3 Common Back Pain Questions Answered
By Steve Hefferon, CMT of The Healthy Back Institute
Millions of people struggle with back pain and fail to get lasting
relief and the primary reason is a lack of knowledge and
understanding about back pain.
In our work with over 20,000 back pain sufferers here at The Healthy
Back Institute, we have identified several questions that are common
among nearly all, back pain sufferers. And unfortunately, for many,
these people continue to struggle with back pain because their
questions never get answered or they get the wrong information.
So the purpose of this article is to educate and inform anyone
suffering from back pain by answering these common questions and by
giving specific recommendations and actions to take.
Question #1 - Is my excess weight causing my back pain?
While excess body weight is a factor, it by itself typically isn't
enough to create a condition that would cause back pain. Excess body
weight in the form of excess body fat can worsen a pre-existing
condition and can also make recover more difficult.
Also, it's important to understand that if you are overweight it's
very likely that your muscles are out of balance. When your muscles
are out of balance, it forces your body to function and move in an
unbalanced way and this places uneven pressure, strain and wear tear
on your body. And it's this process that is responsible for creating
any conditions or physical dysfunctions that are causing the pain.
Unfortunately, most people aren't even aware when this is happening
with their body.
Action to take:
Don't worry so much about your weight right now. First focus on
eliminating your back pain by identify the muscle imbalances that
are throwing your body out of balance and work on improving and
correcting them. Then, once your back is feeling better you can
focus more on losing weight.
Question #2 - I've tried everything but nothing has worked, what
should I do?
First off, while it may seem like you've exhausted every possible
treatment, it's not likely that you've tried everything. So unless
you've given up and plan on living the rest of your life in pain,
you need to make the decision to be open-minded and continue to
identify and experiment with other available treatment options. But,
before you try any other treatments, it's important that you
understand why what you've already tried hasn't worked.
The reason nearly all back pain treatments fail to deliver long-term
relief is because they treat just the symptoms and fail to address
the actual, underlying cause. For example, let's talk about back
surgery. While removing a piece of a herniated disc may, if you're
lucky, reduce or eliminate your pain, the fact is it didn't deal
with what caused the disc to herniate in the first place.
In fact, a study published in the June 2004 issue of Spine, an
international journal for the study of the spine, found that 40% of
people who underwent back surgery had no decrease in their pain even
though their doctor/surgeon had assured them of the results.
So in order for you to get long-term, lasting relief you need to
identify and address the underlying cause of your pain.
Action to take:
Identify the underlying cause of your pain by identifying the muscle
imbalances that are creating your physical dysfunctions and
conditions. Make sure any treatment you are given or perform
addresses both the symptoms (condition and pain) and the cause
(muscle imbalances and dysfunctions).
Question #3 - My doctor told me not to exercise, what should I do?
Find a new doctor. Too many research studies have shown that people
with back pain who avoid exercise and activity, end up suffering
longer and have a more difficult time getting relief.
While you may need to rest for a few days initially to let things
settle down, after that you will get better results by staying
active because by continuing to move you keep your blood circulating
and your muscle active, which will prevent them from getting weaker.
But that's not enough.
Even though staying active may help; it's not enough to get rid of
the underlying cause of the pain. In order to do that, you must
identify and address your imbalances and dysfunctions.
And the generic exercises that almost every back pain sufferer
receives from their healthcare professional, may or may not help… it
can even worsen the condition. And the reason is, these exercises do
not address the specific muscle imbalances and dysfunctions that are
responsible for their pain.
Action to take:
If your doctor or healthcare professional hasn't taken the time to
educate about the effect of muscle imbalances and importance of
performing targeted and specific, corrective exercises and
stretches, it's time to look elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the number of healthcare professionals who are
educated and trained in the art of identifying and addressing muscle
imbalances is small and finding one can often be difficult. If you
have trouble finding someone in your area, please feel free to
contact us here at The Healthy Back Institute by calling
800-216-4908 and we'll do our best to help you.
Conclusion
If you're a back pain sufferer, you well know that these are just a
few of the many questions that you may have. The fastest way for you
to get lasting relief from back pain is to become an expert on it
and your body and you do that be educating yourself.
I strongly encourage you to learn as much as you can about back
pain, how it develops and the various treatment options that are
available. And lastly, stay focused and don't give up.
Article courtesy of Steve Hefferon, CMT of The Healthy Back
Institute. You can take advantage of the many available free
resources on their website by visiting
http://www.losethebackpain.com
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