A Doctor's Experience with Low Back Pain- A Letter to my Patients

I have a confession to make. I’m not as invincible as I thought.

My days in the office revolve around helping people make measurable improvements in your health by caring for a number of health concerns. I’m honored by all of you who put your trust in me with your health. It is truly a privilege to be your doctor.

During a normal day, I am very active and rarely sit down between patients. I may sit for a minute or two every few hours if I have the chance. There are times where I am required to bend and lift during adjustments and exams. I consider myself to be overall fairly healthy, and most days at the office proceed as normal.

Recently, though, I gradually noticed over a few days that my upper and lower back did not feel right. Being busy and active, I figured it was probably a simple tight muscle from all the work or from the gym. I decided to rest that evening and do no exercise. But next morning, my back still ached like never before. The low back pain increased to the point where I would pray for a break in the schedule so I could sit and rest.

I knew I needed an adjustment, but I had no appointment for my regular visit. This was my first mistake. My problem began right before the holiday break, and my Chiropractor was out of town. So I was forced to wait over a week before I could be adjusted.

All I wanted to do was lay down. But even then the pain was still nagging at my body and my mood.

I tried everything I could think of, but nothing corrected the problem.

It wasn’t until I was adjusted that I really noticed a difference. My body began healing once the problem was addressed.

This episode was an important event for me. I had the intellectual knowledge of knowing what it feels like to live with chronic pain, but it wasn’t until I experienced it myself that I was able to fully understand the emotions and thoughts surrounding low back pain.

In summary, I learned a few valuable lessons.

Listen to your body
- When I noticed my body wasn’t working at 100 percent, I should have realized something needed to be done sooner than later. Ignoring a problem like low back pain doesn’t make it go away.
Know your limits
- Everyone needs regular check-ups to stay in optimal health, even myself. If I would have scheduled sooner, when I was feeling great, this could have been avoided.
Act Fast
- The problem with my back did not begin when I started feeling the secondary condition of pain. The primary condition (a structural shift) started before I was able to sense anything was wrong. This is why keeping appointments, including me, is very important. If not, the adjustments will simply serve to chase pain and never lead to better long term health and function.