Fear of back pain? Once you have had
it, you say “yes!” Your West Palm Beach chiropractor totally
understands this. West Palm Beach back pain and neck pain
patients don’t want to feel that pain again.
Chiropractic Care helps spine pain sufferers get their
confidence back with encouragement and exercise.
FEAR AVOIDANCE DUE TO BACK PAIN
Back pain sufferers don't want to revisit
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
induced 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 involved as well. Fear
avoidant behavior like fearing the act of lifting an object
grows and affects muscle behavior without realizing it. A recent
study compared fear-avoidant beliefs and the lumbar spine paraspinal muscle
activity use while lifting in
both back pain and in pain-free persons. Fear of lifting an object
with a flexed spine as documented in a questionnaire was negatively
associated with erector spinae activity to protect the spine from
injury. The proper way to lift has been debated
through the years. Lifting with a straight back has been portrayed
as safer than lifting with a flexed back though research hasn't necessarily
supported that while lifting with a lordotic posture has been found
to result in more erector spinae muscle activity giving rise to
muscle fatigue and pain. (2) Chiropractic Care knows the significance
of handling fear avoidance and its link to better quality of
life.
HOW TO MANAGE FEAR AVOIDANCE
Researchers wrote that back pain
sufferers today ‘get’ that they must keep active but some require
a little more support and encouragement to move and exercise due to a lack of confidence in their backs’
ability to exercise without triggering pain. The healthcare
provider not only can provide the latest findings on
pain control but also teach the back pain patient to be
physical in the safest way possible. (3) If you are that patient, Chiropractic Care is
your trainer! We’re a team and can help you move better
and with less fear and provide gentle, relieving spinal
manipulation. Three months of chiropractic manipulation and exercise for older adults with chronic back pain boosted
their self-efficacy and fear-avoidant behaviors together with decreases in disability. A 30% or more reduction
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 West Palm Beach back pain so it doesn’t control you.
CONTACT Chiropractic Care
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Tom Menendez on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
illustrates the relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal
Pain Management for an older patient with back pain for whom fear avoidance is logical.
Schedule your West Palm Beach chiropractic
appointment soon so that if you are asked
if you fear back pain, you can say “no”!
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the
DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by
Dr. James M. Cox I."