The best medicine is ole reliable. Get up and move! Back pain is one of the most common problems and has been moving up in the ranking since 1990. Why do you ask? Because when people feel pain, their first action is to lay down and rest. Although that would be the case for someone with a sprained ankle, it is not the same for back pain. Most back pain is a result of the action of the nervous system in a healing process adjusting to the inevitable deterioration changes that our body goes through as we age. Movement normalizes this stimulus. Plus, there is no evidence that shows staying still will slow down this process. In this article you will read about why getting daily exercise and movement will not only help your nervous system adjust to these changes faster but also decrease your risk for developing blood clots and lower your risk of depression. Other factors such as attitude and genetics contribute to back pain as well. Decades ago, people ignored back pain like a mosquito bite, but more and more people are seeking treatment. There are some instances where injury takes place, and exercise is discouraged for the time being but that is rare. SO, what do we tell them? MOVE. Dr. Rainville states in the article that “If an animal in the wild doesn’t get moving, it is eaten or starves to death. “, “People who get moving – back to the gym, back to cleaning the house – do the best.” (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020). Many doctors are advised to focus more on encouragement movement than intervention and physical therapists play a vital role in ensuring that people increase their activity level in a gradual and safe manner and get you back to your daily activities.
Reference: Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, April 16). Babying your back may delay healing. Harvard Health.
Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/babying-your-back-may-delay-healing
