Unfortunately, we have recently seen a spike in the number of clients suffering with lower back pain.
The biggest thing that bothers us the most as therapists is seeing our clients suffer for so long before they seek help!
I wanted to share with you the untalked real impact of lower back pain on your life…..
Warning – this is likely to be triggering!!!…..but this is important….. the impact of lower back pain is often overlooked. Leaving you feeling alone, helpless and misunderstood!
The real impact is something I have seen too many times in my 20 plus years as a Sports Physiotherapist. This will resonate with many people.
The good news, there is hope, there is a different path.
The reality is the impact of prolonged lower back pain extends significantly beyond your physical health.
Your physical health will suffer, there is no doubt but the impact on yourself and your family is rarely talked about.
Impact 1: The impact on your mental health
Ongoing lower back pain takes its toll on your mindset, your mental health and your vitality.
- When you lose trust in your body, you feel like you must succumb to the injury.
- You feel fragile, you feel like you have aged dramatically in a short period of time!
- This flows on to feelings of helplessness and lack of control.
One of the key humans needs is certainty and with prolonged lower back pain you lose certainty in your body.
This will flow on to impacting your mental resilience.
It is common for you to have feelings of anxiety, fear and having doubts about what you can do.
It can be a vicious cycle.
Let’s change this.
The reality is with a clear diagnosis, a clear plan, education and empowerment all of this can change.
Step by step you can take the right actions.
This leads to results, which then leads to a change in your thoughts and beliefs.
A positive cycle then ensues.
Impact 2: The impact on your physical health
When you have ongoing lower back pain the impact on you is dramatic.
You end up playing it small, and it’s not your fault!
What have you said no to because of your back pain?
The reality is, you lose trust in your body.
- This flows on to you avoiding going for walks, going to the gym, getting out in the garden and playing with your child.
- You want to kick the football with your son, or play netball with your daughter, but just don’t have the confidence to do so. Or, if you do you will “pay” for it the next day with a sore back.
- You lose your strength, your back has less support and you lose control of what you can do. This leaves you frustrated, anxious and in a vicious cycle.
You are not alone and this is normal. At Freedom we see this all the time! We listen to your story, we will provide you with a clarity, hope and a solution.
In turn you take back control of the direction you’re going in.
Impact 3: The impact on your loved ones
The uncertainty that comes with lower back pain flows on to impact your family.
This comes with the conversations and topics you discuss with your partner.
- “Oh, is your back sore again”.
- “You need to get that looked at”.
- “I thought you got that all sorted”?
Deep down your partner cares for you and wants the best for you.
The reality is persistent lower back pain will impact your partner and the quality of life you have with him/her.
When this cycle continues, the reality is, it impacts the choices and decision you can make as a couple and as a family.
- With persistent lower back pain, you know certain activities will aggravate your pain. So you typically will avoid doing that activity.
- This can be activities such as hiking, running, kicking a football or getting out in the garden.
- These are activities that can benefit the connection you establish with your partner and your children.
You take these activities away it impacts your ability to be the parent you want to be, the partner you want to be. The result is stagnation and frustration.
The flow on effect from this, is your partner needs to pick up the slack leading to guilt and resentment.
They need to do more around the house, they need to spend more time taking children to their sport and weekend activities.
Eventually, it can flow on to having a financial impact in your family due to a reduced working capacity, further impacting the pressure placed onto your partner and family.
It is time for change, right?
Continued lower back pain will affect your choices, your family and loved ones and even your finances.
And I don’t want that for you.
I want you to feel in control, out of pain, making choices that are positive to you and your family.
I want you to be feeling confident and resilient to put this behind you.
Listen, I hope this was helpful
P.S: Have you had enough of the impact persistent lower back pain is having on you and your family?
