In order to achieve lasting lower back pain relief, it’s important to be methodical. Here is a 5-point plan of how to proceed. This will be most helpful if read in its entirety before exploring the numerous links: The P-factors are the predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors involved in producing the lower back pain. These are defined in detail below. Since there may be numerous factors contributing to your lower back pain, it’s essential to identify and understand each influence. 2) Choose the right combination of therapies By identifying your P-factors, it becomes possible to choose the right combination of therapies. This may include self-treatment such as learning the movements of
Hanna Somatic Education,
stretching, and stress reduction, as well as treatment from others such as
Neuromuscular Therapy,
acupuncture, chiropractic care, etc. 3) Develop a “What To Do” Schedule Develop and stick to a consistent schedule of tasks. Copy and print out the Lower Back Pain Worksheet (see naviagation bar on left) and make notes on it as you read the pages of this site. By following a methodical plan, it becomes possible to undue chronic neuromuscular patterns that may have developed in the lower back over time. Without a consistent plan, chronic patterns in the back muscles will behave like any habit: they will be hard to change. 4) Be Open to Trial and Error Try to remain open-minded and positive. If one therapy doesn’t bring relief, don’t give up! Not all therapies are appropriate for all problems. Finding relief is often a matter of “turning over the right stone.” Just because you’ve tried chiropractic treatment and acupuncture doesn’t mean you’ve “tried everything” and now require surgery. As this site will hopefully make clear, there are a great number of of strategies and therapeutic alternatives available. 5) Research from a Somatic Viewpoint as well as an Objective Viewpoint In addition doing as much research as you can such as reading the material on this site and others - objective viewpoint research - also continue to investigate your predisposing and perpetuating factors from a
somatic viewpoint.
The somatic viewpoint involves self-examination from the inside out, rather than the outside in. For example, only you can truly answer the question of whether you’re getting enough sleep or whether you have resolved an emotional issue which is causing perpetual muscular tightening in your body. You might discover that something you thought was a minor perpetuating factor is, in fact, a major perpetuating factor. Identifying Your P-factors In order to achieve lasting lower back pain relief it’s essential to identify the factors contributing to the problem. Therefore, it’s vital for you to expand your self-knowledge and self-awareness. That knowledge and awareness begins with understanding your P-factors: Tightness in leg muscles Sensory Motor Amnesia Postural Distortion Dysfunctional Biomechanics Inadequate sleep Poor nutrition Paradoxical breathing Obesity Unresolved emotions Smoking Disease 2) Precipitating factor – This is a factor which immediately results in lower back pain. Examples include: Muscle spasm Muscle strain or sprain Overuse injury Sciatica Herniated disc Trauma/injury/fracture Infection Abnormal growth (tumor) Disease (Degenerative Disc Disease, Osteoarthritis, Spondylolisthesis, etc.) Ischemia Trigger Points Nerve Compression/Entrapment Postural Distortion Dysfunctional Biomechanics 3) Perpetuating factors – These are factors which continue to aggravate lower back pain once it’s set in motion. Sedentary lifestyle Stress Inadequate sleep Poor nutrition Paradoxical breathing Obesity Unresolved emotion Smoking Sensory-Motor Amnesia Postural distortion Dysfunctional biomechanics Disease Notice that many predisposing factors are also perpetuating factors. That which predisposes the body to lower back pain may also be the exact thing that aggravates and perpetuates the condition. Perhaps this seems obvious, but in order to achieve lasting lower back pain relief it is crucial to take this truth to heart. If, for example, inadequate sleep has predisposed an individual to lower back pain because the body is exhausted, that exhaustion will set up a vicious, continuous cycle. Additionally, any precipitating factor such as a muscle spasm or a disease process can also be a perpetuating factor. As you investigate each of these factors and determine which apply to your situation, you’ll find that changing them may require not only the right combination of therapies, but some disciplined choices regarding habits and lifestyle. The Five Primary Problems Much of the conventional literature on the subject of lower back pain asserts that the precise cause of lower back pain is difficult to ascertain. This is just a matter of perspective. From the perspective of Neuromuscular Therapy, for example, the cause of lower back pain can be narrowed to five primary problems:
Go to Lower Back Pain Relief: Understanding Five Primary Problems
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