Back Pain Mistake # 4

 

Thinking your pain occurred suddenly for no reason

So, you’ve woken up and can’t get out of bed. Or, you’ve bent over to pick something up or reached behind you to get something from the back seat of the car and suddenly you feel a sharp stabbing pain in your lower back.

It takes your breath away. You can barely move. All your senses are on high alert. Every muscle in your body, it seems, has gone into spasm.

You don’t know what you’ve done. You were fine a few minutes ago and now you’re in such excruciating pain you can hardly move. You’re stuck. What do you do? Who do you go to?

Most Back Pain Doesn't Occur Overnight

In most cases, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and especially sciatica pain doesn’t just happen over- night. It’s usually a process. And, it’s not going to be fixed over-night either (sorry, no quick fixes).

Sara's Story

Here’s an example from a client I have been treating- Sara works as a solicitor. She’s been in that position for 20+ years. 8 hrs, 5 days a week, sitting at a computer.

She came to me with intense pain in her right hip, buttock and radiating down to her calf. Her left shoulder was also starting to give her problems as well. Like most of us, she had felt it over the past few months but didn’t do anything about it, thinking that it would go away on its own. Now, barely able to straighten up, sitting is excruciating, she sought help.

First treatment was spent loosening surface muscles and trying to relieve the pressure on her hip. Her shoulders, neck and arms were extremely tight and tender to work on.

Second treatment, not a lot had changed for her, however, I was able to notice a difference in her muscles. They were slightly looser. I discovered the muscles in her right arm and shoulder felt like a rope as well as the muscles running down to her right hip. After the end of the second treatment, Sara was able to stand straighter without the pain in her lower back and buttock.

Third treatment, Sara came in looking better than I had ever seen her. ‘The pain has gone!!!’ I can bend, twist, sit, stand and it doesn’t hurt.’

Even though the pain was felt in her lower back and buttock, Sara’s real problem was up in her shoulders, particularly her right shoulder from years of siting at a computer.

If I had simply focused on her painful area, in this case her lower back and right buttock, she may have had some relief,  but the pain would have returned very quickly as the muscles that were causing her pain wouldn’t have been released.

So, Sara’s pain had been coming on over quite a lengthy period of time. Her body also responded extremely well to treatment as she was able to notice a change within 3 treatments. She now only needs to come for maintenance treatments anywhere between 4-6+ weeks or unless she starts to feel some discomfort.

This is just one of many examples of clients who I have treated over the years. So often the pain my clients come in with stems from muscle imbalances that can quite easily be taken care of with the prompt action and proper treatment.

Remember, you only have one body so for goodness sake look after it!