The following program presents 00:00:01.98\00:00:02.95 principles designed to promote good health 00:00:02.96\00:00:04.69 and is not intended to take the place of 00:00:05.13\00:00:06.80 personalized professional care. 00:00:06.81\00:00:08.63 The opinions and ideas expressed 00:00:09.34\00:00:10.90 are those of the speaker. 00:00:10.91\00:00:12.24 Viewers are encouraged to draw their own 00:00:12.56\00:00:14.55 conclusions about the information presented. 00:00:14.56\00:00:16.89 Hello and welcome to Health for a Lifetime. 00:00:49.44\00:00:50.91 I'm your host Don Mackintosh, and today 00:00:50.92\00:00:52.60 we're gonna be talking about Back Pain. 00:00:52.61\00:00:54.28 I know everyone watching today has 00:00:54.64\00:00:56.64 either had back pain or knows someone 00:00:56.65\00:00:58.57 that is maybe experiencing it right now. 00:00:58.58\00:01:00.93 And we hope that as a result of today's program 00:01:00.94\00:01:02.99 you're going to have some real helpful tips. 00:01:03.00\00:01:04.84 Talking with us about this is Dr. Philip Mills. 00:01:05.15\00:01:07.31 He is a specialist in Rehab Medicine 00:01:07.60\00:01:10.02 and you've been doing that for about 20 years 00:01:10.03\00:01:12.00 and I imagine one of the big things that you 00:01:12.01\00:01:13.84 see day in, day out is people with back problems. 00:01:13.85\00:01:16.12 Back Pain is so endemic. In fact, less than 00:01:16.48\00:01:21.38 20 percent of people will go through life without 00:01:21.39\00:01:25.48 a problem sometimes in their life with their back. 00:01:25.49\00:01:28.40 Well that's job security for you. 00:01:28.41\00:01:29.86 It is job security for anybody 00:01:30.21\00:01:32.09 who takes care of backs. 00:01:32.10\00:01:33.11 And that's just about every doctor, because 00:01:33.12\00:01:35.31 the problem with back cuts across 00:01:35.32\00:01:37.48 every medical specialty, virtually anybody 00:01:37.49\00:01:41.06 who sees patients will see someone with 00:01:41.07\00:01:44.26 back pain it is just everywhere, in fact 00:01:44.27\00:01:48.11 statistically 40 percent of the people 00:01:48.46\00:01:51.18 listening to this program are suffering 00:01:51.19\00:01:53.48 from back pain right now. 00:01:53.49\00:01:54.68 You don't have any pain 00:01:55.08\00:01:56.05 do you in your back right now? I don't. 00:01:56.06\00:01:57.36 And neither do I, so we're not in the 40 percent. 00:01:57.37\00:01:59.87 Why are people so susceptible by this though, 00:02:01.09\00:02:03.84 it seems like just you know like you said, 00:02:03.85\00:02:05.83 I mean 40 percent are having it right now, 00:02:05.84\00:02:07.46 just all kinds of people, why is this like a flaw? 00:02:07.47\00:02:10.83 Why are people so susceptible to it? 00:02:11.19\00:02:13.07 No, it's not a flaw. The back was designed 00:02:13.08\00:02:17.09 in a very elegant fashion, okay. 00:02:17.10\00:02:19.32 But, if you look at the basic back kinesiology, 00:02:20.51\00:02:25.02 you realize that there is a lot of weight 00:02:25.47\00:02:28.09 yet there has to be some movement. 00:02:28.47\00:02:30.26 So God had to design the back in a way that 00:02:30.71\00:02:33.94 would provide motion, you could just have a pipe, 00:02:33.95\00:02:36.78 right just, and then you wouldn't have 00:02:37.58\00:02:39.21 any back problem, but you wouldn't have 00:02:39.22\00:02:41.89 any back movement either. 00:02:41.90\00:02:43.26 So, the back was design to have this mobility 00:02:43.27\00:02:46.62 but also provide great strength. 00:02:47.01\00:02:49.49 And so that puts it at some risk. 00:02:49.93\00:02:52.76 Now the way God designed to decrease 00:02:52.77\00:02:55.53 the risk is the back is buttrest with guy wires, 00:02:55.54\00:02:59.91 that's the muscles that come from our abdomens, 00:02:59.92\00:03:02.75 that's muscles in the back, muscles down the side, 00:03:03.14\00:03:06.07 those function as back supports. 00:03:06.08\00:03:09.64 So it's a very wonderful system 00:03:09.65\00:03:12.34 that we call the back. So whether you're sitting, 00:03:12.35\00:03:15.63 you're standing, you're walking, you're lying, 00:03:15.64\00:03:17.42 you're running, you're jumping, you're laughing, 00:03:17.43\00:03:18.89 you're sneezing, whatever you're doing 00:03:18.90\00:03:20.33 you need to use your back? Yes, and in fact, 00:03:20.34\00:03:22.45 most people don't know this, but the greatest 00:03:22.46\00:03:25.89 pressure on your disk is when you're sitting, 00:03:25.90\00:03:28.92 is when you're sitting? Not when you're 00:03:29.31\00:03:30.96 standing or when you're lying. 