Back pain doesn't mean you are broken

Back pain is something that is of keen interest to me. My first exposure to physical therapy is when I hurt my back in high school while doing a deadlift in the weight room. I felt a "pop" and pain that prevented me from standing up straight and moving around. After that, I've had other instances where acute back pain popped up and led me to physical therapy treatments.

Chronic pain is classified as a pain that persists for more than 3 months. My back pain cycles on and off. Some days are great. Some days, it's just a nagging dull ache. Other days, it's a sharp stab when I bend or sit. What matters most is that I have to keep it in check with stretching and exercise to make sure I maintain my ability to function, bend, and lift objects.

So when I'm working out and thinking about doing a deadlift again, or a clean and jerk, I'm always thinking of maintaining perfect form and core stability. Making sure that my core is engaged and that my glutes are doing most of the work is integral in keeping my back pain from flaring up. (Also, it can get fired up from sitting too long on the couch binging on Netflix.)

If you've ever had back pain, then you know that achy pain and feeling of uncertainty that comes with a back that just won't let you do the things that you want to do. You wonder if this set of deadlifts will work for your today... Or how heavy should you go for your set...

Apprehension. Fear. Feeling broken. Feeling stressed. Feeling angry. I've felt all those things at one point or another.

When dealing with a chronic issue, the important thing is to understand how movement and pain work. I've written about pain before. It's not a "symptom". It's an experience. Your brain tells you that something is wrong, that something hurts, but doesn't necessarily tell you the cause or the "source" of the pain. Movement generally can make things better, or make things worse. It all depends on your posture, position, and direction of movement.

The important thing to focus on is that: you are not broken. The human body is a very resilient, complex machine. Knowing that your pain can be reduced and abolished by natural methods is important.

I'm not just a physical therapist, I am a facilitator. I facilitate your body's own ability to heal itself and my goal is to educate my clients on how they can maintain their own back, just like I do with mine.

I still deadlift. I don't fear it. I look at that particular exercise as my body's chance to express stability, strength, and control in a way that is far better than it did when I was a teenager learning how to lift heavy.

If you're suffering from back pain or have a history of back issues, please contact me so we can discuss a long-term, natural solution so you can move better, feel better, and play better.

Here’s some more reading about back pain causes and prevention here.