Who should I see 1st for my back pain is an excellent question. It is one thought about by many as each year millions suffer with a new episode of back pain.
Often people’s 1st inclination is to check out Dr. Google. Only problem is, there is so much out there, it is hard to know exactly what is going to work. Frequently the next stop is still on the internet- crowdsourcing friends on how to treat their pain. Because everyone who has ever experienced some injury thinks they know just how to solve the problem. Trouble is, back pain is highly complex and individualized that the advice of others tends not to solve the issue.
Eventually many people will seek assistance from their PCP…because they think their general practice doctor will have an answer. The problem once again is a PCP is great at handling medical issues, but not complex musculoskeletal issues such as back pain. Too often patients are told to take medication (band-aide), go get an x-ray (doesn’t tell anyone how to treat it), told to just live with it (not really a good answer), or told to go see an orthopedic (more time wasted because issue not likely surgical in nature).
Others still will seek the care of a chiropractor and for some that works. BUT…frequent or lifetime adjustments shouldn’t be needed if the root cause was addressed. Additionally if relief is temporary then more work is needed. Massage therapists are great as well…provided the relief just isn’t short-lived. Unfortunately, temporary relief is common because more is at play then just tight muscles.
Where does that leave us?
With a muscle and joint specialist, one who focuses on optimizing movement and maximizing function. These specialists thoroughly examine their patients to learn the root cause of the issue. From there, a specific action plan is created to address the cause of the back pain and help the individual regain their quality of life minus the pain.
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