00:03:30.97\00:03:32.31 The least of all is when you're lying, 00:03:32.32\00:03:33.74 but the greatest is when you're sitting. 00:03:34.05\00:03:36.94 So it's must better to stand up or walk 00:03:37.74\00:03:40.07 if you have back problems. 00:03:40.08\00:03:41.35 Well, you wanna have good support when you're 00:03:41.36\00:03:43.95 sitting and you also want to move from time to time. 00:03:43.96\00:03:46.64 So, you said that this back is a very 00:03:47.06\00:03:49.49 amazing you know thing. 00:03:49.50\00:03:51.93 It's got guy wires and all this stuff, 00:03:51.94\00:03:54.16 could you explain to me, give me a little 00:03:54.55\00:03:56.13 anatomy lesson on the back. 00:03:56.14\00:03:57.84 Well, its not so easy to do, it's taken 00:03:57.85\00:04:00.81 some of the very best minds to figure out. 00:04:00.82\00:04:04.02 All the physical things, the physics and that, 00:04:04.64\00:04:07.10 what's called the Kinesiology, 00:04:07.11\00:04:08.79 that's the movements of the back, it's taken, 00:04:08.80\00:04:10.97 as I said some of the best scientists, 00:04:11.34\00:04:13.47 some very sophisticated computer modeling 00:04:13.48\00:04:15.69 courses that have helped elucidate these 00:04:15.70\00:04:21.68 the way it works and I've always wondered 00:04:22.11\00:04:25.01 if it takes our best minds just to kind of 00:04:25.02\00:04:27.72 understand what's going on, what must it would 00:04:27.73\00:04:30.50 have taken as far as a mind to design. 00:04:30.51\00:04:33.44 It's really wonderful. You don't think this 00:04:33.83\00:04:34.99 evolved, it did not evolve, noway. 00:04:35.00\00:04:38.14 This is not a testimony to the power of nature; 00:04:38.60\00:04:44.69 this is a testimony to the wisdom of God. 00:04:44.70\00:04:47.02 Okay so, take this into the mind of God here 00:04:47.03\00:04:50.11 a little bit and describe it if you can, 00:04:50.12\00:04:53.05 so maybe we can understand a little bit of it. 00:04:53.06\00:04:54.82 Well, your tough part of the back is your bones, 00:04:54.83\00:04:57.73 and they make up this skeletal anatomy, 00:04:58.10\00:05:01.16 that's where the muscles attach, 00:05:01.51\00:05:03.34 that's where you have good solid strong support, 00:05:03.71\00:05:08.87 but then between the bones there are what are called 00:05:09.58\00:05:14.04 disks and you can think of a disk as a liquid 00:05:14.05\00:05:17.21 filled golf ball and it's smashed down 00:05:17.22\00:05:20.68 like a plate it has a hard outer covering, 00:05:21.00\00:05:25.84 okay, and gelatinous inner core. 00:05:25.85\00:05:29.04 So it's like a doughnut maybe, this is the disk. 00:05:29.24\00:05:30.59 Well it's a filled doughnut, 00:05:31.00\00:05:33.08 filled doughnut, like a filled doughnut, okay. 00:05:33.09\00:05:34.85 And so except the hard outer core is 00:05:35.33\00:05:37.23 much stronger then a doughnut, 00:05:37.24\00:05:38.45 you wouldn't wanna bite into this doughnut, okay. 00:05:38.46\00:05:40.73 And so this gives it this movement and 00:05:41.52\00:05:44.75 flexibility and yet the disk itself has strength. 00:05:44.76\00:05:48.04 However over time, the outer layer of the disk 00:05:48.43\00:05:53.94 becomes brittle, it loses its elasticity 00:05:53.95\00:05:58.38 and become, anybody for anybody, 00:05:58.39\00:05:59.53 yes, overtime it becomes hard, okay. 00:05:59.54\00:06:02.77 And so because of that it becomes 00:06:02.78\00:06:04.97 more subject to tear, and there are certain places 00:06:04.98\00:06:08.09 that it can tear easier then others and certain 00:06:08.10\00:06:10.88 movements that we can make that put it at 00:06:10.89\00:06:15.69 more risk then others, because of all the 00:06:15.70\00:06:18.60 back problems that I see I am contumelious, 00:06:18.61\00:06:23.00 continuously aware of my back and the 00:06:23.01\00:06:26.99 importance to lift right and to move right, 00:06:27.00\00:06:29.62 so that I don't put the disk at a mechanical 00:06:30.01\00:06:34.36 disadvantage where it would burst 00:06:34.37\00:06:37.15 and cause a ruptured disk. 00:06:37.59\00:06:39.79 So, it kind of curves, you've got the, 00:06:40.08\00:06:41.81 what do you called these cervical ones, 00:06:41.82\00:06:43.48 what are they, seven of those 00:06:43.49\00:06:44.89 that I think I remember. There's eight cervical, 00:06:44.90\00:06:47.05 eight of those and then you've got the ones 00:06:47.06\00:06:48.99 in the middle anything different between the, 00:06:49.00\00:06:50.68 