Back pain – Is it for real, or is it only in your head?

All articles you read about back pain focus on the same thing – tense muscles and / or a poor physical state. But is this the whole truth? Why did the pain occur in the first place? I’m sure your muscles have not always been tense? Why did they “tense up”? Does your mental state have anything to do with it?

It is certainly true that tight muscles and / or improperly aligned vertebrae causes pain. But the picture is much bigger than that. Muscle tension is often your body’s defense, the muscles are trying to protect you. Pain is a warning signal, a sign that tells us something is wrong, but the pain itself doesn’t answer the question “what is wrong?”, it just tells us that “something is wrong”.

Back pain costs society, the employer and the individual, a considerable amount of money every year. But does it have to be that way? Why can’t anyone come up with a universal solution to the problem? A “one fix suits all” plan.  I mean we’re all built / constructed on the same principles.

We all have the same number of muscles and bones, internal organs and so on. But that’s where the similarities end. We have different jobs and positions; we work out differently and with different modalities (if we work out). We all have different fears and other issues. Furthermore, there is a huge lack of help offered by the community regarding back pain in general. Forget about the “health care carousel”, if you have back pain, you need to go to an ‘alternative’ therapist. It doesn’t really matter if this is a chiropractor, massage therapist or similar. What matters is their approach to healing and health.

Why and not What (Cause not Symptoms)
Unfortunately, most therapists focus on what should be done to relieve the pain you are in when you walk through their door.
A masseur massages and uses a particular technique “What”. In college he/she was taught to massage, and of course, that is what they focus on, what to do. But this doesn’t automatically answer the more prominent question “Why”.

Why did the back pain occur in the first place?  By focusing on What is wrong and then How to treat, i.e. which technique to use, you will never get to the bottom of Why the pain occurs.

Find a therapist that works from the other direction, starting with why and working their way “outwards”.
What kind of diplomas the therapist or doctor displays on their wall is of a lesser importance. Find a therapist who dares to ask the question why.