A recent New York Times article has revealed a lit candle in the obscure world of chronic back pain. Now if doctors will just lead people to the light. It will take time to implement the new guidelines but there is hope for the future generations kids at least. The medical community is conservative and wants to keep its monopoly as the on human medicine. The widely accepted term “evidence based” is used by skeptics as some sort of guarantee of validity. Unfortunately for the skeptics, the newest medical guidelines have come out regarding back pain.

Medical reachers now rebuke the efficacy of steroid injections for back pain. Steroid injections have been known to destabilize joints and fascia and too many shots are not recommended. The new guidelines say to try massage, acupuncture and chiropractic before going to a physician. Evidence based procedures have long produced inconsistent results that leave patients in pain after the doctors and Physical Therapists sign off on them. So why is there an implied value to evidence based medicine? Though I may rant, I don’t bash other professions in my practice. That said, it does make sense to question the efficacy of prior attempts to ameliorate symptoms. I have spent the past 17 years seeking answers to the quandaries that confound the best and “most qualified” experts in orthopedic and allopathic medicine. I have studied with PT’s, Rolfers, Osteopaths, and human movement and biomechanics specialists to try to “crack the code”.

Coordinating Patient care

The problem in coordinating patient care is that doctors qualify themselves as experts within a framework that omits much for the sake of practicality. Many doctors unfortunately place little value in things they don’t understand or investigate about the body. The common medical point of view of back pain is everyone gets it. The cure; just rest and it will go away. Muscle relaxers and rest are the best cures most doctors know. I have had conversations with open and closed minded physicians. All of them have different ideas about what is the best way to treat the same disease. Many of my clients have had second and third opinions of doctors that conflict in diagnosis and treatment options. The patient winds up placing a bet on what will help without much certainty. What often happens is that even surgery fails to resolve pain.

Comprehensive Bodywork

At NYOM, we practice comprehensive bodywork that reverses the causes of pain and restores your body to a place of balance, flexibility and stability. We restore neutral joint position to access the full range of motion and bio-mechanical advantage possible in your body. When neuromuscular dysfunction is removed there is no pain. I have helped hundreds of people get out of back pain. Many say I “fixed” them when no one else up to that point could. I don’t like to use the word “fixed” to describe clinical success but they wanted to feel better and I was able to help.

The word doctor has become synonymous with expert. Everyone knows there are levels to expertise. Don’t assume a doctor will help or point you to the person who will help get you out of back pain. I know a few doctors who understand what causes most chronic back pain and to be fair it can be complex. There are different structures and systems that can be responsible for the same pain. I eventually learned about the role of the autonomic nervous system in generating pain when I studied P-DTR.

I want to leave this post on my favorite doctor joke as food for thought. What do you call a doctor who graduates at the bottom of their class? … Doctor.