\\'hcn icc, rcst, and anti-inflammatorics fail, doctors oftenthcrapics - cither togethcr or indir.idurally - to treat

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OCCUPATION:

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AcrrvrrrES: Biking, golf, softball

LlOw- lf i!-1PPll5El) The problern startedlast May rvhen lJruce \'Ioore and his brother-inlaw decided to try to play 72 holes ofgolfinfour days. On the l3th holc ofthe third day,

Moore hit a u'edge shot out of a thick rough.When the club hit the grass, it stopped short.Moore's lo*'er body, including his hips, u'entthrough. His back didn't. "I took a hack at it,and the nert thing I knew I felt somethinggi'r'e in mr'lorver back," he says. "I told mybrother-in-lan','I'm done."'

\1'HAT IT F.Ei,T LIKE..Iwasinboatload of pain," savs Moore, n'hohad a stabbing sensation in hislou.er back that spread down hisright leg to thc knee. "It was tothe point that it rr.as almost de-bilitating - I'd sit down for 15

minutes to use the computer andwhen I got up. mv knees rvouldbuckle."

'W lt;tT l{ li'D DONIi Because the painwas spreading to his legs, Moore's injurycould have easily been misdiagnosed as a

bulging or herniated disc. But when Mooresrung the golf club, he had actuallystrained his piriformis, a muscle deep in thebuttock that is in direct contact with * andis often bisectcd by - the sciatic nerve.Whcreas nuscle strains usually cause local-ized pain, an inflamed piriformis can pushon the sciatic nerve and cause severe pain toradiate to the legs.

Ti-I Fl IrlX Moore was o{lered the standardtreatment: a round ofsteroid injections toreduce general inflammation. This helpedfor a while, but in September - with no par-ticular trigger that Moore can recall - thepain recurred. Moore's doctor oliered an-

other round of injections, but Moore,who tries to avoid even ibuprofen,

declined, instead opting for anintense stretching regimenknown as active release tcch-niques (see below). Withinabout five sessions ofARlMoore's pain was almost en-

tirely gone; today Moore con-tinues to use physical therapy to

keep up his strength.

tllrn to thcsc trvomusclc str:rins.

Gear to KeeoYour Back IHealthySUPPORTIVE DESI(cHAIR lfyou can afford onewith lumbar support, like theEmbody from Herman Miller(g t,o g g ; hermanmiller. com),

buy it. lf not, a lumbar pillowlike the McKenzie LumbarRoll (gi|; optp.com) worksnearly as well to properlysupport your back.

FIRf,I MATTBESS A bedthat's too soft won't provideenough support to yourspine, allowing it to sag,which can cause muscle,disc, and joint problems. To

find a mattress with enoughsupport, purchase one wilha "firm" rating.

LOUilGE GHAIR DOCTOTS

agree that a reclined posi-tion allows the back's mus-cles to relax. Any recliner,like the Tracy Leather Re-cliner from Crate & Barrel($ l, 6o o ; cratc andb atre I. com),

will help prevent back pain

while you're kicking backwith a book or watching TV

SOFT SOLES Your every-day shoes should have anicely padded sole. lf theydon't, buy an insert, like apair of Back Pain Relief in-serts from Dr. Scholl's ($19,'

drscholk.com). lf one of yourlegs is longer than the other,your doctor will outfit you

with a special insert to makeup the difference; unevenhips can lead to back pain.

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GR. \51'ON 'I'i:CII\IQL ilGood for both acute ancl chlonic muscle prob-lems, it's a treatmcnt that uscs a speciall.v dc-signed smooth metal tool rubbed harcl into theskin to break up aclhesions in lour rnuscles -sort of like using a metal bar to iron out a u'rin-klcd tablecloth. Graston is clifferent from a

massage because it concs at knots from the sideinstcad ofabovc and can appll considerabh.strongcr force. In sornc cascs, thc goal ofGrastonis actuallv to increase inflanrnration. in arr at-tenpt to folcc the boc\'to go through a full in-flammatorv cycle and heal the injurl'. Search forcertifi ed specialists at Grastontechnique.com.

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rlC'i'llrIi riF, LEAS li'I']i C H NI QUIISThis form ofstretching hclps brcak up scarretland tight tissue to release thc musclcs that arccausing pain. In it, a therapist has the patientflcx the injured muscle, and he or shc helpsglide 1.ou into movements that stretch theclenchccl mr-rscle. Rcsults t1'pically occur rvithinfour or five sessions, but they'rc sometimes im-mediatc. You can find a specialist at Activerelcasc.com, but also ask your doctor or physi-cal therapist ifhe or shc has bcen trainccl inARI'. (Since thclapists ha','e to pay a yearly fccto bc incluclcd in the sitc's directory there aregreat practitioners not on the list.)

APRIL 201O MEN'S JOURNAL

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