"My back pain came back," is one sentence no physician or therapist ever wants to hear.
It's not only bad news for you, for obvious reasons--it's bad news for us because we practitioners take real pride in helping ease someone's pain. So it's disconcerting when weeks, months, or even years later, that pain returns.
What I have found is that there are three primary mistakes people recovering from back pain make which land them back (ha) in my office:
1) They stop paying attention. Most back pain is the cumulative effect of many factors in one's lifestyle. It can take a lot of effort to identify which factors are involved. Ongoing attention to home and workplace ergonomics can go a long way towards keeping one on top of those factors, and keeping you out of trouble. Keep an eye open for the anatomic bombs which may remain in your way.
2) They stop doing their exercises. When I work with patients to alleviate pain, I will often correct their spinal mechanics in my office, and then to give them long-term stability, send them to a physical therapist to get stabilization exercises. Every therapist I have ever worked with has told patients "Do these exercises, every day, for the rest of your life." All too often, once the pain is gone, folks feel they don't need to do them any more, or simply forget about them altogether. Do your exercises!
3) They overdo it. Sometimes, people have been dealing with pain for a long time, and once it's resolved, their first instinct is to jump headfirst back into all of the activities they did prior to the onset of their pain. This is understandable, but can set you up for disappointment. As in all things, moderation should be the rule. Once your pain is under control, slowly reintroduce those activities you wish to resume on a gradual, priority basis.
Being aware of these three mistakes, and doing what you can to avoid them can help keep you out of my office, and oddly enough, that's my goal!
Andrew Kirschner, D.O., is a board-certified physician with a private practice in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and a consultancy in Miami, Florida. He specializes in treating individuals and couples with musculoskeletal and back pain. To learn more about his practice, please visit BackTogether.org.
From: The 3 Big Mistakes Back Pain Sufferers Make Which Keep Them in Pain… « BackWords | 3/1/11 at 10:21 am
[...] Here is the link to my most recent post on Martha Stewart’s Whole Living Daily Blog. This weeks post is on the 3 mistakes many back pain sufferers make when recovering from pain which keep them from ever really feeling great. [...]
From: Edith | 3/1/11 at 9:44 pm
My father suffers from back pain is very intense so his doctor you prescribio of Percocet and Hydrocodone.Por this reason is subscribed to Findrxonline to buy your medications online and get them in time.
From: Backpain | 11/23/11 at 3:29 am
I agree with the 3 mistakes you mentioned.
I believe the best way to manage back pain is to prevent ourselves from getting it in the first place. Most causes of back pain are self-inflicted, such as bad postures during work or sport activities. Change the bad habits and we will be free from back pain.