Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center Helps Back Pain Sufferers Fight Fear Avoidance and Move More

Fear of back pain? Once you have had it, you answer “yes!” Your Pensacola chiropractor gets it. Pensacola back pain and neck pain patients don’t want to experience that pain again. Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center helps spine pain sufferers regain their confidence with encouragement and exercise

FEAR AVOIDANCE DUE TO BACK PAIN

Back pain sufferers want to avoid back pain if they can help it. That desire - whether obvious or subtle, stated or just ruminated in the mind – sets up the ‘perfect storm’ for a behavior called fear-avoidance. Patients with persistent spinal pain syndrome - post-surgically induced or not – elicited high levels of fear avoidance, anxiety, and depression. (1) Researchers noted that the pain experience is not just physical because emotions, behaviors and beliefs are involved as well. Fear avoidant behavior like fearing the act of lifting an object grows and impacts muscle behavior without realizing it. A recent study compared fear-avoidant beliefs and the use of lumbar paraspinal muscle activity while lifting in both back pain and in pain-free persons. Fear of lifting an object with a flexed spine as documented in a questionnaire was negatively associated with erector spinae activity to protect the spine from injury. The proper way to lift has been argued for a long time. Lifting with a straight back has been described as safer than lifting with a flexed back though research has not really supported that while lifting with a lordotic posture has been reported to result in more erector spinae muscle activity giving rise to muscle fatigue and pain.  (2) Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center knows the significance of handling fear avoidance and its link to better quality of life.

HOW TO MANAGE FEAR AVOIDANCE

Researchers noted that back pain sufferers today ‘get’ that they must keep active but some require a bit more support and encouragement to move and exercise because of a lack of confidence in their backs’ ability to exercise without triggering pain. The healthcare provider not only can provide the latest findings on pain control but also train the back pain patient to be physical in the safest way possible. (3) If you’re that patient, Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center is your coach! We’re a team and can help you move better and with less fear and provide gentle, relieving spinal manipulation. Three months of chiropractic manipulation along with exercise for older adults with chronic back pain boosted their self-efficacy and fear-avoidant behaviors along with decreases in disability. A 30% or more reduction in the Oswestry Disability Index indicated positive response to care. (4) The more engaged a patient is with treatment, the greater the influence on the feeling of self-efficacy and disability reduction. (5) Let us work together to control your Pensacola back pain so it does not control you. 

CONTACT Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tom Menendez on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for an older patient with back pain for whom fear avoidance is understandable.

Schedule your Pensacola chiropractic appointment now so that if you are asked if you fear back pain, you can say “no”!

 Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center understands why back pain sufferers fear movement and helps them get past it to move and exercise.
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."