Has Back Pain Put a Kink in Your Daily Routine?

By Tracy Simons | Silver Cross Hospital

According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old. More than 26 million Americans between the ages of 20-64 experience frequent back pain. The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) at Silver Cross Hospital is offering a lecture on eliminating back pain that will educate area residents on how to do so.

[ A Sponsored Feature by Silver Cross Hospital ]

Dr. Andrew L. Hendrix, medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) at Silver Cross, will present this Aches & Pains program titled: Banishing Back Pain without Surgery, on Tuesday, Dec. 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Silver Cross Hospital Conference Center, Pavilion A, 1890 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox. This FREE program will explain the common causes of low back pain and provide options on how to live better without surgery.

To register, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325). Those who attend will receive a Gift Bag valued at $125 that includes complimentary joint, back or pain screening performed by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician from The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at Silver Cross, and other items to help individuals stay active.

“It is a complex process to determine whether the cause of your back pain is muscular or spinal, so people need to see a physician right away to determine the right treatment,” says Dr. Andrew L. Hendrix, Jr, Medical Director for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at Silver Cross Hospital.

Tips to relieve back pain include:

• Poor posture can make back pain worse, especially if you sit for long periods. Sit upright, with your body supported against the back of your chair.
• Sleep on your side. Place a pillow between your knees to keep your spine in a neutral position to relieve strain on your back.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers frequently help with back pain: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen. Talk to your physician before taking pain relievers since side effects can occur.
• Moderate exercise can actually relieve back pain quickly. Try yoga or walking.

About Dr. Andrew Hendrix

Andrew L. Hendrix, Jr., M.D. FAAPM&R, is the Medical Director overseeing all inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services offered throughout at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) at Silver Cross Hospital. Dr. Hendrix brings more than 15 years of physical medicine and rehabilitation practice experience to RIC at Silver Cross.

He leads RIC’s acute inpatient rehabilitation program at Silver Cross Hospital as well as at Silver Cross outpatient therapy facilities located at in Pavilion A on the hospital campus, 1890 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox; 250 E. Maple St. in New Lenox; 1051 Essington Rd. in Joliet; and the newest clinic at 12701 West 143rd in Homer Glen.

Dr. Hendrix is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and Pain Medicine. He is an assistant professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Hendrix completed a combined residency in internal medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Albert Einstein Medical Center and Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

His office is located with Hinsdale Orthopaedic Associates, 1900 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox. To schedule an appointment, call (815) 300-2911.