Liminality. A time of waiting. A time of transition. The holidays have many of us waiting and transitioning to holiday get-togethers and a new year. Back pain has some of us Southern New Hampshire back pain and neck pain sufferers transitioning and waiting on a state of pain relief, too. The waiting is at times the hardest part. Waiting for the big holiday and waiting for the relief of back pain or neck pain are accompanied by anticipation. Exercising, breathing, and walking are beneficial ways to deal with the liminality. New Hampshire Spine and Sport is right there with our Southern New Hampshire chiropractic patients as they wait.
HOW TO HELP YOURSELF THROUGH BACK PAIN’S LIMINALITY
Back pain specialists will frequently suggest ice/heat/exercise for home care. New studies are showing that deep breathing exercises (especially the pursed-lips version which patients reported to be more calming and pleasant with a more sense of control) (1), diaphragmatic deep breathing (6 breaths per minute for 10 minutes two times a day for a month effectively produced positive outcomes to enhance autonomic function by decreasing sympathetic activity) (2), and long-distance walking (which allocated time to be in a ‘liminal space’ to contemplate on one’s struggles, relish some calmness, and embrace current feelings) (3) are useful. New Hampshire Spine and Sport encourages any of these practices to boost the healing, pain-relieving process with Southern New Hampshire chiropractic services.
LIMINALITY IN BACK PAIN AND SCIATICA CARE
A fascinating outcome from a study performed in the UK - SCOPiC (SCiatica Outcomes in Primary Care) – explained the thoughtful state of ‘liminality’ many sciatica or sciatic leg pain sufferers employ to manage their pain and its path to recovery. Researchers interviewed low back and sciatica sufferers. Sciatica is accompanied by its own unique group of issues in terms of its persistence and symptom severity. Researchers explained the concept of “biographical suspension” as it related to sciatica patients who tend to put life on hold while expecting an eventual return to their prior, pain-free selves, holding onto hope while also managing worry. This is a type of ‘liminality’, the time between pre- and post-pain, bolstered by a belief that sciatica is temporary and fixable, not a long-term illness. Even those who had sciatic leg pain for a while kept this belief. (4) New Hampshire Spine and Sport is often awestruck by the persistence of back pain and leg pain sufferers to discover something that works for them. They oftentimes consult a variety of healthcare providers and try many different approaches as they just know there is help. Southern New Hampshire back pain and Southern New Hampshire leg pain patients are often relieved when they get to New Hampshire Spine and Sport as we take the time to clearly explain the spinal problem, its treatment, its expected outcome, and its treatment plan including the frequency of visits and the expected timeframe for relief. The 50% Rule guides both: 50% subjective relief (how you feel) along with 50% objective relief (via specific test findings) decrease the treatment plan frequency by 50% (ex: daily visits turn to every other day). New Hampshire Spine and Sport constantly monitors the back and leg pain sufferer’s progress toward pain relief with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT New Hampshire Spine and Sport
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Robert Patterson on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares the role of patient expectations in their pain relief via The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your next Southern New Hampshire chiropractic appointment soon. Waiting while transitioning from pain to pain-relief is a time of hope mixed with a little worry. New Hampshire Spine and Sport understands this and has the experience in walking this path with our low back pain and sciatica patients. Liminality need not be endured alone!