Drs. Tania Howard
& Marissa Wallie
Family Chiropractors
530 College Parkway, Suite F
Annapolis, MD 21401
401-349-2727
Our Backs
are Under Attack
by Mary Grace Gallagher
This article was originally published in the May 16, 1999 issue of The Sunday
Capital
Tania Howard, spine mechanic, chiropractor to the stars, has a backache.
No, she can't lift either of her 30-pound daughters, which is how she strained her back in the first place.
No, she can't squeeze in one more patient this morning.
No, the doctor is not in.
"So this is what it's like," said Mrs. Howard of Annapolis, who adjusts the likes of magician David Copperfield when he's in Baltimore. "How am I going to get through the day?"
How indeed? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries and illnesses. Most sufferers muddle through their days in pain, gulping Tylenol and rearranging pillows on their bed, sofa, car seat and office chair. A small percentage must seek medical care ranging from physical therapy to surgical removal of portions of their lumbar disks.
Those who look for help outside the medical community will find a small army of retailers and alternative health-care providers ready to assuage, if not massage, their aches and pains.
Although magnet therapy, spinal manipulation and acupuncture have all made inroads in mainstream medical care in recent years, the first step in an effective treatment plan is prevention.
Proper posture in standing, sitting, sleeping, lifting, walking and exercise helps keep the lumbars loyal.
At JoAnne's Bed & Back Shop in the Annapolis Harbour Center, shoppers can peruse and purchase all kinds of posture supports aimed at keeping the spine in proper alignment.
Of the portion of the population that suffers from back pain, shop owner Joanne Shatz estimates that 90 percent don't need a doctor as much as they need to sit up straight.
"It used to be you'd see the 40-and-up crowd come in with an injury," said Mrs. Shatz, who opened her first back-care shop in Bethesda in 1978. Last year, her 16 shops did more than $7.5 million in sales. "Today, it's everybody," Mrs. Shatz said. "I think the computer has done it."
The computer is a major culprit in back pain, said Mrs. Howard, who noted that 85 percent of new patients come in because of neck or back pain. Other major causes include pregnancy, sleeping on one's stomach, car wrecks and heavy lifting.
But the body also can use the spine to send out signals of arbitrary distress, Mrs. Howard said. That's why she always asks her patients about stress in their personal lives, drinking, eating and exercise habits.
"You have to take responsibility for you're own health," Mrs. Howard said. To that end, she usually sends her patients away with an exercise plan intended to build muscles in the lower back.
"Believe me, I know now, until your back is in pain, it's easy to take it for granted," she said.