Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/121374
table lessons "The overwhelming odds are that your back pain is the sum total of multiple factors." Douglas Nelson Thinking of a way to get my point across, I offered up a crazy idea. "Here is the deal: I am going to see you for two to three sessions in the coming days. In less than two weeks, your back will feel substantially better. In about a month or so, you will have forgotten all about this pain episode. Sometime in the next six months, I am going to inform you that your task on that day will be to recreate this back pain within a 24-hour period. If you can do that, I will pay you $750. If you can't, then you owe me $750. Sound like a plan?" "No way," Mr. M. responded. "I don't think I could do that." "I'm pretty sure you couldn't," I replied. "That's why I'd bet $750 on it. My point is that you couldn't recreate this back pain even if you were paid to. There is no need to live in fear of possibly repeating some mysterious motion that will send your back into a spasm. A more reasonable approach is to resume your normal daily activities as much as possible. "The overwhelming odds are that your back pain is the sum total of multiple factors: carting heavy boxes into the attic, helping your friends move, then wrestling with plumbing under the sink for hours on end. The act of bending over to put on your socks was simply the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. In all probability, if you took out any one of those events, your back would not have spasmed. "When you are dancing on the edge, even a slight breeze can topple you. It takes all those factors to create your present circumstance—that's not likely to happen again anytime soon. Overprotective guarding of your back may actually do more harm than good." I could see Mr. M.'s face soften as his fear eased. Three sessions later, his back was doing just fine, and I haven't seen him for weeks. And I haven't made that $750 phone call; I don't think I need to! Douglas Nelson is the founder and principal instructor for Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars and president of the 16-therapist clinic BodyWork Associates in Champaign, Illinois. His clinic, seminars, and research endeavors explore the science behind this work. Visit www.nmtmidwest.com or email him at doug@nmtmidwest.com. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 37