OrthoIllinois Chiropractic Helps Back Pain Sufferers Fight Fear Avoidance and Move More

Fear of back pain? Once you’ve had it, you answer “yes!” Your McHenry chiropractor gets it. McHenry back pain and neck pain patients don’t want to feel that pain again. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic helps spine pain sufferers get their confidence back with encouragement and exercise. 

FEAR AVOIDANCE DUE TO BACK PAIN

Back pain sufferers want to avoid back pain if they have any options at all. That desire - whether obvious or subtle, stated or just ruminated in the mind – sets up the situation for a behavior known as fear-avoidance. Patients with persistent spinal pain syndrome - post-surgically caused or not – elicited high levels of fear avoidance, anxiety, and depression. (1) Researchers noted that the pain experience isn't just physical as emotions, behaviors and beliefs are mixed in, too. Fear avoidant behavior like fearing the act of lifting an object grows and affects 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 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 harm. The proper way to lift has been argued for a long time. Lifting with a straight back has been described as safer than lifting with a flexed back though research has not necessarily supported that while lifting with a lordotic posture has been reported to result in more erector spinae muscle activity resulting in muscle fatigue and pain.  (2) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic knows 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 little more support and encouragement to move and exercise because of a lack of confidence in their backs’ ability to exercise without triggering pain. The healthcare provider not only can share the latest findings on pain control but also coach the back pain patient to be physical in the safest way possible. (3) If you are that patient, OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is your coach! We’re a team and can help you move easier and with less fear and deliver gentle, relieving spinal manipulation. 12 weeks of chiropractic manipulation along with exercise for older adults with chronic back pain improved their self-efficacy and fear-avoidant behaviors together with reductions 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’s work together to manage your McHenry back pain so it does not control you. 

CONTACT OrthoIllinois 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 understandable.

Make your McHenry chiropractic appointment today so that if you are questioned whether you fear back pain, you can say “no”!