The vast majority of Americans will deal with back pain at some point in their life, and when you need to treat back discomfort, you want to know that you are pursuing the right treatment methods. However, sometimes we aren’t always aware of how our actions or choices can end up affecting the success of our treatment plan. In today’s blog, we spotlight four oft-overlooked factors that can get in the way of successful back pain treatment or serve to make your discomfort worse.
Overlooked Aspects That Contribute To Back Pain Treatment Success
If your treatment success has stalled or you’re simply not seeing the recovery progress you had hoped for, reevaluate these four factors to see if they could be inhibiting your rehabilitation program.
- Treatment Too Passive – One of the most common reasons that a treatment program fails to yield the anticipated results is because the treatments are inherently too passive. Rest, ice and medications can all help in the short-term, but they won’t do anything in the long-term to address the root cause of your discomfort. These techniques can play a role in your recovery, but they certainly shouldn’t be the only treatments you pursue if you want to solve the problem for good. Pair rest and anti-inflammatories with more proactive treatments like physical therapy or exercise for best results.
- Nutrient-Deficient Diet – Your body is in a weakened state while it’s working to overcome an acute injury or repetitive strain, and it may struggle to regain strength if you’re not providing it with essential vitamins and nutrients. Eating a healthy diet will ensure that key nutrients like calcium, iron and Vitamin D will be abundant in your body, as they are key components in tissue repair and bone production. Make sure that your diet is helping and not hurting your recovery efforts.
- Poor Posture – Poor posture rarely leads to significant pain in the moment, so many people will overlook the compounding effect that bad posture can have on their spine. If you’re constantly slouched on the couch or hunched forward at a work desk, different areas of your spine will inherently be handling more stress. Over the months and years, all of this will take a toll, and poor posture during your rehabilitation efforts can impact the effectiveness of your treatment. Strive to improve your posture now and in the future for the sake of your treatment effectiveness and your back health as a whole.
- Stopping Treatment Too Soon – Finally, many people give up on their recovery efforts just a little bit too early, and that can mean that their back is still a little weaker than it needs to be in order to handle the stress they regularly put on it. Discomfort may be at a minimum and you may feel like you’re “good enough” to return to athletics or a job, but never stop a treatment routine without clearance from your spine specialist or a similar health professional like a physical therapist. Don’t give up while the finish line is in sight, because if you stop before you return to a pre-injury level of fitness, you may still have an elevated risk of reinjury. For the most effective treatment, see your program through to the end.
If you’re struggling to achieve your treatment goals or are hoping to avoid any of these obstacles on your journey to improved spine health, let Dr. Sinicropi and his team help. For more information, or for help with a different spinal issue, reach out to the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
