I’m taking bigger steps, my wife says

Her returned our office after a 5 year absence with lower back pain. John (not using his real name for privacy reasons) has been a patient in the office for many years and is now in his 80’s. This winter had been brutal on many backs and his was no exception. The day he arrived, it has not snowed for a couple of weeks, yet the pain made it difficult for him to get out of bed.

He stood in the treatment room, bent forward, unable to straighten up without significant pain. He thought it was normal to be old and in pain, but this episode was different because the pain did not just go away, which is why he called for the appointment.

He believed that he needed a couple of visits to resolve this, however, to his surprise, the evaluation revealed that he had neglected himself and that his old back problems were really due to his lack of regular preventative chiropractic visits, and because his shoe inserts needed to be updated, as they were worn out.

After his 5th visit, he continued to ask “how much longer”, worrying about the insurance, the cost, the commitment to he required to get back to having just the morning pain in the bed. My response to him was that he needed to be able to extend back, and only mild stiffness in the morning was acceptable. I could sense his impatience as the visits mounted however, he knew that staying with the current care plan was what he needed to do.

Today, he came in with a big smile on his face and said,” no pain in the morning, just a little stiffness. My wife says I am taking much bigger steps.” He was evaluated and discharged. Mission Accomplished.

This story may seam familiar to you. Many people see the pain as the problem, rather than the mechanism creating it.

What do you think? As always, I value your opinion. Email me at [email protected]