Category: Back Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
A back injury can very easily turn into chronic symptoms if you’re not careful. But what causes an acute injury to become a chronic condition, and perhaps more importantly, what can you do to prevent back pain from becoming chronic? We answer those questions and more in today’s blog on why back pain can become chronic if you’re not careful.
When Acute Back Pain Becomes Chronic
An acute back injury rarely becomes chronic for one singular reason, so know that the factors we discuss below all play a role in chronic pain onset, but there’s likely more than one issue at play. That’s why it’s so important to manage an acute back injury with a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses some of these factors, which will in turn reduce your risk of pain becoming chronic. With that said, here are some of the reasons that a minor back injury can develop into chronic symptoms.
- No Treatment/Passive Treatment – Rest can be great for an injured back in the beginning, but it should not be the only thing you’re doing for your spine. Regardless of your injury, eventually you are going to need to work to restrengthen or remobilize areas of your spine that have been weakened as a result of the injury or the decrease in activity, and that will only happen with active treatments like physical therapy, exercise or controlled stretching techniques. If you ignore the injury or you simply hope to take over-the-counter pain medications and lay in bed until symptoms are gone, you’re at a much greater risk that the underlying problem will linger and potentially become chronic.
- Mechanical Issues/Posture – Our spines handle a lot of stress each and every day, and if you have poor spinal alignment, your back is going to be forced to handle additional strain at all times. Poor posture or an unhealthy spinal alignment can not only be the root cause of your initial back discomfort, but it can also lead to symptom persistence. Work with a professional to address your posture or your athletic form to ensure your spine isn’t taking on additional strain when it doesn’t need to. A doctor, a physical therapist, an athletic trainer or a personal trainer can all help to assess and address mechanical issues or posture problems that are causing or worsening your back pain.
- Age/Degeneration – Your age and the natural wear and tear you’ve put on your body over the years can also play a role in whether or not an acute injury becomes a chronic problem. Older patients with more severe spinal arthritis or spinal disc degeneration may find it more difficult to overcome back pain or prevent it from becoming chronic because of structural loss in the spine. You can’t regrow protective cartilage or naturally restore spinal disc height, and if these issues are contributing to your back pain, it’s going to be more challenging to get a hold on it. Getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, staying hydrated and getting consistent sleep can provide a more ideal environment for your spine to help slow down the natural degeneration process, which may help to alleviate or minimize symptoms.
- Rushing Back To Activity – Far too often when rehabbing an injury, people end up settling for “good enough.” Although they may not be fully recovered, they feel good enough to return to work or high impact physical activities, and their body isn’t quite ready for this workload just yet. Either this can lead to a setback or it can simply prevent the back from finishing that final stage of recovery, causing symptoms to linger. Don’t settle for good enough when it comes to back pain, make sure you see your rehab through to the end and be smart about gradually increasing your activity level until you’re back to full fitness.
- Physiological Components – Finally, it’s important to recognize how intertwined your mental and physical health are when it comes to overcoming back pain. A back injury that leaves you physically limited can be very isolating, which can contribute to negative emotions like anxiety and depression that can get in the way of a healthy recovery. Make sure that you’re not ignoring your mental health as you work to recover from the physical side effects of a back injury. Stay connected with others, engage your brain frequently, seek out regular exercise and talk with your doctor about any negative thoughts or feelings you’re experiencing so that your mental health doesn’t cause problems for your physical recovery.
Twin Cities Spine Surgery
If you keep all these factors in mind and you trust your care to an experienced physician like Dr. Sinicropi, we’re confident that you’ll have a higher likelihood of preventing your back problem from turning into a chronic issue. For more information, or for answers to specific questions about your back health, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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