The Back Pain Podcast

Rob and Dave are with Prof. Stuart McGill a world-leading expert in spine and back pain. He takes a different approach to other clinicians and through assessment and identifications of patterns is able to test very specifically to identify the problem. People often think that back pain is something you have to live with but in this episode, Prof. McGill discusses why a detailed assessment and understanding lifestyle and the pain patterns is key in being able to make a precise diagnosis and create hacks that make the difference. This is a fascinating and detailed insight into how Professor McGill works and why it’s so successful, with great content and value helping anyone to understand more about their backpain and the positive ways forward.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The primary cause of back pain is a stress concentration that exceeds the tolerance of that particular area. People create stress concentration by the repetitions of activities that they complete. If you have no load and no stress your body doesn’t thrive, you need an optimal amount of loading and stress but you cannot cross the tipping point We create a very precise understanding of the problem and then look to build hacks to get around the issue. We stop using the problem area to desensitise it then work to build it up to meet the required demand. The spine is a flexible rod but when we carry load on it the demand changes and its necessary to use the support of the three-dimensional muscle girdle. There are different layers of stability and there is always an appropriate stability for what you are doing. The key is to coach the client to achieve sub-clinical symptoms. Back pain changes as the tissues evolve and adapt.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Biology takes time for adaptation’ ‘We use pattern recognition to converge on exactly what to test’ ‘We investigate the person’s life to see if their body can meet the demands of their life’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain Podcast Backfitpro website The Back Mechanic - Stuart McGill Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance - Stuart McGill http://www.isaec.org/uploads/1/3/1/2/13123559/newsletter_11.pdf   ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave Elliot Dave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him. -Instagram   Rob Beaven Rob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better. -Instagram -Twitter   CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.comSupport the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

In this episode, Rob and Dave are with Tom White, Chiropractor and they are sharing the best hacks that can be used on a regular basis for back pain. These tips and tricks can be incorporated into your daily routine to help with the daily activities and routines that everyone has to complete. These life hacks for back pain will help you to manage the pain and are the recommendations that Rob, Dave and Thom share most often with their own patients.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Using a bin bag on your car seat allows you to pivot on the car seat, means there is less friction on your lower back. Using a 90-degree angle when getting up from the bed will help alleviate back pain. Getting in early movement and steps will reduce stiffness and early morning back pain. When you are playing golf check what’s in your bag before you begin playing and only take what you actually need. If you are a golfer doing a reverse swing as part of your warm-up can help with stiffness. Change the position you sneeze in by arching your back. Use the wall to lean on when cleaning your teeth so that your hand reaching forward to the wall takes some of the strain. Bring your foot up towards your knee to help you put socks and shoes on. When standing in a queue adopt a split stance with your feet, one foot slightly in front of the other. Everyone is different and their back pain will be different so you need to do what is right for you.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Getting in and out of cars is a big deal if you suffer from back pain’ ‘Listening to your body is very important’ ‘Try and change the way you do the activity’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain Podcast   ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave Elliot Dave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him. -Instagram   Rob Beaven Rob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better. -Instagram -Twitter   CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.comSupport the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

In this short but sweet episode of The Back Pain Podcast, Rob and Dave debunk the myth of bed rest and explain why it's not the best form of recovery! ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave Elliot Dave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him. -Instagram   Rob Beaven Rob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better. -Instagram -Twitter   CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.comSupport the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

Rob and Dave are  inside the treatment room in this episode discussing the most frequently asked questions about back pain and sharing great answers and advice. ‘Does carrying extra weight result in back pain?’ Hear about causation and correlation and why it’s not true that additional weight causes back pain but there is correlation and the changes made to positively impact on weight will also impact on back pain.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Correlation is two things happening at the same time. Causation is where one thing will directly affect another. Back pain is not caused by weight but back pain and weight gain often go hand in hand because of a lack of activity. Back pain can be the result of a lack of activity. Weight gain can be the result of a lack of activity. Back pain and weight gain have a correlation to each other. To reduce weight an individual can undertake movement activity and this will also positively impact on back pain. The two are linked by a common factor but they are not directly caused by one another.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Correlation is when it’s likely that two things will happen at the same time’ ‘Being swallowed up by the sofa watching Netflix reruns will certainly aggravate your back but getting back to the gym will decrease back pain and your weight’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain Podcast Free Sciatica guide: www.thebackpainpodcast.com     ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave Elliot Dave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him. -Instagram   Rob Beaven Rob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better. -Instagram -Twitter   CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com  Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

