Guest Blog Post by: Todd Riddle, DC, CCSP, RKT, CSCS
With so much misinformation and “fake news” floating around today, it’s refreshing to see some of our healthcare powerhouses embracing common-sense about quality patient-centered treatment. And furthermore, writing about it so the public has better information to make decisions.
Besides, if it comes from Harvard, it must be true. Right?
Kidding aside, low back pain (LBP) has been a thorn in the side of medicine for years and because of that fact, has been GROSSLY mismanaged.
Don’t believe me? Look at the growing body of evidence that spinal fusion surgery is no better than sham/placebo. Think about that! Patients that thought they got surgery had equivalent results to those that did! Also, bed rest and OTCs for pain are a thing of the past.
Thus, we have ushered in the new age of movement-based approaches for helping low back pain. Now, let’s be clear, not all back pain will be adequately addressed with movement since it LBP is multifactorial. This means, the origins of LBP are complex and all include various biological, psychological and social factors. Becuase of this, research has been waning and only recently starting to scratch the surface on what MIGHT work.
Taking all of this into account, it's reassuring to see a salient article about good treatment recommendations for mechanical origins of LBP in mainstream media. The biological feasibility of this approach is off the charts, since we know how movement positively changes our mind and bodies.
Further, it’s not a stretch to say that if you are addressing the mechanical issue with low back pain, you are also addressing the psychological and social aspects that may be present as well. Think about. Lowering pain reduces a patient’s fear of movement due to pain by instilling confidence that they can go on that walk, hit the gym or get on the floor to play with their kids. Test it, don’t rest it.
"...it’s not a stretch to say that if you are addressing the mechanical issue with low back pain, you are also addressing the psychological and social aspects that may be present as well."
Want learn more about how to add movement into your treatment protocols to accelerate patient outcomes? Check out how FAKTR is changing the movement and pain paradigm through evidence and practitioner experience.