ptspin
by Scott Higgs, MPT, Physical Therapist
The ghost of back pain ...
This is the third
and final article
in our series
concerning back
pain. We all saw
Tiger’s swing last
month. And we
wish him well
on his way to
recovery.
If you talk to people with chronic back
pain, some can pinpoint the exact time it
happened – playing a sport, making and
odd twist or bending over to pick something
up off the floor, even if it was something as
simple as a dropped piece of laundry.
Sometimes, however, back pain sneaks
up on us, and we’re not sure exactly where
it came from.
We can have simple injuries that cause us
to limp and get ourselves out of alignment;
it can be side effects of other ailments such
as kidney stones, endometriosis, arthritis
or fibromyalgia; and even stress can cause
back pain. You may not have had an injury
at all – it just ... happened.
And after it goes away, we’re not sure
when it will return. I have had patients
who call and say they were literally sitting
at their desks and had a shooting pain that
sent them home for the day – and to bed
for several days afterward. Back pain is
definitely one of the most annoying and
unpredictable ailments we can suffer. Just
ask anyone who has ever been affected.
What those who don’t suffer from back
pain do not understand is that some of the
oddest positions can make back pain worse
– riding for any distance in a car, sitting
for a long time, even napping on anything
other than a bed. And sometimes, even a
good night’s sleep can bring on pain.
No matter what, back pain is nothing
to be ignored. It can be the result of
several different ailments, all which
require treatment to maintain quality of
life. Ignoring back pain can lead to real
problems and can destroy a golf game. So
many patients give up the game for fear
they will re-injure themselves or cause the
pain to return.
It may not be necessary to give up
golf. What is necessary is that sufferers get
medical advice from an orthopedic doctor
and follow up when advised to do so. Some
patients may need physical therapy, and
those are important appointments as well.
If you avoid getting the treatment you need
in favor of a wait-and-see approach, the
result may be chronic – literally.
Talk to your health care professional
sooner than later concerning your back
pain, and start swinging that club like you
did decades ago. It could happen, you know.
You just need to know the reality of your
case and your treatment options.
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