thoracic, you have the, thoracic vertebrae 00:06:50.69\00:06:54.37 and then the ones down at the bottom I don't know 00:06:54.38\00:06:57.00 what they're, I can't remember what they're 00:06:57.01\00:06:57.98 called but those going all the way down to the bone. 00:06:57.99\00:07:01.01 Did I say there are eight, seven cervical vertebrae 00:07:01.02\00:07:05.04 but there is eight nerves because you count 00:07:05.05\00:07:06.56 the top and the bottom of the nerves, okay, 00:07:06.57\00:07:09.60 but there's actually seven bones then you have 00:07:09.61\00:07:12.77 twelve one for each rib those are the 00:07:12.78\00:07:15.82 thoracic and then you have in normal people 00:07:15.83\00:07:18.06 there are variations of this you have five 00:07:18.07\00:07:21.92 lumbar vertebrae and then you have at the 00:07:21.93\00:07:25.25 very bottom you have the sacrum, which is the, 00:07:25.26\00:07:28.25 like the tail bone, tail bone, 00:07:29.59\00:07:30.93 and then the coccyx at the very tip. 00:07:30.94\00:07:32.93 Okay, and any part of that goes wrong and it 00:07:33.42\00:07:36.33 affects all of it? It affects all of you 00:07:36.34\00:07:39.88 if you feel it, because you need your back 00:07:39.89\00:07:43.68 to make virtually any activity even if you're 00:07:44.39\00:07:46.86 rolling in bed and so if your 00:07:46.87\00:07:49.96 back is bothering you, it's pretty apparent, 00:07:49.97\00:07:54.03 and I'm sure everybody out there that has back pain 00:07:54.04\00:07:56.02 and saying yeah, that you're stating the obvious. 00:07:56.03\00:07:57.93 Now you even said in your notes that I looked 00:07:57.94\00:08:00.28 over for this program that the abdominal 00:08:00.29\00:08:02.95 muscles are involved in this? Yes, your abdominal 00:08:02.96\00:08:07.21 muscles are very important and that's why 00:08:07.22\00:08:09.93 it's important to keep strong abdominal muscle, 00:08:09.94\00:08:15.19 do sit ups, sit ups, actually I prefer 00:08:15.52\00:08:18.46 sit backs, where you go from a sitting position 00:08:18.47\00:08:22.05 down to approximate 30 degrees and then back up, 00:08:22.06\00:08:24.93 if you have back problems and do a sit up 00:08:25.39\00:08:27.88 in some cases the first movement can 00:08:27.89\00:08:30.80 actually increase your discomfort. 00:08:30.81\00:08:33.52 So you're actually better to just sit from a sitting 00:08:33.53\00:08:37.52 position back 30 degrees back up to 00:08:37.53\00:08:40.77 strengthen these abdominal muscles. 00:08:40.78\00:08:43.24 Also, obviously if a person is obese then 00:08:43.57\00:08:51.06 that, it adds more weight, really it increases 00:08:51.07\00:08:56.74 a problem with that muscle pulling strongly, 00:08:57.13\00:09:01.16 I see right so it kind of knocks it out of kilter. 00:09:01.59\00:09:04.97 So it's all just kind of designed for someone 00:09:04.98\00:09:08.58 that has optimal weight and everything, 00:09:08.59\00:09:10.29 when you add different things 00:09:10.30\00:09:12.20 that can really mess it up, yes. 00:09:12.21\00:09:13.70 So what causes actually the back pain and says, 00:09:13.71\00:09:16.12 those nerves you were talking about? 00:09:16.13\00:09:17.64 Well for most cases we never really know and 00:09:18.46\00:09:21.54 that's why there are so many wastebasket 00:09:21.55\00:09:23.45 categories when you see 00:09:23.46\00:09:25.02 a physician about back problems. 00:09:25.03\00:09:26.93 You have the wastebasket category of low back 00:09:27.29\00:09:29.41 strain, low back sprain, dyskinetic back. 00:09:29.42\00:09:33.64 All these are because we really, 00:09:34.48\00:09:37.88 there are so many components that in 00:09:37.89\00:09:41.61 very few cases can you really determine 00:09:41.62\00:09:47.16 which of the components it is? 00:09:47.57\00:09:49.49 Okay, so they just say this or say that, 00:09:50.29\00:09:52.02 but you're kind of specialty has been 00:09:52.03\00:09:53.52 actually talking to people and to see whether or not 00:09:53.53\00:09:56.01 it's really a significant problem or not and 00:09:56.91\00:09:59.26 you're always put on the hot seat about that. 00:09:59.27\00:10:01.31 Yes, the first thing of course you wanna 00:10:01.72\00:10:03.41 make sure of is there is no underlying significant 00:10:03.42\00:10:09.34 back disease maybe cancer, 00:10:10.48\00:10:12.99 okay, or a serious medical problem, 00:10:13.39\00:10:16.22 like a referred pain from your pancreas or 00:10:16.23\00:10:17.97 your kidneys or something else, that could be 00:10:17.98\00:10:19.83 a cause or you could actually have a 00:10:19.84\00:10:23.21 frag tumor in the back itself. 