There has been a resurgence of looking at how low back pain is currently treated and that’s a good thing! For years the go to remedy for back pain was surgery or medication, while for some this may work, others are finding success with alternative therapies.
Just to put things in perspective here’s what the American Chiropractic Association states on back pain in the US.
- Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.
- Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
- One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
- Experts estimate that as much as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.
- Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
- Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010.
Whew, probably your back starts to hurt just thinking about all of that!
However, there is hope. A key to success (read healing) is developing your own unique “Team” of practitioners that can support your journey. This team needs to be in place ideally before you are injured and remain with you even after the issue is solved.
Team Members
A support team and tools must work for you and your needs only. Finding the right members will take some trial and error. In my years of working in the health and fitness industry below are potential team members (some people and places) I’ve witnessed support individuals with low back pain.
- Physical Therapist
- Exercise Professional
- Massage Therapist
- Acupuncturist
- Chiropractor or Active Release Treatment Specialist for trouble shooting
- Access to Swimming Pool
- Access to Walking or Hiking Paths
- Place to Relax in Silence
- A qualified individual who can monitor your progress (this can be one of the above)
- Trusted sources for nutritional and food guidance
Why is this important?
Knowing you have a support team in place can assist in shorter recover periods, less mental stress and an overall feeling that you are not alone during a period of injury. Also, while pain relievers such as anti-inflammatory pills may assist in dealing with acute pain, a team is there for the long haul. In addition, set-backs or recurring bouts with back pain are not always the same. For example, one time massage might be just the right antidote, while another time utilizing meditation or other relaxation mode could be the answer since the issue is stress related. Thus, having a team allows you multiple modes of attacking the situation.
Once your team (#1 on priority) is organized here are some tips for ongoing success.
- Organize your team
- Be consistent in your daily routine
- Acknowledge there will be set-backs
- Choose movement over doing nothing when at all possible
- Eat real food at regular meal times
- Figure out what triggers stress and have a game plan
- Long hours of sitting, standing or driving a car need to be interrupted often
Bonus points earned
- Your “team” communicates with each other
- Learn to meditate, take naps or other form of relaxation
- Share your success
How does that play out in reality? This is a true story (approved by the person) without the name.
Person X came to our Pilates’ studio in 2013 after diagnoses of annular tear of disc in lumbar region, and needless to say plenty of back pain. Person X at that time had just started working with a physical therapist (Team Member 1) whom our studio (Team Member 2) partners and communicates with regularly. Out studio was informed of the process and treatment for Person X. The components chosen in addition to 2 times weekly Pilates was a slow gradual build-up of a walking program. Person X found an acupuncturist (Team Member 3) and massage therapist (Team Member 4) to assist in the journey. While not all treatments needed weekly attention, the process was adhered to for the duration and in fact continues. During this journey Person X found support through attending regular Weight Watchers’ meetings. (Team Member 5) The benefits of group support in relation to food and weight were a positive boon for this individual. After a period of time swimming (Team Member 6) was added into the routine for diversity and additional body conditioning. First in the pool was simply walk a lap then swim a lap, then next week make it 2 laps, then 3, till today swimming a mile. During the first year there were a few setbacks, that we managed to work through, identifying stress as one of the biggest triggers to Person X’s back pain. Year 2 fewer episodes. Year 3, pretty much episode free and that episode free is continuing on. There were some ups and downs with weight but here in 2018, Person X is 25 pounds lighter, still working regularly with The Team, with greatly improved mobility, strength and overall body functioning. Now that’s a tribute to Person X’s hard work, dedication and a team effort of practitioners.
Final Thoughts
While you say having all those team members cost time and money. Well last I looked so does medical care. For example, with our current health plan a co-pay on doctor’s visit is $65 and for a specialist even more dependent on the type. And that’s just the co-pay not including the monthly premium.
Our public pool charges $6 per visit and you can even pay cheaper if you buy a monthly card. Walking and hiking outdoors in most parks in California is free. Yes, exercise be it Yoga, Pilates, Massage, Acupuncture and a gym membership or other alternative work has fees. Some individuals can utilize their flexible spending accounts to supplement exercise and or massage and acupuncture treatments. Otherwise it’s a question of prioritizing and figuring out how to best utilize your resources.
When I was a young budding dancer living on an extremely tight budget in New York City I managed to have a team. At that time, I had a waitress job on the weekends to help support my dance career. I put aside a certain portion of my tips every weekend to pay for Pilates, Massage, other bodywork and my swimming pool membership. The old coffee can of change turned out to be one of the best investments I ever made.
“PATIENCE and PERSISTANCE
are vital qualities in the ultimate successful
accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor. “
Joseph H. Pilates
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