Brad Shapero, D.C.

Between 80% and 90% of the general population will experience an episode of lower back pain (LBP) at least once during their lives. When it affects the young to middle-aged, we often use the term "non-specific LBP" to describe the condition. The geriatric population suffers from the “aging effects” of the spine—things like degenerative joint [..]

Low back pain (LBP) is VERY likely to affect all of us at some point in life. The question is, do you control IT or does IT control you? Here are ten “tricks” for staying in control of “IT!” 1) STRETCH: When you’re in one position for a long time (like sitting at your desk), [..]

Most of us have suffered from back pain at one time or another. It often occurs after over-doing a physical task, like fall yard work, winter snow shoveling, working on the car, cleaning the house, and so on. But there are times when identifying the cause of back pain can be difficult or impossible. Let’s [..]

Spondylolisthesis, or a slipped vertebra (as opposed to a slipped disk or herniated disk), describes when one vertebra slips or slides forwards on the vertebra below, which can occur for a number of reasons including getting older (“degenerative spondylolisthesis”) or trauma (from a fracture in the back of the vertebra called the “pars interarticularis”). Additionally, [..]

Did you know that 50-72% of women have low back pain (LBP) and/or pelvic pain during their pregnancy but only 32% do something about it? Let’s look closer! Pregnancy-related low back pain (PLBP) can be a highly debilitating syndrome that accounts for the most common cause of sick leave for pregnant women. In 2004, Americans [..]

Low back pain is a very common complaint. In fact, it’s the #1 reason for doctor visits in the United States! The economic burden of LBP on the working class is astronomical. Most people can’t afford to be off work for one day, much less a week, month, or more! Because of the popularity of [..]

Last month, we discussed common causes of back pain including mattresses, shoes, diet, exercise, and posture. Here are some additional considerations… 6. OFFICE CHAIR: Because of vast differences between people’s height, weight, body type, and preference, it’s difficult -- if not impossible -- to find a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to office chairs! In [..]

It’s been said that if you haven’t had back pain, just wait, because (statistically) some day you will! The following list is a list of "causes" that can be easily "fixed" to reduce your risk for a back pain episode. 1. MATTRESS: Which type of mattress is best? The “short answer”: there is no single [..]

A major manufacturer of workstations reports that 86% of work computer users have to sit all day, and when they do rise from sitting, more than half (56%) use food as the excuse to get up and move. In addition to sitting at work, for meals, and commuting to/from work, 36% sit another one to [..]

When thinking of low back pain (LBP), one may visualize a person half-bent over with their hand on the sore spot of their back. Since many of us have experienced low back pain during our lifetime, we can usually relate to a personal experience and recall how limited we were during the acute phase of [..]