Weekend Warrior Syndrome

It’s full blown summer time here in Cedar City. Recently we had a patient come in who’d spent the weekend pulling weeds and doing yard work, then came into our office feeling sore and stiff in the back and neck. After some muscle work and some different adjustments, he was back to normal and ready to get back to work. He had Weekend Warrior Syndrome. When someone who has a somewhat sedentary job or life gets out during the free time of the weekend and does a lot of physical activity. It’s akin to someone who never works out, then goes to the gym and runs a mile and does a lot of weight lifting. It makes the muscles sore, but there’s a bit more to it than that. When we sit for long periods of time, the flexor muscles of our body get tighter and more stiff, causing more tension on the lower back and the pelvis. Then when you go out and do a lot of physical activity, especially bending forward a lot like with yard work, it causes much more strain in the low back and the pelvis, causing more pressure on the nerves of the low back, resulting in pain. Many of us have been in this position, sometimes ibuprofen helps, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes ice and massage helps, sometimes it doesn’t. When the joints of the back and neck get too restricted, no amount of stretching, massage, or medication will loosen it up. The best thing you can do is to do some stretching, then come in for an appointment. Usually a chiropractic adjustment will help loosen the joints so that ice and stretching is more effective. We’ve had many patients with these exact problems, and adjustments usually help them get out and back to the activity they want to be doing. So next time you’ve been working in the yard, our playing in the outdoors, and you’re having a hard time moving because of pain in the back, hips, neck, or anywhere else, come see us or your local chiropractor, and we’ll help you get back out there. Go live your life, and then come see us!