When your back sends you a “message”... listen.

Have you ever had back pain?  If you thought to yourself yes, you are not alone.  Whether you are an olympic athlete or a sedentary person, at some point in your life you will probably experience some sort of back pain.

I asked 5 random people at the GLP if they had ever had back pain and all answered yes. Did you know back pain is one of the common complaints to healthcare professionals?

Your back has a lot going on behind you.  It consists of 33 vertebrae.  There are 7 cervical or neck area vertebrae, 12 thoracic or middle vertebrae, 5 lumbar or lower vertebrae, the sacral hip area bones and coccyx or tailbone.  So think to yourself during the warm up or cool down, we are doing a table top thoracic rotation, which part of your back is rotating?  Yes, the middle.

Not only does your back have all those bones, it also has muscles and ligaments .  Some of the main terms you may hear your coaches say may be trapezius, latissimus dorsi, or elevator scapulae.  There are also tendons and ligaments back there which are also important in stability, flexion and extension of the back and body.

Is pain a bad word? 

While no one wants to experience pain, it is certainly not a bad word. It is a way for your body to tell you “Yo dawg, I am barking because something is up!  I am sending you a “message.”   We start to look at pain as a message from the body to you.   We  need to listen and communicate to ourselves and those others interested like coaches, family and doctors or practitioners etc.

Your “message” may come in many forms, it could be sharp, dull, shooting, aching, or nagging.  It could be chronic, lasting more than 6 months, or acute, which is a more brief pain.  Your “message” could come in the form of a strain which is likely muscle or tendon related.  It could be a sprain which is more like over stretching or tearing of a ligament.  Fractures and herniated discs may be your “message”.    

Are you now wondering how to avoid getting a “message”?  Although back pain may be inevitable at some point like all injuries or body happenings, there are preventable measures you can take. Simple things we can do each day to help are….
get good rest, drink water, strength train and stay mobile.  (Does any of that sound familiar Challengers?!)

What do you do if your back sends you the “message”?  Talk to one of your coaches or professionals which may be a chiropractor, nurse practitioner, holistic therapist.  Whatever your preference, come up with a plan and stick to it.  Your “message” is like a subpoena, you are not stoked on it but you shouldn’t avoid it.

Remember, a muscle relaxer and Netflix may seem nice at first but your body wants to be mobile so receive your “message” and take action!  Ain’t nobody got time for back pain!