straight and abdominal muscles engaged.

Third, use proper lifiting techniques by using leg muscles to lift and by carrying items close to your body in order to minimize the stress on your lower back. If possible, use a pull cart or wheel barrow to move heavy tools, mulch or plants to avoid lifting.  

The key to lessen or elimiate back pain to minimize the amount of times you bend forward. Consider using plantes built offof the ground. They may allow you to work more comfortably without bending at all.