In this episode, Rob and Dave are talking about back pain and strength with Dominic May, a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with sportspeople around the world and is currently best known as the Arsenal Academy’s strength and conditioning coach. Dominic explains exactly why it’s vital to have balance in the body and how strength underpins every movement, enabling the individual to effectively hold a core position and complete all other actions and movements. Dominic provides a fascinating insight into his work with athletes and shares his wealth of knowledge about how you can improve your strength and condition at home.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Strength underpins all athletic movement and athletic skills it allows you to hold a core position and then pivot, move and complete an action such as kicking The body works as a connected system what happens in the back impacts elsewhere. If there is an issue in a particular joint or muscle the body will compensate elsewhere. If a bone has too much load it can result in a stress injury so load management is crucial. We break down an athletes movement pattern into dicentric and concentric qualities. What is the force they can absorb and tolerate and what is the force they can produce? If you have a role that involves you working in an asymmetric way it’s important for long term health to undertake exercise to bring balance across the body. Core training should include; -Moderate force endurance training designed to stabilise the spine -High force static training -High force transference training It’s all about multi-plane exercise – front, back and sides and anyone can use these principles to improve their strength.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Players are getting stronger and fitter every year’ We typically want asymmetric symmetry to be less than 10% ‘It’s vital to have balance in the body’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain PodcastFree Sciatica guide: www.thebackpainpodcast.com  Dominic May LinkedIn   ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave ElliotDave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him.-Instagram   Rob BeavenRob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better.-Instagram -Twitter CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com  Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

Note: In the episode Daniel is introduced as 'Assistant Professor', this is incorrect. His official title is 'Associate Professor Dr Daniel Belavy'. We aplologise for this innacuracy.  Dave and Rob are with Associate professor Daniel Belavy, one of the authors of a new paper recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine which addresses the ultimate question ‘What exercise should I be doing for my lower back pain?’ They discuss how network metanalysis was used to compare different types of exercise and the parameters that mean this research can be effectively used to understand which type of exercise should be undertaken by those with chronic back pain. KEY TAKEAWAYS We used a methodology analysis called network metanalysis to compare different types of exercise. This research focused entirely on bringing together studies that were about exercise as a treatment for lower back pain. The mode of exercise varied from Pilates, stabilisation, to stretching and extension work. Active exercise therapies are likely to be the most beneficial for back pain Helping people to reduce their fear of movement is a big part of the journey to recovery. Building confidence is part of the process in the treatment of back pain. The analysis focused entirely on comparing active exercise treatment data in relation to chronic non-specific lower back pain. The results of the study indicate that modes of exercise such as Pilates, resistance, aerobic, and stabilisation are the best types of exercise to undertake for lower back pain. BEST MOMENTS ‘People don’t realise what goes into studies of this scale’ ‘There are no exercises that are harmful for the body’ ‘Active exercise therapies are likely to be the most beneficial for back pain’ VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain PodcastFree Sciatica guide: www.thebackpainpodcast.com  Link to the paper described  https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2020/06/15/bjsports-2020-102024 Free to download paper   http://bit.ly/BJSM-NMA ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave ElliotDave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him.-Instagram   Rob BeavenRob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better.-Instagram -Twitter CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com  Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

Tom Jesson is a physio who has a particular interest in sciatica and in this episode, he explains exactly how your nervous system works and what sciatica is. He chats to Rob and Dave about perceptions and what you can do if you have recent onset sciatica along with the possible ways forward for those who experience chronic sciatica. Tom shares detailed but very accessible information about sciatica and what to do in this episode packed with valuable content.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The Sciatic nerve is the large nerve that runs down the back of the leg and the term sciatica is used to describe any pain connected with this nerve. All the nerves in your body are connected in a network and are very strong but also very sensitive. Once a part of your nervous system is sensitive then a range of different things can cause pain. The pain that people experience can be very different. Radicular pain is a term used to describe nerve root pain. Radiculopathy refers to a problem with the nerve root that stops it working properly A nerve tells you what is going on in the world but if it is irritated or damaged it may not send the signal. It also sends signals down from your brain to activate functions in the body. Loss of function can be caused by damage to the nerve. If someone has recent onset sciatica then it’s important to be optimistic because the body will heal if you look after your general health. Movement is good for the body and nourishes through increased blood flow to all areas.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Even if you are in pain it’s important to keep moving’ ‘It’s important that patients keep a journal so that success can be tracked over time’ ‘Give your body the right environment to get better’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain PodcastFree Sciatica guide: www.thebackpainpodcast.com  Tom Jesson Twitter Tom Jesson Sciatica Newsletter   ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave ElliotDave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him.-Instagram   Rob BeavenRob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better.-Instagram -Twitter CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com  Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

