Sales of SUVs are up, and some manufacturers are even discontinuing their sedans. Is it because people like driving larger cars, or is there a physical reason many Americans are no longer wanting a sedan that sits lower to the ground than a similar-sized SUV or crossover vehicle? It is also likely you have similar problems getting out of some chairs, couches or even off the floor. A few years ago, my mom leased her first small SUV and opted out of a Honda Civic. She requires the help of an aide, and getting into and out of the SUV is much easier since it involves stepping up into the vehicle and sliding down out of it. Another close friend who is also disabled likes his crossover vehicle for the same reason. As I have learned over the past few years, many of our patients who experience back pain also say that they have less difficulty entering and exiting a higher vehicle. Is this a type of pain avoidance behavior? What is pain avoidance behavior? This is when you avoid positions or activities that cause pain. Here are some common examples of pain avoidance behavior. You may sleep with a pillow between your legs to avoid your morning back pain. You may no longer get on the ground to play with your grandkids to avoid pain. You may avoid soft couches to avoid pain. You may no longer play a sport you love to avoid pain. You may avoid gym activities to avoid pain. You may only walk shorter distances to avoid pain in the back or knees. You may avoid standing for extended periods to avoid neck and back pain. You may purchase an SUV or another higher vehicle to avoid knee or back pain. There are many other things people avoid doing to avoid pain. Does this help solve your problems behind why you hurt? For all of us, the answer is no, as our problems become more chronic and debilitating. This is because the underlying functional problem has never been properly diagnosed and helped by most specialists. Some will justify this with getting another cortisone shot, which also does not address the why behind the pain. They may assume they will need to live with it because nobody cared enough to send you to someone who can understand, diagnose, and treat your problem properly. Finding sensible answers to why you hurt is not as simple as one may believe. It is also very frustrating since many healthcare generalists and specialists will tell you that after an X-ray or MRI, you have something that requires surgery or physical therapy for months on end. Sometimes they use scare tactics such as “wait any longer and you will be too old for that knee replacement,” or another scare tactic to push you to do something that may be harmful or permanent. They will often send you to other specialists who run more tests but have no answers. Many of you have gone to physical therapists who either offer only temporary relief or, worse, aggravate your symptoms with one-size-fits-all protocols that address a script from a physician who has no idea why you hurt. Your local chiropractic sports physician can help. Here’s why; Most doctors do not understand function. They also do not understand the fascia, muscles, movement, or how the nervous system and circulatory system integrate with all of it. They also do not understand that your degenerative process, as seen on your X-ray or MRI, is actually a history of poor function and what happens after years of physical malfunction. If they did, why does everyone get the cocktail of muscle relaxers and pain killers, which has a proven record of being inappropriate for mechanical problems? The Opioid crisis or the newer developing gabapentin overuse crisis are examples of how poorly most physicians understand that most pain in the back, knees, ankles, arms, hands, and legs is a movement problem rather than a muscle strain. Bracing an arm instead of solving an elbow or wrist problem, which can begin as a lower-body problem, becomes the norm. Henny Youngman had a joke about it: “Doc, it hurts when I do this. So don’t do that.” Seeing your chiropractic sports physician first is less costly and more effective than purchasing an SUV. So many people are being treated for a knee, hip, shoulder, etc., with a specialist who has never explained their pain other than with general terms of tendinitis, bursitis, etc. Years later, we have normalized hip and knee replacements that were preventable had we properly diagnosed and treated the mechanism behind pain. Chiropractic sports physicians understand that movement problems are why people have knee, hip, back, neck, shoulder, and even foot and elbow pain. Chiropractic sports physicians understand the mechanics behind why you hurt and will explain it logically as we thoroughly evaluate your problem. We understand that most physical conditions are as unique as you are. You need a generalist who takes a primary care approach to the musculoskeletal system. A visit to our office consists of A blood pressure check. A holistic review of your current and past physical problems. A physical evaluation of neurological and functional fitness from the ground up, with all of the findings being shared with you as the evaluation proceeds. An X-ray if needed. Foot orthotics if needed to balance the pelvis and improve function. A first treatment to help you move and feel better. We cannot guarantee you will have your pain resolved immediately; however, most patients move, feel, and function better. The visit usually includes manipulation of the affected regions, myofascial release to enhance movement, and some patients who are in acute pain receive exercises they need to do to reduce pain and improve function. A follow-up appointment to review their first visit findings and the doctor’s recommended course of care. Care is sensible, cost-effective, safe, and does not involve being shuffled from doctor to doctor, and additional tests are usually ordered only if there is a failure to respond to care in a reasonable period of time. Patients will be referred if a condition requiring medical intervention is suspected. We understand insurance and the frustrations that come with it, and we also understand that we must get results and that people lead busy lives. This is why we have two offices and also have late hours and Sunday mornings to accommodate that in our Scotch Plains office. We are a results-oriented office and like to keep care simple, effective will go the extra mile to help you feel and function better. Let us help you. As I always tell our patients, take care of the machine and it will take care of you. Your body will thank you for it. Book online today or call either office to book and appointment.