I have many women patients who say they havecompletely given up exercise because the pain makesthem so miserable.But of course that starts up avicious circle.Bed rest,giving up exercise and painkillers are traditional responses to back painbut,although there are many excellent drugs on themarket,at our clinic we are beginning to realise theunique benefits of relaxation therapy.Otherspecialists in the field make a strong case for certaintypes of exercise,but in our experience they areeasily mishandled and can lead to more harm thangood.
Now,let's look at some of the reasons why back pain is developing into such a uniquemenace.In general,the body is pretty good at self-repair.A strain or a blow to a limb,thoughpainful at the time,generally resolves itself.But the body's response to back injury can be verycounter-productive.When pain strikes,we attempt to keep the back as immobile aspossible,which makes the muscles tense up.Research shows that they often go intospasm,which causes further twisting of the spine.A vicious circle is underway.