The source: Three Sources of Chronic Pain

• Possible structural problem
• Inflammation of soft tissues
• Neurophysiological Disorder – “short circuits”

The receptor—your brain

Three additional variables affect your perception of pain:

• Sensitization
• Memorization
• The “Modifiers” –1) anxiety 2) anger 3) sleep

Chronic pain is a complex problem and even more so, as each person is unique. It won’t respond to isolated simplistic treatments. The approach that is successful in solving pain is similar to that of fighting a forest fire.

“I Can Only Fix What I Can See”

These concepts apply to pain in any part of the body regardless of the source. I will discuss low back pain as one example. The exact source of your LBP is usually unclear.  Many assume if you are pursuing a diagnosis with your doctor then there must be an indentifiable problem that is solvable with surgery. Surgery is felt to be the “definitive” solution.

• It is only definitive if you can see the problem.
• Even then the potential benefits must outweigh the risks.
• I often compare spine surgery to dentistry. (Back Pain vs. Mouth Pain)

A high percent of spine surgery should never be performed.

• What many surgeons are defining as “structural” is simply normal aging anatomy.
• Degenerative disc disease is not a disease.
• All intervertebral discs lose water content with age.
• They have been shown not to be the source of your chronic LBP.
• A fusion for a degenerated disc has a success rate of < 30%.

Video: “Get it Right the First Time”

Surgical Results Overly Optimistic

Marsha’s Three Needless Spine Surgeries

The post Understand Chronic Pain first appeared on Back in Control.

The post Understand Chronic Pain appeared first on Back in Control.

I look at the source of the pain and it’s receptors in reference to back pain and one’s spine. I also discuss the difference between a structural and non-structural source of the pain. Read more about this topic in discussing structural sources of pain.

The post Video: Is Your Pain Structural or Not? first appeared on Back in Control.

The post Video: Is Your Pain Structural or Not? appeared first on Back in Control.

Aching Back? Why Surgery Is Not Indicated for Lower Back Pain, Case In Point, July 201.  (Reproduced with permission from Case In Point.)

BF

The post Video 8/19: Fusions For LBP Don’t Work first appeared on Back in Control.

The post Video 8/19: Fusions For LBP Don’t Work appeared first on Back in Control.