Apple Country Chiropractic Helps Back Pain Sufferers Fight Fear Avoidance and Move More
Fear of back pain? Once you have had it, you say “yes!” Your Williamson chiropractor gets this. Williamson back pain and neck pain patients don’t want to feel that pain again. Apple Country Chiropractic helps spine pain sufferers regain their confidence with encouragement and exercise.
FEAR AVOIDANCE DUE TO BACK PAIN
Back pain sufferers want to avoid back pain if they can help it. That desire - whether obvious or subtle, stated or just ruminated in the mind – sets up the situation for a behavior called fear-avoidance. Patients with persistent spinal pain syndrome - post-surgically generated or not – elicited high levels of fear avoidance, anxiety, and depression. (1) Researchers explained that the pain experience isn't just physical as emotions, behaviors and beliefs are mixed in, too. Fear avoidant behavior like fearing object lifting grows and impacts muscle behavior without realizing it. A new study compared fear-avoidant beliefs and the use of lumbar paraspinal muscle activity while lifting in both back pain and in pain-free volunteers. Fear of lifting an object with a flexed spine as documented in a questionnaire was negatively related with erector spinae activity to protect the spine from harm. The proper way to lift has been argued through the years. Lifting with a straight back has been portrayed as safer than lifting with a flexed back though research has not really supported that while lifting with a lordotic posture has been found to result in more erector spinae muscle activity resulting in muscle fatigue and pain. (2) Apple Country Chiropractic recognizes the significance of handling fear avoidance and its link to better quality of life.
HOW TO MANAGE FEAR AVOIDANCE
Researchers documented that back pain sufferers today ‘get’ that they must keep active but some require a bit more support and encouragement to move and exercise due to a lack of confidence in their backs’ ability to exercise without causing pain. The healthcare provider not only can provide the latest findings on pain control but also coach the back pain patient to be physical in the safest way possible. (3) If you’re that patient, Apple Country Chiropractic is your coach! We are a team and can help you move easier and with less fear and provide gentle, relieving spinal manipulation. 12 weeks of chiropractic manipulation and exercise for older adults with chronic back pain improved their self-efficacy and fear-avoidant behaviors as well as decreases in disability. A 30% or more drop in the Oswestry Disability Index suggested positive response to care. (4) The more engaged a patient is with treatment, the greater the influence on the feeling of self-efficacy and disability reduction. (5) Let us work together to control your Williamson back pain so it does not control you.
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tom Menendez on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for an older patient with back pain for whom fear avoidance is logical.
Make your Williamson chiropractic appointment now so that if you are questioned whether you fear back pain, you can say “no”!