00:10:23.22\00:10:25.07 Now those are rare, that be less then one percent, 00:10:25.60\00:10:28.30 the majority of back problems are simple, 00:10:28.31\00:10:30.53 they're self limited less then six weeks 00:10:30.54\00:10:33.08 will go away, but in that one percent 00:10:33.41\00:10:36.64 you don't want to miss it. 00:10:36.65\00:10:37.71 That's generally a person who is older, 00:10:37.72\00:10:39.49 generally a person who has weight loss, 00:10:41.41\00:10:44.40 other medical problems and so that's 00:10:46.44\00:10:49.83 what you're going to be alert to so that 00:10:49.84\00:10:53.26 you don't miss a major problem while you're 00:10:53.27\00:10:56.70 thinking it's what's called a "simple back ache." 00:10:56.71\00:10:59.78 So when you say what causes back pain 00:11:00.00\00:11:02.08 what you're saying is you got to, 00:11:02.09\00:11:03.16 don't just say well it's just the 00:11:03.17\00:11:04.81 back strain or this or that, you got to check 00:11:04.82\00:11:06.88 all these things out if you really want to know 00:11:06.89\00:11:08.81 and rule out those significant things and 00:11:09.17\00:11:11.73 hopefully you're dealing with a more minor 00:11:11.74\00:11:13.65 problem that maybe you can help with. 00:11:13.66\00:11:16.31 Yes, the second thing you wanted to 00:11:16.32\00:11:18.37 eliminate is, is it a pinch nerve. 00:11:18.38\00:11:21.54 So if it's either a significant occult medical 00:11:21.94\00:11:28.38 problem I just talked about, right, 00:11:28.39\00:11:31.20 or the second issue is, is it a pinch nerve? 00:11:31.21\00:11:35.04 Now the way you can tell if it's a pinch nerve or 00:11:35.44\00:11:40.07 it might be a pinch nerve, is the distribution of 00:11:40.08\00:11:42.93 the pain, whether there is actual muscle weakness, 00:11:42.94\00:11:46.02 going down your leg, your arms or something, 00:11:46.03\00:11:48.24 if there is muscles weakness in a particular 00:11:48.25\00:11:50.76 pattern in your leg or if it's from the neck in 00:11:50.77\00:11:53.05 your arm or if it's in a particular 00:11:53.06\00:11:56.87 pattern of referred kind of pain. 00:11:56.88\00:12:02.36 So you look at the referral pattern, 00:12:03.15\00:12:05.93 you look at the sensory loss, 00:12:06.21\00:12:08.44 you look at the muscle weakness and that's how 00:12:08.45\00:12:12.83 you determine whether there maybe nerve injury, 00:12:12.84\00:12:17.50 if it's a nerve injury you'll probably want to 00:12:17.87\00:12:19.65 have other testing like electroneurodiagnostics, 00:12:19.66\00:12:23.64 where they actually see if the nerves to 00:12:24.11\00:12:28.59 particular muscles are working, 00:12:28.60\00:12:30.32 are working, and pauses going there. 00:12:30.33\00:12:32.26 Now you talked to me about those disk again 00:12:32.27\00:12:35.24 and you were telling me that the nutrition 00:12:35.25\00:12:38.26 that gets to the disk it's a very interesting 00:12:38.27\00:12:40.10 process what was it, the imbibition or something, 00:12:40.11\00:12:44.30 imbibition, imbibition yeah. 00:12:44.31\00:12:45.72 Well the word comes from, what is that? 00:12:45.73\00:12:47.05 Well the word comes from imbibe, okay. 00:12:47.44\00:12:49.54 Now if you were imbibing, and maybe some 00:12:49.55\00:12:52.97 substance you should or should not imbibing, 00:12:52.98\00:12:54.91 correct, you're imbibing. 00:12:54.92\00:12:56.24 That is you're bringing something in. 00:12:56.25\00:12:58.22 Now in most places of the body the way you get 00:12:59.19\00:13:02.87 nutrition is through circulation, but in the 00:13:02.88\00:13:06.10 disk is really no circulation, 00:13:06.11\00:13:08.70 no circulation, no, so not normally. 00:13:08.71\00:13:11.95 So, if you're going to get nutrition, 00:13:12.45\00:13:14.58 still needs some nutrition how does it get it, 00:13:14.59\00:13:17.03 it gets it like a sponge gets nutrition you 00:13:17.39\00:13:22.11 squeeze the sponge down underneath water 00:13:22.12\00:13:26.62 and then you let it up and it sucks up the water, 00:13:27.03\00:13:31.34 imbibes, it imbibes it, that's imbibition. 00:13:31.72\00:13:34.07 And in your back if you squeeze down 00:13:34.46\00:13:38.45 the disk and then they let up, they move down 00:13:38.46\00:13:42.07 just a little bit they led up then it takes the 00:13:42.08\00:13:46.35 nutrition from the cell fluids around it. 00:13:46.36\00:13:51.12 Now, the way you squeeze it down is exercise 00:13:51.51\00:13:54.73 walking is probably the very best way 00:13:55.16\00:13:58.45 because as you walk there is this rhythmic pattern. 