Hidden Symptoms
When you have a pervasive problem such as chronic pain, the answer is often complex. It's rarely one solution but that hasn't stopped the Internet from becoming a bottomless pit of "one-stop" answers that will miraculously cure your ills. There are trendy Diets and cool fascia tools. There are the latest exercises to “engage your glutes” and the ever-present foam roller. They have their place, most of the time. But they can’t possibly compete with the everyday habits that form our lives.
Every exercise program, whether rehab or performance-driven, depends on your baseline health to determine just how much progress you will make. Changing your chronic pain often involves a close inspection of daily habits. It takes making a consistent effort to create lasting results. It's not sexy and it doesn't have a name beyond "Lifestyle".
With that being said, I can’t tell you how many times I have been the first health care provider to ask a patient in-depth questions about their daily health. There is no doubt that you sat in a waiting room and checked off boxes on a form regarding sleep, depression, and smoking to name a few. But how often has your physician followed up with “Tell me more about….”?
As a physical therapist, my job is to guide you towards optimal functional movement. This often involves determining the source of your pain, providing manual care to work through the sticking points, and coaching you through exercises that should resolve the issue. This can be challenging, especially in chronic conditions. It becomes an uphill battle when I fail to catch underlying detrimental health habits.
During an episode of PT Pintcast, physical therapist Brett Neilson shared his thoughts about the role health care providers SHOULD be playing in their patients’ progress. "What if addressing the foundational issues of health,” he mused, “could better prepare people to actually start moving and doing the things we're actually trying to get them to do?".
These are not quick fixes. They are not a promise to be the "cure-all" that will end your pain. However, if you are living with any kind of chronic condition- back pain, migraines, arthritis, whatever- these are questions that should be asked. The answers could be the key to why your pain is what it is. At the very least, they could be blocking you from making the progress you should be making.
They are the Hidden Symptoms.
