Hi, Nathan your Friendly Neighbourhood Osteopath here.
As an Osteopath, you may think of me as immune to back pain. Like how Superman is impervious to bullets or how America is to gun logic.
But unfortunately not.
Recently I injured my back playing hockey.
The reason I am confessing my vulnerability to the plague of lower back pain is to emphasize a point. Something that I hope will help and reassure back pain sufferers in future…
Back pain affects us all and it really messes with your head!
The worry of how you’ll continue to work, to pay the bills and to do the general bits and pieces that are expected of you on a day-to-day basis.
As a musculoskeletal specialist I feel I have a good grasp on the human body. How it functions, how it goes wrong and how to treat it.
However, I still found myself worrying and thinking the worst in those early stages…
Immediately after the injury was a 1h30 drive to a friend’s place. I was uncomfortable the whole time. It consumed my every thought. I had to cancel the hockey game I was playing later that day. My friends did their best to make me feel comfortable, but to little avail.
It was uncomfortable to sit. To stand. To shower. To take my shoes off. To put them on.
It really starts to get to you.
It has now been 3 weeks since the injury.
In that time, I’ve had 4 sessions with my friend and Osteopath Tristan who works here at Body Consultancy. I have been doing regular exercises we felt would be beneficial since week 2. The first week was hard going but knowing this I gave myself time to recover and continued as normal, minus any excessive training. I did a slow run last week and played a full game of hockey over the weekend with little problem.
This is why seeking therapy is vital in the early stages after an injury. Getting that reassurance that things will improve. Having treatment that is therapeutic and takes the focus away from the pain. Coming up with a plan to get things right.
Through my injury I was able to understand from the patient’s point of view, your point of view. The worry, the frustration, the agony. And I will be there to see you through this journey of recovery, as I truly know how hard it can be.
All the best in your health,
Nathan
Your Friendly Neighborhood Osteopath