00:13:58.46\00:14:01.91 So in another words if you wanna have a healthy 00:14:03.53\00:14:06.45 back you better find a way to walk, find a way 00:14:06.46\00:14:09.65 to get that weight going down and up and down 00:14:09.66\00:14:13.39 so it can squeeze in and squeeze out. Yes, 00:14:13.40\00:14:15.93 you wanna have, have that imbibition take place. 00:14:15.94\00:14:20.17 Now, in the bones themselves when you're 00:14:20.18\00:14:24.62 doing activity and exercise most people 00:14:24.63\00:14:27.69 don't know it but bones themselves have some 00:14:27.70\00:14:29.69 squeezing down, in a healthy young person 00:14:29.70\00:14:32.40 a bone a can actually squeeze down by about 00:14:32.78\00:14:35.92 25 percent without breaking, 00:14:35.93\00:14:37.71 if you go more then that you'll have a fracture, 00:14:37.72\00:14:39.66 but there is, there is flexibility in the way 00:14:40.06\00:14:44.52 God designed the components of the back. 00:14:44.53\00:14:46.73 We're talking with Dr. Mills, 00:14:47.11\00:14:48.24 we're talking about back pain, 00:14:48.25\00:14:49.56 when we come back we're gonna talk about some 00:14:49.57\00:14:51.40 common causes of back pain and what you can do 00:14:51.41\00:14:53.75 about them, join us when we come back. 00:14:53.76\00:14:55.51 Are you confused about the endless stream of new 00:14:57.89\00:15:00.78 and often contradictory health information 00:15:00.79\00:15:03.15 with companies trying to sell new drugs 00:15:03.68\00:15:05.92 and special interest groups paying for studies 00:15:05.93\00:15:08.11 that spin the facts, where can you find 00:15:08.12\00:15:10.40 a common sense approach to health. 00:15:10.41\00:15:12.25 One way is to ask for your free copy of Dr. Arnott's 00:15:12.60\00:15:15.75 24 realistic ways to improve your health. 00:15:15.76\00:15:18.28 Dr. Timothy Arnott and the Lifestyle 00:15:18.29\00:15:20.54 Center of America produced this helpful 00:15:20.55\00:15:22.47 booklet of 24 short practical health tips 00:15:22.48\00:15:25.25 based on scientific research and the Bible, 00:15:25.26\00:15:27.67 that will help you live longer, 00:15:28.02\00:15:29.20 happier and healthier. 00:15:29.21\00:15:30.89 For example, did you know that women who 00:15:31.33\00:15:33.24 drink more water lower the risk of heart attack. 00:15:33.25\00:15:36.00 Or to 7 to 8 of sleep a night can minimize your 00:15:36.36\00:15:39.08 risk of ever developing diabetes. 00:15:39.09\00:15:41.01 Find out how to lower your blood pressure 00:15:41.76\00:15:43.43 and much more if you're looking for help not hike, 00:15:43.44\00:15:46.04 then this booklet is for you. 00:15:46.05\00:15:47.39 Just log on to 3abn.org and click on free offers 00:15:47.72\00:15:51.18 or call us during regular business hours, 00:15:51.19\00:15:53.42 you'll be glad you did. 00:15:53.78\00:15:55.21 Welcome back, we're talking with 00:15:55.22\00:15:58.65 Dr. Philip Mills, we're talking about back pain 00:15:58.66\00:16:00.99 and I hope that you will hear good news, 00:16:01.00\00:16:03.49 maybe you're going through back pain right now. 00:16:03.50\00:16:05.61 We're gonna talk about some of the common 00:16:05.62\00:16:06.82 causes of back pain you have them listed here. 00:16:06.83\00:16:08.77 What's the, what's the most common 00:16:08.78\00:16:11.35 cause of back pain? Well, the most common 00:16:11.36\00:16:13.62 cause is what's called a simple back ache 00:16:13.63\00:16:15.69 and we really don't know. So it's a sprain 00:16:16.03\00:16:18.35 or a strain or this, you don't know. 00:16:18.36\00:16:20.81 There are 80 percent of the back problems we are 00:16:21.18\00:16:26.87 unable to find a specific reason for them. 00:16:26.88\00:16:31.03 Now you say there is sometimes the strain is 00:16:31.42\00:16:32.85 caused by lifting bulky object or something, 00:16:32.86\00:16:35.13 30 pounds or more? What, what it is clear is that 00:16:36.15\00:16:42.19 people whose jobs entail repeated rapid 00:16:42.20\00:16:46.21 lifting of greater then 30 pounds have a 00:16:46.22\00:16:48.85 slightly increased risk of back problem, 00:16:49.49\00:16:51.56 the reason is simple. As you lift repeatedly 00:16:51.57\00:16:56.56 your muscles which provide some protection 00:16:56.57\00:16:59.76 for your disk begin to fatigue, 00:16:59.77\00:17:01.36 as they fatigue there's gonna be more 00:17:01.99\00:17:03.83 pressure on the ligaments. 