For many of us back pain can affect the things we love to do on a daily basis. Looking after the kids , going for long walks and gardening are all things we would like to do without a second thought. However, back pain can affect all these movements being thoughtless and fearless. At first your back starts to feel stiff in the morning after a bad night’s sleep. Then increased stress levels make it feel a little worse. Suddenly, some more warning signs may appear like a sharp pain or a twinge that may settle down with some pain killers.
However, for a lot of people the pain sticks around for longer.
Eventually, things like brushing your teeth in the morning or putting on your shoes become a real struggle. Here is where movements can become really fearful and things like gardening start to be avoided for fear of making things worse.
Our Approach – Steps to Beating Back Pain
- 1 – Understand Your Story
- 2 – Find the True Cause
- 3 – Undo Poor Movement Habits
- 4 – Get Moving Pain Free
- 5 – Build Resilience
Many people still suffering with back pain have tried doctors, chiropractors, physios, massage etc. Sometimes the treatment makes the back feel OK for a short time only for the back to stiffen up after a day or two and the pain returns. Here is where many people make the mistake of just accepting their pain as ‘one of those things’ and putting it down to having a ‘bad back’. It’s very important to find the true cause and stressor of your back pain and take the steps needed for your back to become more resilient so the pain doesn’t return then you can take back control of your movements.
If you are committed to getting off the painkillers, heat and stretching of the painful area merry go round and really find the true cause of your pain then these steps are for you.
Step 1 – Understand Your Story
There will always be a reason for the pain you are experiencing. It is our job to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Even if you have had scans that show wear and tear or some ‘disc degeneration’. Very often this pain experience will be a warning signal to protect these tissues in the back rather than meaning there is significant damage to the body. We know this as many people that are living pain pain free lives will show some signs of wear and tear on their scan with no experience of pain. The body is very durable and can cope with damaged disc etc without needing to give a warning signal if managed the appropriate way
Step 2 – Finding the True Cause and Stressor of your Back Pain
Our aim is the find the true stressor of your back pain and find out what exactly is causing extra stress and pressure on certain parts of the body. For example, if you go touch your toes and you feel back pain, more than likely, your brain is giving you a warning sign that the tissues and muscles of the lower back are doing too much work and putting too much pressure on the painful areas.
When we go to pick something up or touch our toes if the hip and upper back muscles are not doing enough work and helping out the lower back then all of a sudden the lower back is doing too much. Therefore, the lower back gets a little grumpy and sensitised sending the warning message to the brain and the pain becomes noticeable.
The painkillers or massage may make your back feel good initially but when you go to stand or bend again. The same problem arises and the pain sensation returns. Our approach helps you figure out whats is not doing its job well enough so that the lower back tissues can actually relax and reduced the warning signals
Step 3 – Undo Poor Movement Habits
After finding the true stressor and cause of your back pain, we then use the findings to undo some of the movement habits you have developed as a result of being overprotective of your back pain. We combine manual therapies with specific movements to remind the body and the brain what normal and fearless movement looks like for you.
Step 4 – Get Moving towards your ideal Pain Free Outcome
Once the other muscles such as those around the hip, shoulder and ribcage are doing their job correctly then we can get the back to do less work. Everything helps out equally. Our main aim is not only to get people out of pain but to also building resilience to get back to what they love to do. So after addressing the true cause , it is then time to bridge the gap to getting back to movements that are meaningful. We focus less on generic back pain exercise and more on helping you move effortless in positions that build resilience with the whole body helping out
Step 5 – Build Resilience to Prevent it Returning
Here we ensure you have true confidence doing the things you love to do whether that is gardening, playing with the kids or playing high level sports. Our structured approach guides you to progress your movements so the body becomes used to it in a safe manner. Moving better and building resilience takes time but it also ensures that the pain does not return. We show you exactly how and when to progress so that you continue to make progress with each session.
What can you do next?
- Make a list of your previous injuries and anything that may have caused you to experience unwanted stress in your life.
- This will give you a list of contributing factors to your back pain.
- If you are ready to take action and get back to what you love to do pain free – then the fastest way to do that is to let us help you achieve it.
None of this will be possible without taking the first step to understanding the story of your pain experience and linking it to your movement habits now.
Only then can we prescribe the correct treatment and movement plan for you rather than a set of generic exercises.
We have successfully implemented our system to get consistent results and helping people get pain free.
We can help in 2 ways.
Initial Assessment: For people who want to find the true cause and start treatment immediately to get the other body parts doing their jobs quickly.
Free Discovery Session: for those who are a little unsure if we can help them but have a desire to get back to doing the things they love to do but don’t know how.
You can book an Assessment or Apply for a Free Discovery session here.
So if you have tried massage, pilates, injections or a series of painkillers and they haven’t worked then you need to find the true cause of your pain and follow a structured common sense plan.
Call us on +353872740700 or contact us and ask any questions you may have regarding the different treatments.
