Layden Chiropractic Helps Back Pain Sufferers Fight Fear Avoidance and Move More

July 20, 2022

Fear of back pain? Once you’ve had it, you answer “yes!” Your Plainville chiropractor gets this. Plainville back pain and neck pain patients don’t want to experience that pain again. Layden Chiropractic helps spine pain sufferers regain their confidence with encouragement and exercise

FEAR AVOIDANCE DUE TO BACK PAIN

Back pain sufferers don't want to revisit back pain if they can help it. That desire - whether obvious or subtle, stated or just ruminated in the mind – establishes the situation for a behavior called fear-avoidance. Patients with persistent spinal pain syndrome - post-surgically caused 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 mixed in, too. 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 persons. Fear of lifting an object with a flexed spine as documented in a questionnaire was negatively associated with erector spinae activity to protect the spine from harm. The proper way to lift has been argued for a long time. Lifting with a straight back has been described as safer than lifting with a flexed back though research has not necessarily supported that while lifting with a lordotic posture has been reported to result in more erector spinae muscle activity giving rise to muscle fatigue and pain.  (2) Layden Chiropractic recognizes the significance of managing 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 active but some require a bit more support and encouragement to move and exercise due to a lack of confidence in their backs’ ability to exercise without triggering 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, Layden Chiropractic is your coach! We are a team and can help you move easier and with less fear and provide gentle, relieving spinal manipulation. Three months of chiropractic manipulation and exercise for older adults with chronic back pain improved their self-efficacy and fear-avoidant behaviors along with reductions in disability. A 30% or more drop in the Oswestry Disability Index indicated 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 us work together to control your Plainville back pain so it does not control you. 

CONTACT Layden Chiropractic

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 logical.

Make your Plainville chiropractic appointment now so that if you are asked if you fear back pain, you can say “no”!

 Layden Chiropractic understands why back pain sufferers fear movement and helps them get past it to move and exercise.