People who exercise more than one hour per week have a lower risk of troublesome back, neck, and shoulder pain, says a Reuters Health article based on a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers followed more than 30,000 adults, recording their body mass index (BMI) and how often they exercised at the start of the study and tracked them over 11 years.   

Overall, 1 of every 10 people in the study developed lower back pain, and nearly 2 of every 10 developed shoulder or neck pain. After taking into account participants' age, BMI, whether or not they smoked, and whether they did manual labor at work, the research team found that men who were exercising 2 hours or more per week at the start of the study were 25% less likely to have lower back pain 11 years later, and 20% less likely to have neck or shoulder pain, compared with men who didn't exercise at all. Women who exercised at least 2 hours per week were 8% less likely to develop lower back pain than women who were inactive, and 9% less likely to develop neck and shoulder pain.

Weight also affected the risk of chronic pain later on, says the article. Men who were obese were almost 21% more likely to develop chronic lower back pain than men of normal weight, and 22% more likely to develop neck or shoulder pain. Women classified as obese were 21% more likely to develop lower back pain than women of normal weight, and 19% more likely to develop neck and shoulder pain. 

The good news? Even small amounts of exercise can result in a lower risk of back, neck and shoulder pain.

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We're pleased to announce that Jason Santos, MPT, ATC, OCS, was promoted to Clinic Supervisor at the San Anselmo clinic. In addition, Jason recently passed his national board examination in orthopedic physical therapy, a comprehensive exam requiring over 2,000 hours of clinical practice.

"Jason's leadership skills and experience make him the perfect fit for Clinic Supervisor", said Nick Keitzer, V.P. of Operations. "He's a talented therapist, who is passionate about helping people. In addition, Jason now joins a select group of physical therapists trained to provide the highest level of care for patients needing orthopedic services."

Jason joined SSTM in 2010 as a Physical Therapist focusing on rehabilitative therapy. His previous experience included fours years as an outpatient physical therapist at Presidio Sports & Medicine in San Francisco and one year as an inpatient physical therapist at Kentfield Rehabilitation Hospital.

Jason earned a Bachelor's in Kinesiology as well as a Master's in Physical Therapy from Cal State Sacramento. His main areas of focus include sports-specific conditioning, manual therapy, biomechanics and therapeutic exercise. Jason's responsibilities at the San Anselmo location include managing the clinical aspects of the office, treating patients, overseeing support staff and helping with program development.

Perfect for low back pain and stiffness.  

Level: Beginner

Body Party: Low Back 

Purpose: Correct low back imbalance and restore function

Benefit: Increases flexibility, improves joint range of motion, and improves circulation.  

Starting Position 

Begin on hands and knees on floor. Reach out directly in front, extending arms. Palms should be flat on floor. 

Movement

Slowly sit hips back toward floor dropping head and chest downward as arms extend further. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat five to 10 times. 

For a short video clip of this exercise, click here .