What Does A Ferrari Have To Do With Persistent Lower Back Pain

Have you ever thought about how just a single repetitive daily movement might be the cause of persistent pain or why some of your physical body pain and discomfort keep recurring even after a successful treatment or a massage?

You have finally taken the time and made the effort to consult a therapist for your distressing body pain. As you walk out of the clinic you feel relaxed, well balanced and good until some of the symptoms return after only a few days.

Most likely you feel disappointed in the therapist and now consult another health practitioner in the hope that she/he will be able to help you, only to find the pain is returning and getting persistent.

In this case you most likely think that the treatment has been a waste of your time and you might even start to blame the therapist.

Or could it be that just one or a few of your daily unconcious repetitive movements are to blame?

Just that was the reason for a client of mine.

Last month I treated a man in his late forties; an executive banker who suffered lower back pain three months ago. He had gone from living a life – that before was a life full of pain-free white board meetings – that now was a life full of pain medication.

Unfortunately, the lower back pain returned after each treatment within a couple of days.

I was almost sure that something in his daily routine was triggering the persistent pain. Otherwise he wouldn’t experience two days of being free of pain.

I listened to his story. I asked if there was anything specific that recently had changed in his life.

He simply couldn’t recall any changes in his life style until he proudly exclaimed that he just three months preciously to his back symptoms had become the proud owner of a brand new red Ferrari.

Just then I almost knew for sure that we had found the culprit of the persistent pain. I was visualising him bending down and twisting his body each time having to get in and out of the very low shiny red Ferrari.

I released his lower back and pelvic and we spend a fair amount of time analysing body movements that would minimize physical effort or discomfort and hopefully prevent recurring muscle tension of the body.

A week later we talked on the phone. He sounded cheerful as he exclaimed that his lower back had improved. He told me that there no longer was persistent pain when driving his Ferrari and he was able to attend business meetings and gym classes with much more energy and better body mobility and stability.

It was as you can imagine, a moment of relief. It’s one that forever reminds me of the importance of taking the time to really listen and analyse each aspects of the client’s physical, emotional and social life. And it totally underpins my belief of paying attention and adapting to each individual client’s needs.

Do you have a similar experience? Please share it with us.