Why doing “all the right things” can make your back pain worse
Low Back Pain
May not be as scary as it seems
I sit across the treatment table with really awesome humans everyday. I’m one of the lucky people who gets to see people’s lives changed by the simple flow of my day. I don’t take that lightly.
Last week, I was talking with a patient who was really proactive. He had seen his primary care doc within a week of the flare and had already scheduled out a visit with pain management and an MRI just in case. His chief complaint was the dreaded low back pain. This was new for him. Late 20s, lifts regularly and this experience of his back “going out” was scary.
After a full Physical Therapy exam to rule out red flags, we were able to determine that his back pain was not coming from structural damage in his back. That was great news.
In the weeks since the flare started, he had begun an aggressive stretching routine, was reluctantly using muscle relaxers to sleep and spending lots of time with ice on his back. He was doing exactly what google and social media will tell you to do for “low back pain.”
But here is what was actually happening in his body. He was initially probably dealing with a muscle spasm due to lifting something in a funny way. Possibly even a muscle strain. The brain perceived that lift as a threat and triggered a guarding pattern. The resulting tension began to irritate the lumbar nerve root. The system then released inflammatory chemicals to try to “heal” what was never even injured…just irritated.
Instead of letting this healing cycle to calm through heat, vibration and gentle movement, conventional advice was actually keeping the back flare active.
Stretching was irritating the nerve root. (Nerves HATE stretching especially when they are sensitive).
Ice was irritating the peripheral nerve endings. (Sensitive nerves get MORE sensitive when they are exposed to extreme cold.)
Total Rest was preventing the gentle rhythm of walking from helping the spine muscles reset and relax.
His body wasn’t failing him, it was protecting him.
Next time you have a back pain episode and more serious things ruled out by a qualified Physical Therapist(DPT), D.O. or M.D., remember that if it is a medical emergency; don’t wait. However, if it is a standard flare, the “Rest, Ice, Stretch” protocol is likely your enemy, not your friend.
Stop stretching the protective mechanism and start signaling safety to the nerves.
If you want help applying this to your body, you can book here. (Zoom + Conroe TX sessions available).