00:17:03.84\00:17:05.62 And so if you do any lifting that's wrong you 00:17:06.38\00:17:10.72 have no margin of safety, no margin of error. 00:17:10.73\00:17:13.62 And so if you're in a job that is 30 pounds 00:17:14.02\00:17:18.14 and really fatiguing the back muscles day 00:17:18.50\00:17:20.85 after day that is a slightly increased risk. 00:17:20.86\00:17:24.03 Okay, we're going to look at some of the other 00:17:25.22\00:17:27.24 causes you have here, you say one causes 00:17:27.25\00:17:29.20 osteoporosis, is that when the bones of course 00:17:29.21\00:17:33.28 get pores, is that the, the issue there? Yes, 00:17:33.29\00:17:35.86 and that occurs with age and also nutritional 00:17:35.87\00:17:39.13 aspects, genetic factors, all have a part to play 00:17:39.14\00:17:44.24 with osteoporosis but if your bones get real 00:17:44.25\00:17:47.05 brittle then even slight types of movement, 00:17:47.06\00:17:51.17 slight types of pressure can actually 00:17:51.18\00:17:52.90 cause a bone fracture that's a bad thing. 00:17:52.91\00:17:55.45 Herniated discs, disk tears, herniated disks 00:17:56.69\00:18:00.07 can come particularly if you're bending 00:18:00.57\00:18:03.08 forward and sideways. So you have a forward 00:18:03.09\00:18:07.08 plus a twist and that is a, 00:18:07.50\00:18:10.46 a high risk back injury movement. 00:18:10.97\00:18:15.10 So when you pick something up even if you 00:18:15.43\00:18:18.43 just bend over simply to pick up a penny, 00:18:18.44\00:18:20.59 pretend that it was a 100 object and you'll 00:18:22.53\00:18:25.72 pick it up right you'll bend right and so you 00:18:25.73\00:18:28.23 don't put your disk at as much risk, if you're 00:18:28.84\00:18:32.61 lifting to put something into a trunk that can be 00:18:32.62\00:18:36.73 a problem because you're 00:18:36.74\00:18:37.73 at a mechanical disadvantage. 00:18:37.74\00:18:39.58 So what you want to do is put your knees up 00:18:40.32\00:18:43.34 against the bumper, I see, to support you thighs, 00:18:43.35\00:18:47.07 so that when you're doing the lifting you're 00:18:47.43\00:18:51.35 lifting through your body rather than just your back. 00:18:51.36\00:18:57.23 Okay. You know you hear different things like 00:18:58.93\00:19:00.86 slipped disk, bulging disk, this and that 00:19:00.87\00:19:02.85 depending on who you're talking to, 00:19:02.86\00:19:04.11 what do these terms mean? Well, that can be 00:19:05.22\00:19:08.35 confusing to patients because they'll go to 00:19:08.36\00:19:11.35 their maybe their primary care physician 00:19:12.13\00:19:15.20 and he's concerned that they've injured 00:19:15.21\00:19:16.90 their back, he orders an MRI. 00:19:16.91\00:19:19.22 The radiologist sends the MRI report back 00:19:20.00\00:19:23.06 and says it's a herniated disk. Okay. 00:19:23.07\00:19:25.71 so he's told then that he has a herniated disk. 00:19:25.72\00:19:30.09 He's sent to a neurosurgeon or an 00:19:30.82\00:19:32.71 orthopedics surgeon, those are the ones that 00:19:32.72\00:19:34.53 usually do surgery on the back for disk and 00:19:34.54\00:19:38.86 he takes a look at the MRI, takes an examination 00:19:38.87\00:19:42.18 of the patient history and all and he tells him, 00:19:42.19\00:19:46.02 well this is a bulging disk, okay, and he 00:19:46.03\00:19:51.32 and so the patient is confused, one doctor 00:19:51.33\00:19:53.84 told him that it was a herniated disk 00:19:53.85\00:19:56.06 and one says it's a bulging disk, 00:19:57.05\00:19:58.36 and one says it's a bulging. 00:19:58.37\00:19:59.35 But it's the difference of perspective 00:19:59.74\00:20:03.08 any of these a disk doesn't just bulge 00:20:03.47\00:20:07.14 a certain amount come out boom, boom, boom 00:20:07.15\00:20:09.92 and discrete amount, but it can be any 00:20:09.93\00:20:13.04 amount along a continuum. 00:20:13.05\00:20:15.44 And so the question is at what point do you call it 00:20:16.27\00:20:19.75 a frank herniation versus a bulge. 00:20:19.76\00:20:23.73 And so, in my experience a radiologist use it 00:20:24.20\00:20:28.28 based on a measured amount and they'll say 00:20:28.29\00:20:31.79 this is a herniation because it passes 00:20:31.80\00:20:33.80 this amount, okay. But a orthopedic or a 00:20:33.81\00:20:38.42 neurosurgeon will say it's a bulge if he doesn't 00:20:38.43\00:20:43.05 feel it's one that would benefit from surgery 00:20:43.06\00:20:45.52 and if they think it's a surgical bulge 00:20:46.36\00:20:50.84 then they will say it's a herniation, 00:20:51.25\00:20:52.91 so in surgeons in my experience a surgeon 00:20:53.39\00:20:57.96 will differentiate the difference between 00:20:57.97\00:21:01.53 a bulge and a herniation on 00:21:01.54\00:21:04.72 the basis of surgical indications. 