Navigating Back Pain: Strategies for Health Professionals

As health professionals, we often encounter patients grappling with an acute onset of back pain. All patients want us to address their immediate symptoms but we can also help them to prepare for flare-ups. In this blog post, we'll explore a few strategies that you can share with your patients to empower them in managing their back pain. They feature in this video that you can share with patients or create your own video. 

Understanding Back Pain: The Role of Pain Memory

One intriguing concept to introduce to patients is "pain memory." Pain memory is when the brain activates the same neural pathways during a current episode of back pain that were previously active during a more intense episode. This can elevate the perceived pain level, even if the current episode is triggered by a smaller stimulus. Encourage patients to recognize when their brain might be producing exaggerated pain signals, especially in the absence of recent trauma. Help them understand that pain is not always indicative of harm or injury.

Micro Movement Routine: A Gentle Approach

Pain chat will only get you so far, it’s time to introduce movement. Let's get them moving quickly…but slowly. 

Begin with a micro movement routine tailored to gently encourage movement in the lower back. Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Warm-Up: Have the patient use a heat pack or hot water bottle for five minutes to warm up their back.

• Relaxation: Instruct them to lie on their back with knees up, focusing on settling their breathing and releasing any muscle tension.

• Visualization: Encourage them to close their eyes and imagine gently tilting the pelvis and flattening the spine. This visualization involves simply imagining these movements rather than performing them.

• Micro Movements: Once relaxed, guide them to perform micro pelvic tilts that probably aren't visible to an observer. These should be done for 30-second intervals, three to five times.

• Progression: As sensitivity reduces, they can progress to larger movements within an easy range of motion, always paying attention to comfort levels.

Empowering Patients: Addressing Anxiety and Pain Management

Reiterate that frequent episodes of anxiety can exacerbate back pain. As such, fostering a mindset that doesn't panic unnecessarily about pain is vital. Highlighting the benefits of physical activity and discussing alternatives to pain medication can also be empowering.

Lifestyle Integration: Preventing and Managing Pain

Promote continuous back care, even when there is no active pain. Encourage patients to integrate good habits such as regular movement and rest into their lifestyle. Additionally, teaching them to manage life's curve balls with resilience will reduce both stress-induced pain and its frequency.

Conclusion: Ongoing Support and Resources

The key to supporting patients with back pain is providing them with ongoing education and resources. Encourage them to share their experiences and questions in supportive environments such as professional consultations.

By equipping your patients with these strategies and insights, you'll help them foster a proactive approach to back pain management. 

What’s next: 

Well you might like to check out this massage course.

or consider starting your own YouTube channel

Until next time

Daniel