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New Roads Chiropractic Center Helps Back Pain Sufferers Fight Fear Avoidance and Move More

Fear of back pain? Once you’ve experienced it, you say “yes!” Your New Roads chiropractor totally understands it. New Roads back pain and neck pain patients don’t want to feel that pain again. New Roads Chiropractic 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 have any options at all. That desire - whether obvious or subtle, stated or just ruminated in the mind – establishes the ‘perfect storm’ for a behavior known as fear-avoidance. Patients with persistent spinal pain syndrome - post-surgically generated or not – provoked high levels of fear avoidance, anxiety, and depression. (1) Researchers explained that the pain experience is not just physical as emotions, behaviors and beliefs are involved as well. Fear avoidant behavior like fearing object lifting 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 volunteers. Fear of lifting an object with a flexed spine as documented in a questionnaire was negatively related with erector spinae activity to protect the spine from harm. The proper way to lift has been discussed through the years. Lifting with a straight back has been described as safer than lifting with a flexed back though research hasn't really supported that while lifting with a lordotic posture has been found to result in more erector spinae muscle activity giving rise to muscle fatigue and pain.  (2) New Roads Chiropractic Center recognizes the significance of handling fear avoidance and its link to better quality of life.

HOW TO MANAGE FEAR AVOIDANCE

Researchers wrote that back pain sufferers today ‘get’ that they must keep moving 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 causing pain. The healthcare provider not only can share the latest findings on pain control but also coach the back pain patient to be physical in the safest way possible. (3) If you’re that patient, New Roads Chiropractic Center is your trainer! We are a team and can help you move better and with less fear and deliver gentle, relieving spinal manipulation. 12 weeks of chiropractic manipulation and exercise for older adults with chronic back pain improved their self-efficacy and fear-avoidant behaviors together with decreases in disability. A 30% or more drop in the Oswestry Disability Index suggested 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’s work together to control your New Roads back pain so it doesn’t control you. 

CONTACT New Roads Chiropractic Center

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

Make your New Roads chiropractic appointment today so that if you are questioned whether you fear back pain, you can say “no”!

 New Roads Chiropractic Center gets 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."