Emotional outlook and stress, not structural concerns, are the No. 1 factor for back pain, according to a study from Stanford University.
ATLANTA—Back pain is an epidemic and Dr. Todd Sinett, a New York-based chiropractor and author of 3 Weeks to a Better Back, says we’ve been taking the wrong approach treating it.
“We have a high-tech and high-intervention model that is not working,” he says. “I don’t believe back pain is all that complicated. The reason we have this epidemic is we only look at a third of the diagnosis.”
Sinett says back pain is a symptom of an overall inflammatory problem that is either structural, nutritional or digestive, or emotional. Most evaluation and treatment for back pain is focused on structural concerns, but emotional outlook and stress is the No. 1 factor for back pain, according to a study from Stanford University, he said. Issues with nutrition or digestion can result in chemical imbalances that lead to inflammation and back pain.
Dr. Gail Wanyo, an Atlanta-area chiropractor for 30 years, says many people just don’t understand the chemistry of the body.
“Imagine the circuit breaker in your home is the energy to the room, that is your spine,” she says. “If you are in a room and you have too many hair dryers going and your kid comes in and turns on a stereo, your circuit breaker shuts itself off before there is a fire. The body does the same thing.”
People may be more susceptible to back pain during the holidays because it is a time when many individuals are experiencing stress and straying from their diets, Sinett said. Many sufferers think their pain has come on suddenly, but back pain tends to accumulate over time. It is less likely that you will experience some sort of trauma that hurts your back and more likely that you’ve ignored nagging issues all along.
When the pain hits, the first impulse is to go to the doctor’s office, and that could be a mistake.
“Our treatments are based on what doctor’s office you wind up in rather than the true cause of your problem,” Sinett says.
If you go to a chiropractor, you’ll be treated for structural problems, but if excessive stress is the cause of your back pain, you may be better off seeing a psychiatrist.
Sinett walks readers through a self-evaluation designed to help them pinpoint the cause of their back pain. Once you know whether your pain comes from structural, emotional or digestive problems, Sinett provides at-home solutions as well as suggestions for which kind of doctor to see. Depending on the result of your evaluation, Sinett may suggest you seek assistance from a chiropractor, a gastroenterologist, a therapist or a biofeedback specialist.
There are exercises in the book designed to help those who need it balance their core or increase flexibility. Those who have problems with nutrition and digestion will find diet plans to help reduce back pain ranging from mild to severe.
Wanyo agrees it is important to develop individualized plans for treatment and for patients to take some responsibility. Many times, she says, they know what they should be doing, but they just don’t want to put in the effort. The basics can be done without seeing any doctor, she says.
“Drinking water is one of the best things you can do. It is the most impressive fluid out there,” Wanyo says. “Walking is free. Walk around your block three times. People are busy and exhausted, but if you move, the more you move, the less you get tired. There is something about it that kicks the switch.”
Whether back pain sufferers have felt pain for a few days or a few years, Sinett says the pain can be relieved, and it shouldn’t take very long to see results. He is frustrated by a health community that encourages patients to believe back pain is a way of life.
“Why are we not putting together a blue-ribbon panel of all the people who treat back pain to figure out why our results are so poor?” Sinett says. “We spend $80 billion a year, but we just keep seeing more and more back pain.”
A helpful exercise
Dr. Todd Sinett’s book 3 Weeks to a Better Back contains exercises to help readers balance their core or increase flexibility.
The Standing Side Twist is an exercise for beginners to help balance their core. The exercise works the oblique muscles: 1. Stand up with hands on hips. 2. With feet stationary, twist the abdomen to one side and hold for five seconds. 3. Twist the body to the other side. 4. Repeat 12 times.
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