Reports show that

• 57% of school kids have back pain. (1)
• 54.6% of elderly patients have chronic back pain. (2)
• 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in life. (3)

The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of exercise (moderate to vigorous intensity) a week. That's just 30 minutes a day for 5 days. This is in addition to usual activities of daily living. (4) Why? People the world over are living more and more sedentarily. Are you? Most likely. Richmond life keeps us busy and going, but not always going on our feet and moving forward. Our bodies are built to be used.

But don’t be too discouraged if you’re sedentary. You’re not alone! It seems fewer and fewer of us enjoy exercise! And this isn’t just the trend in Richmond. It’s written that physical inactivity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries. Such sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity are leading causes of death and risk factors for chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoposis. (4) Johnson Chiropractic always makes sure to discuss your lifestyle during the examination to monitor risk for such diseases. Plus Johnson Chiropractic may nudge you a bit to exercise!

Now, in older folks, the prevalence of chronic pain was 52.8%. In that group of people, 35.4% had pain in the lower limbs. 29.5% had pain in the low back. 54.6% of them had the worst pain intensity. Such chronic pain leads to a worse self-perception of health, more chronic diseases, and joint disease. (2) You don’t want that. Johnson Chiropractic doesn’t want to see that but recognizes this trend in the Richmond population as well.

So what can be done to curb this trend? Get moving. Johnson Chiropractic encourages gentle movement for those who can only do that and pushes for more intense exercise for those Richmond back pain patients who can handle it, young and old. Researchers write that exercise, whether core stability or general exercise, helps stabilize the low back and reduce pain. (5) Johnson Chiropractic offers simple exercises to Richmond chiropractic patients. If these are mastered and you want a more intense workout, Johnson Chiropractic will be ecstatic to work with you to develop that.

For now, reach out and contact your Richmond chiropractic physician at Johnson Chiropractic today to set up an exercise program designed for your needs and abilities.