The Other Back Pain
Not all back pain is the same. More and more these days people walk through our clinic door with no distinct physical or physiological cause for their pain. Yet they have pain. It is as clear as the nose on their face, that they are in a great deal of discomfort.
Not all back pain is the same. More and more these days people walk through our clinic door with no distinct physical or physiological cause for their pain. Yet they have pain. It is as clear as the nose on their face, that they are in a great deal of discomfort.
So, what is happening? Armouring! Clearly and simply put, their bodies are protecting them against a perceived threat. In the distant past this threat would have been obvious (a lion or some such thing). Today that threat is not quite as clear. It could be a symptom of an overworked system; it could be the accumulated effect of many small things not going so right in their lives; it could even be something that hasn't yet happened; but has the person so worked up that their body perceives it as a threat.
Funny thing the brain! It doesn't make a distinction between a physical threat and non physical threat; to the brain they are both treats to the organism. In some ways the latter is far worse, because it often does not go away that easily (for example the psychotic boss who takes great delight in putting you down every day)
This type of threat is often referred to as stress. However, we prefer to avoid this term; given the multitude of misinformation out there about it. Instead we refer to it as your body wearing its inability to cope in your muscles. And this is a serious threat - a very serious threat. Serious because it rarely goes away by itself and serious because when it has reached the stage of impairing your actual physical structure it has gone on for far too long.
So, you wind up carrying your worries around on your back (or your shoulders, or your head, or neck or joints, or ...) and this in item will (not might - will) get worse. For some it leads to actual damage to the physical structure. Sometimes it can even be linked to deep organic changes, and we all know how that could turn out.
So, what do you do about it? Well, you could do nothing and hope ti goes away. Probably the worst thing you could do.
You could get some physical therapy such as massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic or osteopathy. They will all help. They put the physical bits and pieces back together. Unfortunately, for many they don't keep it there. Still this is a very good option; not as a stand-alone approach tough..
You could include one of the energetic medicines (Acupuncture and/or Shiatsu). Both of these have a great track record. Why, you could even combine them with one of the above physical therapies. Then you would be getting the best of both worlds.
Why not include some Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong? They will teach you how to use your body better and all incorporate some relaxation techniques (a very important and mostly overlooked part of repairing this sort of back pain).
You could consider Life Coaching (from someone who understands back pain and the physical/non physical relationships of course). When included as part of an overall plan Life Coaching will help you to work out what is important, at the same time as developing the skills to deal with the causative factors of your back pain.
Bottom line is: pain you can learn to live with - suffering is optional. You can do something about this.
If you suspect you suffer from back pain (or any other pain for that matter) due to this type of cause, then this might be a good time to talk to us. We believe we have something of value to offer. If not you, then perhaps a friend or family member would benefit from our work. We are always here to listen to your story.
Thanks for listening
Greg & Audrey
So, what is happening? Armouring! Clearly and simply put, their bodies are protecting them against a perceived threat. In the distant past this threat would have been obvious (a lion or some such thing). Today that threat is not quite as clear. It could be a symptom of an overworked system; it could be the accumulated effect of many small things not going so right in their lives; it could even be something that hasn't yet happened; but has the person so worked up that their body perceives it as a threat.
Funny thing the brain! It doesn't make a distinction between a physical threat and non physical threat; to the brain they are both treats to the organism. In some ways the latter is far worse, because it often does not go away that easily (for example the psychotic boss who takes great delight in putting you down every day)
This type of threat is often referred to as stress. However, we prefer to avoid this term; given the multitude of misinformation out there about it. Instead we refer to it as your body wearing its inability to cope in your muscles. And this is a serious threat - a very serious threat. Serious because it rarely goes away by itself and serious because when it has reached the stage of impairing your actual physical structure it has gone on for far too long.
So, you wind up carrying your worries around on your back (or your shoulders, or your head, or neck or joints, or ...) and this in item will (not might - will) get worse. For some it leads to actual damage to the physical structure. Sometimes it can even be linked to deep organic changes, and we all know how that could turn out.
So, what do you do about it? Well, you could do nothing and hope ti goes away. Probably the worst thing you could do.
You could get some physical therapy such as massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic or osteopathy. They will all help. They put the physical bits and pieces back together. Unfortunately, for many they don't keep it there. Still this is a very good option; not as a stand-alone approach tough..
You could include one of the energetic medicines (Acupuncture and/or Shiatsu). Both of these have a great track record. Why, you could even combine them with one of the above physical therapies. Then you would be getting the best of both worlds.
Why not include some Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong? They will teach you how to use your body better and all incorporate some relaxation techniques (a very important and mostly overlooked part of repairing this sort of back pain).
You could consider Life Coaching (from someone who understands back pain and the physical/non physical relationships of course). When included as part of an overall plan Life Coaching will help you to work out what is important, at the same time as developing the skills to deal with the causative factors of your back pain.
Bottom line is: pain you can learn to live with - suffering is optional. You can do something about this.
If you suspect you suffer from back pain (or any other pain for that matter) due to this type of cause, then this might be a good time to talk to us. We believe we have something of value to offer. If not you, then perhaps a friend or family member would benefit from our work. We are always here to listen to your story.
Thanks for listening
Greg & Audrey