The prospect of taking on a new or difficult challenge can feel daunting, and because of this, many people end up pushing these choices down the road. “I’ll start my diet after the holidays,” or “I’ll do my research paper this weekend,” are examples of ways that people oftentimes put off something that they aren’t exactly looking forward too, but it’s important to realize how pushing these decisions further down the road can complicate things in the future.
And while we can’t speak to how your health will be affected by starting your diet on January 1, we can talk about what we see when patients continually push off treatment for a chronic back pain issue. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the reasons why you shouldn’t wait until tomorrow to start treating your back pain.
Don’t Put Off Back Pain Treatment
Procrastinating doesn’t always come back to hurt you, but when it comes to back pain treatment, it usually does haunt you. Here’s why:
- Typically Won’t Go Away On Its Own – Unless you’re dealing with something incredibly minor like a mild back sprain, it’s unlikely that your back pain will go away on its own. If you’re dealing with chronic spinal discomfort, it’s a sign that there is an issue at play that warrants your attention. Moreover, there’s a good chance that your daily actions at work or at home are actually contributing to this discomfort. If you’re performing repetitive tasks or sitting with poor posture, those habits may be contributing to your spine pain. So if you simply try to ignore it and go on with your normal day, not only will the problem persist, but there’s a good chance symptoms will only get worse.
- Easier To Treat At An Earlier Stage – While back pain is rarely as serious as something like cancer, they follow a similar line of care in that problems that are caught and treated in their infancy tend to respond better to treatment than issues that are allowed to linger and worsen. The sooner you pursue treatment, the more effective that treatment tends to be. Putting off care only reduces your likelihood of eventually resolving the issue for good.
- Simpler Than You Imagine – We’re not saying that treatment will always be a breeze, but many patients don’t realize just how much progress they can make by pursuing a few simple adjustments to their daily life. Gradually increasing their exercise levels, being a little more mindful of their diet and striving to improve their seated and standing posture can go a long way in resolving chronic back pain. We’ve talked to so many patients who say that they wish they would have come to us sooner, not just because care was so effective, but because it didn’t involve a major overhaul of their lifestyle.
- Back Pain May Be Having A Bigger Impact On Your Life Than You Realize – One final reason not to put off treatment for chronic back pain is because there’s a good chance that your discomfort is having a greater impact on your life than you realize. It’s not just about gritting your teeth and getting through the day. Back pain may be preventing you from pursuing all the physical activities you once loved, or the discomfort could be affecting your mood and your social relationships with others. Don’t let back pain negatively affect your quality of life, because that’s no way to live! Don’t put off treatment one day longer. Get back to enjoying every moment of life by taking the first step today to overcome your chronic back pain.
If you’re interested in starting your journey towards a life free from back pain, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute. For more information, or for help with a different back or neck issue, give us a call today at (651) 430-3800.
