5 Critical Mistakes People Make When Trying To End Back Pain
Let’s face it…when back pain strikes, most people are hoping it will clear up on its own in a couple days. For a lot of people, that works out (the first time), but that’s not what today’s discussion is about. Today I’m talking to the people who are still in the metaphorical “FIGHT” with back problems, otherwise known as recurring back pain, worsening back pain or chronic back pain.
We help a lot of people in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s with back problems and one of the first things we want to know about them is what that person has tried so far to get relief. If you’re reading this and you’re one of those people with troubling back pain, I know it’s not from a lack of TRYING to get relief. It’s more along the lines of WHAT you’re doing (or not doing) that’s standing in your way.
To help you along the RIGHT track, here are the TOP 5 mistakes our patients have made along the way, before they’ve come to see us…watch the video below or keep reading.
5. They “Try Stretching”
Right behind going to the medicine cabinet, most people think the next logical thing to do to try and get some relief would be stretching. That’s OK, but how do you know what the proper stretches for your condition would be, if stretching is what you even need at all? We’ve even heard people say they continued stretching even though it hurt, simply because they were told by someone else to keep trying it. Inevitably, “trying some stretches” has not turned out to be the magic bullet for any of our patients.
4. They Stop Moving
Some people tell us the only way they can get relief is by getting into a certain position. If you have to choose between piercing back pain and finding comfort, you’d be crazy not to choose that comfortable position all day long, right? Well, therein lies the problem. If it hurts every time you lean over, walk, squat, pull or lift, you’ll eventually just stop doing all that. When that happens, your body gets stiff and you can expect to start to see a massive decline in your mobility.
3. They Do “It” Anyways
Opposite of being overly cautious is being careless. Being careless and not recognizing your limitations causes setbacks and flare ups. For example, if your husband, wife, son or daughter asks for your help to do something physical, it’s probably not in your nature to say NO. These are the moments that tip off pain, frustration and aggravation more than anything else because people will naturally do whatever they can to help and end up “paying for it” later.
2. They Ignore It
It’s no surprise most people choose to “ignore” their problem and just try their best to carry on with their life. Oddly enough, most people KNOW by now that ignoring a problem will likely end in a bigger problem, YET we do it anyways. If I had $1 for every time I heard “I was hoping it would go away on its own”, I wouldn’t need to work…I’d be cruising the world in a super yacht! Sadly, the hope of waiting doesn’t work out for most people, but instead results in the pandemic of CHRONIC PAIN.
1. Avoid Asking A Specialist’s Advice
This holds a lot of people back. It’s extremely hard to make it to the point of asking for help or advice from a specialist. That’s why all the drug companies who sell creams, pain relievers and advertise various braces for pain relief are multi-billionaires. Between all the opioids being prescribed and surgeries being recommended, it’s never been more important to get to the right person; one who can give you specific back pain advice and spend time helping you understand all your options, so you can decide on the best one with confidence!
That’s what we do here at Tandem PT. We specialize in helping people in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s stay healthy, mobile and active for years to come and empower them to make more informed decisions about their well-being.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the blog and that it’s given you something to think about. It’s important to understand that you’re NOT ALONE and there are plenty of other people around Metairie and Kenner suffering just like you. These “mistakes” if you will, describe the journey of most of our patients before they come see us. It’s our job to help them make better decisions and give them what they need to fix the problem.
If you’re contemplating that first step to “take action”, the best place to start would be to request our FREE GUIDE – 3 Ways to Ease Back Pain & Stiffness While Preventing Flare-Ups And Re-injury.
Request your copy by clicking on the picture below...