00:21:04.73\00:21:06.80 And so that can be confusing to patients 00:21:07.27\00:21:09.02 but really they're saying the same thing, 00:21:09.03\00:21:11.02 they're the same thing. There is no reason 00:21:11.03\00:21:12.87 to be or bulging saying the same thing, 00:21:12.88\00:21:14.79 then slipped, does that mean 00:21:14.80\00:21:16.43 they think one of the bones slipped? 00:21:16.44\00:21:17.79 No you can have slip, the slip disk can be a 00:21:17.80\00:21:20.45 bulge disk, okay, but now there is such a 00:21:20.46\00:21:23.02 thing as a slip in the back and that's actually 00:21:23.03\00:21:27.38 spondylolisthesis where your bones actually 00:21:27.39\00:21:31.32 have some movement and there if it's severe, 00:21:31.33\00:21:35.01 if it's causing nerve damage then you would 00:21:35.31\00:21:37.71 have to have a fusion or at least consideration 00:21:37.72\00:21:41.15 for a fusion, if this process continues. 00:21:41.16\00:21:43.84 Once they slip can they go back on their own? 00:21:44.23\00:21:46.21 In spondylolisthesis no, no, okay. 00:21:47.14\00:21:51.28 Now, in when you're stalking about these 00:21:51.29\00:21:54.56 spondylolisthesis that is where the bone 00:21:54.57\00:21:57.44 is actually moving relative to another 00:21:57.45\00:22:00.68 bone that's seen in a very high frequency 00:22:00.69\00:22:07.68 in professional football players. 00:22:07.69\00:22:09.85 So evidently football is very bad on backs. 00:22:09.86\00:22:13.90 Well I had one of those too, and I'm not a 00:22:13.91\00:22:16.06 professional football player, maybe it's just 00:22:16.07\00:22:17.65 because I am, look like one. 00:22:17.66\00:22:19.27 Okay, what are some of the, what are 00:22:20.17\00:22:22.82 some of the thing that we can do to avoid 00:22:22.83\00:22:24.84 having back pain, having back problems? 00:22:26.21\00:22:28.44 Well surprisingly enough smoking, stopping 00:22:28.45\00:22:32.32 smoking is an important way 00:22:32.33\00:22:33.71 to avoid back problems. 00:22:33.72\00:22:35.19 Smoking increases the risks of disk problem, 00:22:35.58\00:22:38.29 it increases the risk of arthritis in the back 00:22:38.30\00:22:41.24 and it also increases the risk of needing surgery, 00:22:41.95\00:22:46.35 but it has a much poor prognosis if surgery is 00:22:46.36\00:22:52.11 necessary and performed, just from 00:22:52.12\00:22:54.32 smoking, from smoking. 00:22:54.33\00:22:55.42 So the reason is probably related to oxygen 00:22:55.43\00:23:01.27 carrying capacity of the blood so you have 00:23:01.64\00:23:04.19 relative over a long period of time, 00:23:04.20\00:23:06.65 less oxygen then optimal to the back and 00:23:07.01\00:23:09.92 so it increases the problems again overtime. 00:23:09.93\00:23:12.57 So a person should not smoke, 00:23:12.93\00:23:14.94 if they want to avoid back problems. 00:23:15.29\00:23:18.23 So yeah, because I guess the back gets bad 00:23:18.24\00:23:20.21 in the different way then vessels 00:23:20.22\00:23:21.65 so if it's really compromise that really, 00:23:21.66\00:23:24.31 really can affect the bones. 00:23:24.32\00:23:26.40 Well, we can explain it in an interesting 00:23:26.41\00:23:29.82 way out of your back you have blood vessels 00:23:29.83\00:23:35.68 that come straight off the descending order. 00:23:35.69\00:23:41.38 So these blood vessels come straight out and 00:23:42.09\00:23:44.80 that means the blood has to go through an 00:23:44.81\00:23:46.86 acute angle, not a smooth bend but a tight curve, 00:23:46.87\00:23:51.86 and so if there is any atherosclerosis, 00:23:52.86\00:23:56.13 that is if there is any deposits, can't get there, 00:23:56.14\00:23:59.32 that makes a real problem with the blood flow, 00:23:59.33\00:24:03.49 I see, and so your back is going to be the single 00:24:03.92\00:24:07.89 most senses, impact, sensitive 00:24:07.90\00:24:10.98 to vascular programs. 00:24:11.44\00:24:14.50 Wow, even more so than you, maybe your lungs. 00:24:14.51\00:24:17.53 You mentioned some other things that seem 00:24:17.97\00:24:19.41 pretty obvious, obesity, lose 25 pounds. 