If you’re currently living with back pain, it might be the case that you aren’t sure exactly what caused it. You may have had back pain before which went away on its own and you thought it would do the same this time too.
However, if you’ve suffered from back pain for over 2 weeks and it isn’t showing any signs of improvement, it could be because of one of the reasons on this list. Read on to learn the common reasons why many of the people we see weren’t getting better before they came to see us!
#1 – They assumed their back was going to get better on its own (if they’ve suffered for over 2 weeks)
The NHS states that 80% of people who suffer from back pain will experience recovery within 2 weeks.
Unfortunately, this still leaves 20% of people who AREN’T better after this time period.
What makes it worse is that almost ALL the information out there for people with back pain – such as YouTube videos, exercises and free guides – only serve the 80% who were going to get better anyway, regardless of what they do!
So, the 20% who are still no better search online for exercises, generic advice and guidance and find themselves STUCK!
Angry, frustrated and, most importantly, no better.
When back pain has gone on for a number of weeks without improvement, it’s important to start making some changes.
The reason is this: when your body has been in pain for a number of weeks, your brain and nervous system start to CHANGE.
These changes cause your nerves to get “fired up” more easily, meaning you feel pain at a much lower threshold each day. This becomes a vicious circle of more pain, more stiffness, less activity, and on and on.
#2 – They thought that it was “just due to their age” and that they “need to accept it”!
There is a huge number of people we see each week that tell us that their back pain is “just due to their age” after hearing this from a friend, family member, or worse, a DOCTOR!
Although back pain is more common the older you get, an episode of back pain should NOT lead to a life sentence!
ALL ages have a significant chance of improvement, provided they get the RIGHT guidance and do the RIGHT things to allow their back to recover.
#3 – They tried YouTube exercises which made their pain WORSE!
A lot of the clients we work with tried to make a conscious effort to help themselves before they came to see us by logging onto YouTube and searching for “Back Pain Exercises” or something similar.
They diligently perform these YouTube exercises, “Pilates and Yoga for back pain”, “stretching the legs”, or “strengthening the core” every day for a few weeks, only to find that each exercise makes their pain WORSE!
Does this sound familiar?
Trying exercises at home is a really sensible idea when taken at face value, but it’s a complete minefield trying to choose ones that won’t make your problem worse!
We once had a client who came in after completing YouTube exercises for 6 months, getting worse and worse. When we saw what he had been doing, he had been severely aggravating a disc bulge for that length of time and prolonging his suffering for many weeks! Luckily, we were able to help him choose a more appropriate exercise programme (along with some targeted hands on treatment).
#4 – They took more and more pain killers each week to find pain relief
Although pain killers can take the edge off a problem for the first few days after an injury, they should never be seen as a long-term solution.
Unfortunately, many people get stuck, unable to get on with their normal daily life because of pain but struggling to find alternatives to pain killers.
We live in an age where doctors will hand out pain killers for almost every painful problem (not their fault – they have limits to what they can provide for pain relief).
What people really need is a natural, healthy, non-addictive alternative to solve the ROOT cause of the problem… Not masking the pain but beating the underlying problem instead.
#5 – They had a bad experience with a healthcare professional
Unfortunately, we hear this one all the time. So many of our clients are worried about coming to see us before their first appointment after being “cracked” by a chiropractor or mauled by a massage therapist in the past.
When a healthcare professional has left you in more pain or behaved in a way that you didn’t like, it is only natural that you would lose trust and respect for the profession as a whole.
However, not all healthcare professionals will give you that same bad experience. It’s important that you choose extremely carefully when looking for a provider – we would ALWAYS recommend you call up and speak to the person who will be treating you before. This is so you can get to know them better and ask about the treatment methods that they use. This should significantly put your mind at ease!
#6 – They thought they needed to REST because of the pain
While a short period of rest can be good for an injury or back pain, long periods of rest are likely to make you feel WORSE than before!
This is because the muscles and joints “seize” up from extended rest. So even if you feel better while resting, as soon as you start to move the pain will come back with a vengeance.
It can be really difficult to know how much rest or activity is the right amount. The best solution for this is to get some expert advice from a professional with experience in dealing with returning to work, sport and hobbies after back pain or injury.
#7 – They keep putting off TAKING ACTION
It is so easy to delay, delay, delay action – until it’s too late.
For some people, back pain continues to get progressively worse until they genuinely have no real chance of ever beating it. A lot of the time, this can be avoided by timely action.
We set up HT Physio to help people take action and prevent the development of long-term chronic health conditions like persistent back pain.
Being unable to make a decision about how and when to take action can put your long-term health, livelihood and happiness at considerable risk.
Remember, the quicker you act when you have back pain, the better the outcome. This is almost always the truth.
Do you need help for YOUR back problem?
Why not start by downloading our 100% free guide – “9 Expert Tips to Stop Back Pain that Causes Stiffness and Stops You From Doing the Things You Love”!
Click HERE to download the guide and get started at home today!
As always, thanks for reading!
