What do you do when you have back pain? Do you exercise? Or stay in bed? How do you know what the best thing to do is? Often times when we are in pain, we want a health care provider to fix it as this can help get over the hump of acute pain. However, if you find yourself experiencing recurring back pain, use the situation as an opportunity to learn, grow, and take a more active role in your health and well being.
Here are 3 tips to set yourself up for success:
Become your own best advocate. Do some research on back pain. Talk to a variety of health care providers. Every provider has his/her own slant on back pain prevention. They all have something worthwhile to offer. Check out local lectures on back pain. Many hospital education departments give monthly talks on health issues. And they’re free! Talk to others that have had back pain in the past and learned how to avoid it. What worked for them? Who helped them get over the hump? In terms of gathering information, no one is going to help you as much as you can help yourself.
Move differently. This is the best advice you will ever hear. There is a reason you have back pain and it is not from one sole incident. Back pain most often is the result of repeated incorrect movement patterns that place undue stress on the spine. The spine is only able to tolerate a limited number of bends and twists. You need to learn a different way of moving to avoid repeated pain. What? No bending or twisting? The notion of “super stiffness” is important in retraining the brain first, then the movements. This can be the most difficult part of the back pain journey and you may have to invest in the expertise of a provider who is current on the latest research. And you have to do the work. Remember, as your own best advocate, you are primed and ready to take care of yourself.
Get fit. There is no question that back pain is more common in unfit people. Why not play the odds in your favor and be your own BFF? Start a walking program; its easy and cheap. You don’t need to belong to a gym to get fit. If you don’t know where to start, invest in a personal trainer for a limited time – just enough to get you going. Get a dog. Dogs love going on walks. I know someone who lost 30 pounds because she had to walk her new dog. She became happier and her bad dog became a good dog. In the words of the Dog Whisperer, “…exercise and discipline….” The fun will follow.