00:24:19.42\00:24:22.20 Now let me just stop you on that, a pound on the 00:24:22.61\00:24:27.28 stomach is four pounds on the back, 00:24:27.29\00:24:31.30 wow, the reason is there is a mechanical 00:24:31.31\00:24:34.48 lever affect your weight is out in front of you 00:24:34.49\00:24:40.20 and it's moving over a lever 00:24:40.21\00:24:42.62 arm so if you lose one pound, four pounds, 00:24:42.63\00:24:45.72 it's 25 to be 100, if you lose 25 pounds you've 00:24:45.73\00:24:48.53 actually lost a 100 pounds of pressure on your back. 00:24:48.54\00:24:52.12 Wow, well and you think about it the back 00:24:52.98\00:24:56.93 can handle about 1,400 pounds of pressure 00:24:56.94\00:25:02.58 and so obesity can add quite a bit of pressure 00:25:03.02\00:25:09.17 on the back and decrease again your level of safety. 00:25:09.18\00:25:12.49 So get rid of that weight, exercise, we've only 00:25:13.31\00:25:16.16 got about two-and-half minutes but we wanna get 00:25:16.17\00:25:18.13 some hope here so you say don't be angry 00:25:18.14\00:25:20.60 that would be interesting to talk about but angry 00:25:20.61\00:25:22.76 you say specifically related to back pain. 00:25:22.77\00:25:24.87 And the reason is people if they're angry 00:25:24.88\00:25:28.62 and their job involves lifting, they'll angrily 00:25:28.63\00:25:31.79 go down and lift something up they'll jerk, 00:25:31.80\00:25:34.54 okay, and because of that jerk they increase 00:25:34.98\00:25:38.34 their risk of back injury. And then age, you can't 00:25:38.35\00:25:42.55 do anything about that, but try and be healthy 00:25:42.56\00:25:44.89 with your nutrition and all those different things. 00:25:44.90\00:25:47.03 You can lower your speed of aging now. 00:25:47.04\00:25:51.22 Okay, what are some of the things just some 00:25:51.23\00:25:54.20 quick things in about the last two minutes that 00:25:54.21\00:25:56.23 people can do to have this back pain, 00:25:56.24\00:25:57.73 what should they do. 00:25:57.74\00:25:58.71 Well the first thing is walking, walk, 00:25:58.72\00:26:01.37 we've already mentioned that. 00:26:01.38\00:26:02.62 Walking is the single best treatment 00:26:02.63\00:26:04.82 for the back, okay, walk, another 00:26:04.83\00:26:08.55 good treatment for the even of its real 00:26:08.56\00:26:10.88 slow you can't walk very fast walk. 00:26:10.89\00:26:12.47 Well you're better off if you can have some 00:26:12.48\00:26:15.78 faster walking, okay, if you can't tolerate 00:26:15.79\00:26:19.51 walking because of some other arthritic or 00:26:19.52\00:26:22.70 neurologic problems swim, okay swim, 00:26:22.71\00:26:25.41 so these are good exercises for the back. 00:26:25.42\00:26:30.24 Okay, what about surgery you didn't mentioned that? 00:26:30.66\00:26:33.02 Well, surgery it has a very limited place 00:26:33.03\00:26:36.06 but it does have an important place that 00:26:36.42\00:26:38.43 would be if you have a very severe and increasing 00:26:38.44\00:26:42.62 spondylolisthesis that slippage or if you 00:26:42.63\00:26:46.15 have neurologic damage you need to 00:26:46.16\00:26:50.03 remove pressure on a nerve or if you have 00:26:50.04\00:26:52.78 what's called spinal stenosis, that is not 00:26:52.79\00:26:55.72 enough space for the blood, for the nerves 00:26:55.73\00:27:01.23 to go through in the back. 00:27:01.24\00:27:02.78 Posture, posture is an important one; 00:27:02.79\00:27:07.73 it's easier to take care of posture in younger 00:27:07.74\00:27:10.96 people then older because sometimes 00:27:10.97\00:27:12.52 you have fixed posture deficits 00:27:12.53\00:27:14.48 that we can't do too much about. 00:27:14.49\00:27:16.06 One of your favorite text you mentioned here 00:27:16.52\00:27:18.43 also in your notes about angels helping us 00:27:18.44\00:27:21.34 walk correctly, you want to share that? 00:27:21.35\00:27:23.32 Yes, every morning if we trust in the Lord it says 00:27:24.28\00:27:29.19 He portions angels to guide us, as we walk, 00:27:29.20\00:27:33.25 as we go around our daily task and we have angels 00:27:33.71\00:27:37.01 with us and to me that's a wonderful 00:27:37.02\00:27:39.21 blessing that we can trust God for. 00:27:39.22\00:27:41.86 Thank you so much Dr. Mills for joining us 00:27:42.28\00:27:44.00 and I'm glad the angels are with us, 00:27:44.01\00:27:45.87 they can help us not have those problems 00:27:45.88\00:27:48.00 and also the tips you've learned today 00:27:48.01\00:27:49.90 we hope that they're helpful for you and for 00:27:49.91\00:27:51.62 your back or those that you love and as a result 00:27:51.63\00:27:54.68 that you'll have health that lasts not just for 00:27:54.69\00:27:56.36 now, but for a lifetime, thanks for watching. 00:27:56.37\00:27:59.69