Sam Spinelli is a hugely experienced strength and conditioning therapist based in Canada and in this episode, Rob and Sam explore some of the commonly held myths about back pain and its causes as they discuss posture, position, flexion and stretching. Sam shares some great practical tips about movement and exercises that will have a positive impact along with detailed information about the research and data behind the work that he undertakes with his clients.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Posture is multifactorial there are many reasons why you may be in a particular position or postures. Different positions and postures regulate the stress on different tissues. The times where stress exceeds the capacity of the tissues is the time when an individual experiences pain. Changing posture can be about relieving stress on tissues and as humans, our bodies thrive on changing posture frequently. In the workplace, there is no particular posture that is more likely to cause back pain. When you lift the effects are determined by your familiarity with the position and posture and how often you are in that posture. Your spine adapts to what you are doing. You have to bend and flex as part of daily movement so preparing to do it can be beneficial. Slow repeated movements can improve flexion. There are options that provide better results than static stretching. If you are looking to achieve a meaningful lengthening of muscle resistance training is the best option.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Start crushing life’ ‘A static bent posture does not show a consistent relationship with more back pain’ ‘Often there is a lot more to peoples posture than just a worry about back pain’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain PodcastFree Sciatica guide: www.thebackpainpodcast.com  Link to article here. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/lumbar-flexion/Instagram handles @citizenathletics1@dr.samspinelli E3R3HAB   ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave ElliotDave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him.-Instagram   Rob BeavenRob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better.-Instagram -Twitter CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com  Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

We chat to Jack March, a Specialist Rheumatology Physio about his role in practice as an Advanced Level Physio at Nuffield health, alongside that he is also Project lead of The Physio Matters Podcast and has lectured extensively on Rheumatology, arthritis and Inflammatory Back Pain. In this episode, we chat about what Arthritis actually is and the ways in which exercise and lifestyle can help to optimise your body system. It’s a huge topic and Jack shares some great advice about joint inflammation what any individual can do to optimise and access the right resources at the right time.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The term arthritis means joint inflammation, Osteoarthritis is the most common form with the joint ageing over time. Anything that increases the resting level of inflammation slightly to a higher level will then accelerate the age-related changes to your joints. Everyone’s joints deteriorate but it is individual in terms of when it happens and whether there is pain and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis isn’t about developing a disease it’s about altering the speed of the normal ageing experience. You have to take people on their individuality and if you have pain the treatment is the same as the treatment to reduce the risk of it happening. Your genetic component is linked to your predisposition and pain threshold response. If the issue isn’t keeping you awake at night and it isn’t reducing the distance you can walk to a great degree that is restrictive then a joint replacement is not the right solution. You need to optimise your body system and exercise is anti-inflammatory in its own right. The biggest change comes in changing the body system through exercise, dietary and lifestyle choices. Exercise has many beneficial effects including; the anti-inflammatory component, improvement of the joint and weight loss. The short term fixes don’t work whilst the longer-term fixes do work you just need to be consistent and persevere. If your symptoms are mild then seek early advice from a healthcare professional who can help you on the right path moving forwards   BEST MOMENTS ‘Some people can have a small change to the joint and lots of pain whilst others could have a large change to the joint and very little pain’  ‘There are 5 types of different arthritis but hundreds of different conditions that can cause it’ ‘It’s always about treating the person’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain PodcastFree Sciatica guide: www.thebackpainpodcast.com  https://rheumatology.physio   https://nass.co.uk   ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave ElliotDave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him.-Instagram   Rob BeavenRob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better.-Instagram -Twitter CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com  Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com

In this episode, Jack Barton, who works in construction and is also a CrossFit Coach shares his experience of surgery and recovery. After his back injury impacted on the movements he could make and he took the decision to have Microdiscectomy surgery to resolve the issue. He discusses the process leading up to the decision and the surgery along with what it was like in the 6 week initial recovery period and beyond. This is a good opportunity to hear from someone who has been through a surgery, undertaken the rehabilitation and returned to an exercise regime successfully.   KEY TAKEAWAYS CrossFit is functional based training and includes weights, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning so the movements are varied I tried physio and went through 2 rounds of injections which had little impact and were uncomfortable before deciding on surgery. It was challenging to accept the need to have surgery and know that as an active person I would have to go through a 6-week recovery period with a restricted exercise regime. The course of physio was based on stretches and as a fit person, I was able to successfully move through the recovery sequence fairly quickly. My biggest fear when I started to exercise again was that there would be a relapse. I took things slowly and benefitted because I was healthy and had a high level of fitness, I also understood my body and knew how to move. I’m 85% better than I was and if I could adhere daily to the stretching and other exercises I would be even better. Good body awareness makes a huge difference along with understanding how to move and stretch your body. If you are considering surgery you need to understand that the better you go into surgery the better you will come out of it.   BEST MOMENTS ‘I knew the difference between gym aches and pains and pain or an ache that is an indicator of something to worry about’ ‘You don’t have to stop doing exercise you just have to vary what you are doing’ ‘You have to go into surgery as strong as you can’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain PodcastFree Sciatica guide: www.thebackpainpodcast.com    ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave ElliotDave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him @ hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him.-Instagram   Rob BeavenRob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better.-Instagram -Twitter CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com  Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com