When Back Pains Hit, What Do You Do First?
Two close friends of our family ran into severe back pain recently. They were both in their sixties and both active guys. But both saw life come to a standstill as their back pain began to dominate their lives.
Matt found that he was even having trouble just sitting down. And soon he spent most of his time lying down, in bed, on the floor, etc. His wife helped him bringing his mail, meals, etc. Before that Matt would be up at 7, out the door, working in the garden, walking with his dog, or fixing things in his garage.
In desperation he went to the chiropractor and together they began to treat his back, identify causes and help him regain his life.
Jim, on the other hand, also had severe back pain but he had encountered this before. He followed his usual methods of relief with bed rest, hot or cold packs and massage. When nothing seemed to really make the back pain go away he also went to the chiropractor for a diagnosis, treatment and ways to make the pain go away.
After a few months, both Matt and Jim, were back in action. Matt was out walking his job and scooting about town. Jim was going fishing again and thinking about a camping trip. They were moving a little cautiously, following the chiropractor’s advice, and doing the suggested exercises to make sure the back pain did not return. In the process Matt also lost some extra weight and Jim learned some new posture and relaxation exercises. They both learned a lot of respect for their spine and gratitude for their chiropractors.
If you are having back pain don’t wait to see if it will get worse. See your doctor and a chiropractor to pinpoint the problem and find relief. Your chiropractor will help you identify the causes of your back pain and may be able to provide immediate relief with spinal adjustments. After that they can show you ways to protect your back and talk about other issues that may be hurting your back, like extra weight or a lot of slouching. He or she will be able to tell you if you are looking at possible serious back and nerve problems or less serious issues that some changes in habit will correct. Either way, like Matt and Jim, if you have back pain, your chiropractor may be able to help you change everything and put you back on track.