Injury Prevention

Healing chronic pain requires eliminating the repetitive stressors that contribute to your condition. On a physical level, that means learning to accomplish the daily tasks of living with conscious attention to posture and body mechanics. Getting in and out of bed, brushing your teeth, washing dishes, sitting at a computer, picking up your child. These stop aggravating your pain once you use and protect your body properly.

If you have a physical job that involves a lot of bending and lifting, learning to move efficiently is essential. So is building and keeping the strength the job demands. You may be lifting properly, but if the load exceeds your muscle capacity, your form will not save you.

Injury prevention also means learning to recognize the emotional triggers that set off pain. When you tune into how your body responds to stress, a pattern often appears. A pain cycle can be broken when treatment addresses the underlying causes rather than the flare.

As part of a comprehensive pain management program, you may benefit from:

• Instruction in proper body mechanics for daily activities
  • Bending and lifting
  • Changing positions in bed
  • Sitting, and moving from sitting to standing
  • Picking up a small child
  • Making a bed and vacuuming
  • Leaning over a sink to shave or brush your teeth
• Ergonomic assessment and correction of your home or office
• Movement re-education for work related activities
• Deep breathing exercises
• General conditioning and strengthening