A gentleman recently visited Leyton Osteopaths with intense back pain. It began when he shifted some furniture at home. Instantly he knew something wasn’t right. After waiting three or four days and realising it wasn't resolving of its own accord - he decided to pay us a visit at Leyton Osteopathy.
On examining him it became clear he had strained a muscle in his back. When I told him this he was relieved,but shocked that it wasn’t something more serious.
An important lesson here is that pain isn’t always a good indicator of the extent of an injury.
If you've ever had a paper cut you will relate to this. Muscle spasm is another prime example - it can be horrendously painful but when the spasm stops, there's rarely damage to the muscle.
It was interesting to see how much more at ease this back pain patient at Leyton Osteopathy was when he understood that his injury wasn’t as severe as he’d thought.
Key Message: The fear of what might be and our beliefs about pain can increase its intensity. Don't suffer in silence, if in doubt - get it checked out.