Have you ever tried to get out of bed, and when you turn to your side and try to jump out of bed like every morning you hear, ‘Pop!’ And right after you have to sit down again quickly. After gaining your composure you reach for the phone and call your back pain doctor Rockville MD trusts. As the receptionist takes your information, they ask you those famous words, “How did you sustain the injury?”
You take a moment and you reply, “I was trying to get out of bed and suddenly I heard a loud pop.”
But wait a moment.
Did your back just suddenly go out without any signs and symptoms? Or was your body giving you hints and signs for days even months ahead of time and you didn’t notice them? For a moment let us examine the questions Chiropractors ask and why.
What hurts?
Oh, it seems like such a simple question, but that answer might be “everything,” or “I can’t really tell.” There are different types of pain on top of that including shooting, tingling, fire, sharp and dull, just to name a few. Why is it important to think about what type of pain you are in? Because with the nervous system it is hard to decipher what kind of pain you’re in right away. To help to distinguish the pain, ask yourself the following questions: Does the pain hurt all the time or only when I move the affected body part? Does the pain feel closer to the bone or more superficial? You should ask yourself these questions before you go the doctor to determine how you are doing, because sometimes people are in a rush to give an answer on the location, scale of pain, and type without giving a lot of thought to what they all mean. For instance, burning or tingling pain tends to be more of nerve impingement, but active movement and shooting pain is associated with structural impingement for certain movements.
Have you had the injury before?
Thinking about if the injury has occurred before can also determine what could be the problem or genus of the injury. How so? Examining the mechanism of the injury can highlight the culprit, such as a chronic improper movement that continues to re-injure the area.
Are you nauseous or do you have a fever?
Although this might seem unrelated to your injury, if you are having any sickness due to a cold or fever, a patient can exhibit signs and symptoms differently due to abnormal sensory information. Bottom line: While feeling under the weather, your body might send out the wrong information to what is really going on.
What have you done so far?
Without knowing what therapies a patient has done before, new therapy can either be redundant or it can give a clue to how a patient’s body responds to therapy.
What has worked in the past if you’ve had this injury ?
Although there is a protocol for several different kinds of injuries, each person reacts to treatment differently. Reflecting back on how each patient feels and reacts to modalities is key to every good recovery protocol for a patient.
Thinking about your pain and spending a few moments before going into the doctor’s office can make a world of difference when the doctor is planning and implementing therapy for a patient. Take a few moments to assess your pain before your next appointment.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Advanced Spine & Wellness for their insight into back pain injuries.