Are You Living With, Or Worried About, Someone Suffering From Chronic Back Pain?
/Have you ever been told that back pain is just of those things that comes with your job, family, age, sport and daily stress?
Worse, have you been told by your doctor that you have to accept it, take medication, or rest for weeks on end, because nothing else can be done?
If you or a loved one aged 40+, answered “YES” to any of those questions, and have suffered with back pain for longer than 9 days, then please pay attention to what I’m about to share with you. This could help save your job, independence, mobility, family and everything else you hold dear in your life.
The first time you experience back pain, it does not seem to be too bad and typically resolves within a few days with some rest. Over time, it tends to come back more and more often. Not only that, the severity and time to recover increases as well!
It is a shame that so many people think their only option is to “rest” or mask their pain with pills with hopes of the pain just going away.
A few things happen as you start to question whether or not your back will ever feel better:
· Your overall activity level gradually declines, and your body becomes deconditioned.
· You become less mobile, and by default your strength and balance start to decline.
· You miss out on things you love to do. Things like physical activity or just going out and socializing with friends starts to become too much to handle.
I know this all sounds gloomy, but rest assured that I’m going somewhere with this. If you or a loved one are caught in this downward spiral and are looking to take control of your health and regain your independence, I have good news for you: there’s a lot that can be done!
But before I get into the specific strategies that will help you improve your back pain, you need to first understand the 3 KEY MISTAKES you are making.
Rest & Waiting It Out: This is the WORST thing you can do. Why? Because people think they are “healed” the moment the pain is gone. There are changes that happen within your body after each pain episode, which just multiply overtime and make it harder to get better.
Scar tissue forms over the injury causing stiffness and loss of mobility.
Your muscles weaken making you more at risk for further injuries.
Your brain adapts to “avoiding the painful movement” leading to many compensations, which may make you susceptible to other problems.
Settling For A Quick Fix (such as pills or a massage): Most people search for the quick fix, which is perfectly normal if your back pain is new. The problem occurs when the pain comes back multiple times. Here are two important factors when looking for a professional to help you regain your independence.
1-on-1 Sessions. Your problem is unique, and a cookie cutter solution does not work. Listening to your history, concerns and lifestyle are all essential pieces to building an individualized treatment plan for you.
Addressing the actual CAUSE of your back pain instead of masking your pain. It takes a skilled professional to identify and target those underlying factors.
Pushing Through The Pain: Even if you have a high pain tolerance and generally tend to push through the discomfort, this is NOT a solution to your problem. Pain is a signal that tells your body that something is wrong. Ignoring these messages and pushing through can create more problems in the long run. The secret is listening to your body and STILL BEING ACTIVE.
To cap this off, if you’ve suffered from or are currently experiencing back pain, it’s very likely that 2-3 of the things I mentioned above are going on. I truly believe that in order to do the right things moving forward, you have to recognize the mistakes of the past. Stay tuned for more information about how to improve your back pain so you can get back to the things you love.
Ask us about our free 15-minute discovery visit. All we will do is have an honest, open conversation about your health. We’ll listen to your problems, and help you come up with a solution that works best for you.
