Back Pain Is Only a Symptom
Pain. It’s a powerful word that creates strong feelingsh
Think back to the last time you experienced pain. If you’re
like most people, you probably remember some event that
caused it—a paper cut, a sprained ankle, or a skinned knee.h
Most people believe that back pain operates the same
way—that it’s caused by some isolated event.h
They “throw out” their backs, for instance,h
experience pain, and then havea back-pain problem. Since the pain happened rather
They “throw out” their backs, for instance,h
experience pain, and then havea back-pain problem. Since the pain happened rather
suddenly, they imagine that if they can get rid of the pain,h
they’ll get rid of the problem.h
Like many things in life, the real story is more
complicated. Back pain is just a symptom that can be caused
by many different things.h
Two people can feel the exact same type of back pain for
two entirely different reasons. If they were both to undergo
the same treatment, one may start to feel better but the other
may not. It all depends on why the pain exists in the first
place.h
Let’s say you have a dog, and one night that dog comes in
whining. You know he’s in pain, but you don’t know why.h
Pain is just a sign that something is wrong.h
Next, you may notice he’s limping, which is a good sign
that the pain is probably in his leg somewhere, but you still
don’t know what’s causing it. To find out, you need to do
some investigating.
Most likely, you would call your veterinarian and work
toward finding a solution. You would not, in most cases, give
the dog a pain reliever or a massage and then forget about it.h
Even if your dog felt better the next day, most likely you
would still want to be sure his leg was all right. Unfortunately,h
you might not treat yourself with the same care.h
Many traditional back-pain treatments focus primarily—if
not exclusively—on just getting rid of the pain.h
In the process, they fail to identify the underlying cause of
that pain. Of course, it’s great to have pain erased or, at least,h
diminished. But easing the pain without solving the problem
means one thing—the pain comes back. That’s why a lot of
people seem to frequently “throw out” their backs and
experience persistent, recurring back pain.h
