If you’re in pain, get a diagnosis from a doctor to rule out more serious forms of back pain like tumors, cardiac conditions, and disease.
Western Medicine's treatment for chronic pain does not work.
Your body is not broken and there's no surgery or chemical that's going to "fix" you like magic.
It's not that simple, folks.
Chronic pain is complex, and 85% of back pain is nonspecific, meaning doctors don't know the cause of pain!
Even if you do get a "quick fix" like surgery, you still have to manage your postsurgical back just as much as you would your nonsurgical back. (Low Back Disorders, Stuart McGill, pp. 14)
Did you know you can have a disc bulge with zero pain [Source 1]? It’s estimated about ⅓ of 20 year olds have a disc bulge without any pain, and that number climbs as we age [Source 2].
Imaging can lead to overdiagnosis and cause you to believe your spine is broken based on spine defects that are not even pain generators!
Western medicine is fantastic at healing life-threatening injuries, but the chronic pain solutions often only deal with the symptoms without ever identifying or addressing the underlying cause of pain.
Quick fix solutions like drugs or surgery have diminishing returns, and they keep you on a chronic pain cycle of injury and re-injury, and it's best to not start that path if at all possible.
My Experience with Chronic Pain
In 3rd grade is when it first started to feel like I couldn't sit still in my chair because my back was hurting. At age 16 a doctor diagnosed me with spinal stenosis, scoliosis, and a bulging disc using MRI images.
At age 21 a doctor diagnosed me with Degenerative Disc Disease based on x-ray images. He told me to “avoid lifting weights, running, and jumping, and hopefully it won’t get worse.” I avoided the things he told me and my back pain stayed the same.
Each time I visited a doctor they used expensive images to diagnose my pain, but not once did they ask about my lifestyle, teach me good posture, review my movement, or provide a specific cause for my pain.
Millions of people share this experience and it's incredibly disempowering when the most educated doctors tell you your pain is "in your head" or "nonspecific" because these are supposed to be the most educated experts!
It turns out doctors are only skilled at drugs and surgery, and must refer out for exercise or nutrition assistance. Exercise and nutrition are the foundation of good health, and most doctors receive almost zero education in either of these!
I have a long history of back pain, but I've also dealt with chronic pain in my knees, ankles, and shoulders. My passion for helping others comes from my experience of being in pain, receiving terrible advice from doctors, and being unable to find a functional solution.
It has taken years of study, practice, and repeated failure to get myself out of pain, and I'm now completely pain-free and every year I get stronger.
Now after helping hundreds of clients, I have developed a common sense solution to chronic pain using my system to identify "weak links" and habits causing microtrauma. This system is what I teach my clients.
Chronic Pain Solution
When we experience pain, injury, or disease, it’s our body sending a signal that something needs to change.
By discovering and replacing unhealthy habits the body heals itself without intervention.
Your body and brain must not break down as you age, rather it’s a product of poor habits. You're the cause of your pain, but you're also the solution!
People go to great lengths looking for an external “quick fix” to avoid changing their habits, but these external solutions address only the symptoms and not the causes.
The solution to your pain is internal, not external. You are powerful! You are in control! Other people can help, but YOU are the only person who can fix your chronic pain.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain is almost always made worse by one particular motion, posture, or load that the individual unknowingly repeats.
The solution? Change your habits! To Improve your pain you must change your behavior.
This might mean improving posture, getting more activity, or stretching daily. Each person is unique.
This is not a simple process and it isn't the answer most people want to hear, but it's the only thing that will lead to long term pain-free living.
Fitness Coaching Solution
At the foundation, the solution to chronic pain is problem solving. We identify patterns surrounding your chronic pain and adapt or replace poor habits with better ones. The first step is to begin building a list of things that improve or worsen your pain.
Guy goes to the doctor and says "Doc, each time I hit my head with a hammer it hurts."
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out the solution: Stop hitting your head!
If you have back pain, you probably have a good idea of what makes it worse. By writing down what you already know, it's easier to recognize patterns and find a solution.
Here are a few questions to answer as you compile your list.
Does the pain get better or worse depending on the time of day?
Are there particular activities or situations when you notice your pain more?
Does your pain worsen when stress increases or with the changing seasons?
Are certain muscles habitually tight or do you notice areas of your body that store tension?
Write down details to every pain you feel because these are pieces of the puzzle that is your chronic pain. Look for patterns in postures and movements so we can avoid triggering your pain and allow your body to recover. It’s a miracle how quickly you can heal yourself once you stop triggering your pain and adopt the right protocol.
After compiling your list, we then complete a series of strength and mobility tests to identify "weak links" that might be contributing to your pain.
I then customize a health and training program and teach which habits are most critical to become pain-free based on our assessment.
I'm able to provide my clients with clarity and save them years of wasted effort by focusing on what matters most to get results in a fraction of the time it would take them to do it on their own.
I'm currently traveling the world, and I offer online coaching. In March 2025 I'll be back to training in-person in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. If you're interested in either of these, schedule a consultation and get started today. I look forward to working with you.
Did you find this article useful? Share with a friend or comment below to let me know! - Tom
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