Happy Friday everyone! So far, we’ve learned that…
- Disc herniations can heal on their own
- The worse it is, the more likely it is to fully heal
- Abnormal findings (herniations, bulges, extrusions, etc.) are actually pretty normal! The older we get, the more likely we are to have them with ZERO pain at all!
- There is never a single-cause for back pain. Pain itself is multifactorial
Understanding that pain has many factors means we actually aren’t helpless. We can take control our situations and directly affect our pain outcomes. This realization alone can already help with symptoms for so many people.[i] We use an acronym, SNAPS, to remember these other factors. SNAPS has been proven to directly affect pain and pain management.[ii]
Smoking
Alcohol
Nutrition
Physical Activity
Sleep, Stress, Social community
Although all of these factors are extremely important (most of the time it’s the least obvious ones that are the hidden culprits to stubborn pain) we’re going to focus on physical activity. If you want your body to feel better, feel your body move better!
Balance exercises count as strengthening too![iii]
If you’re not meeting these weekly guidelines, don’t feel bad! When I first recommend this to patients, the initial discouragement slowly turns into hope because we find a key area to address. If we couldn’t find any areas of your life to address and you were still dealing with your pain experience, we would be in a much worse position. Start slow and use these recommendations as future goals. Don’t compare yourself to others, because you should be proud of yourself even if you’re adding an extra 5 minutes of exercise this week compared to last week.
We have some new research showing us that full body strengthening may be more beneficial than only working on the muscles near your painful regions.[iv] If low back exercises hurt but shoulder exercises feel good, then keep working on the shoulder! It can still help!
When we peel away the layers of your pain, we find so many things within your control that can help your situation.
As we wrap up our final installment of We’ve Got Your Back, let’s ponder the words of Mike Hage, who I believe was light-years ahead of his time, when he gave us this beautiful quote:
Painful things are not the enemy, but the signal – announcing that it’s time to change, to improve, to heal, and to embrace life – Mike Hage, MSPT 1954-2000
I’ve had a lot of fun with this series and I can’t wait until the next one. I know this information can be a game-changer because it changed my life when I first started this knowledge journey years ago. If you’re in the area and looking to build a bigger cup and treat the source of your pain, then reach out to us! Let’s get you back to what you NEED and LOVE to do! Here at Prosper we know movement is always part of the equation. Let’s work together to find an achievable plan that works for you!
- Dr. Christian Bechara, PT, DPT
[i] Cano-García, F. J., Rodríguez-Franco, L., & López-Jiménez, A. M. (2013). Locus of control patterns in headaches and chronic pain. Pain research & management, 18(4), e48–e54. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/424839
[ii] Li, Y., Pan, A., Wang, D. D., Liu, X., Dhana, K., Franco, O. H., Kaptoge, S., Di Angelantonio, E., Stampfer, M., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2018). Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies in the US Population. Circulation, 138(4), 345–355. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.032047
[iii] American College of Sports Medicine (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 41(3), 687–708. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670
[iv] Searle, A., Spink, M., Ho, A., & Chuter, V. (2015). Exercise interventions for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical rehabilitation, 29(12), 1155–1167. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215515570379
What’s in Your Cup? Courtesy of Greg Lehman
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