As a practicing chiropractor of 39 years, I’ve treated thousands of patients for traditional lower back pain. However, since COVID-19 started in early 2020, I’ve found that a growing number of patients have lower back pain due to inactivity associated with the pandemic. This article describes a patient who had a worsening, downward spiral of lower back pain and obesity and how chiropractic care reversed this problem.
Elisha, a 40-year-old female had significant lower back pain which had initially began, and gradually increased, over the past 2 years. She also noted that she had also gained weight during that time period, going from 135 pounds to 195 pounds. Before COVID-19, she had been religious about going to her health club early in the morning, before work, to lift weights and perform cardio exercises.
When Covid began her gym was shut down, so she halted her regular workout routine. Additionally, her workplace was locked down and she found herself stuck at home with little physical activity, and a high temptation of easy access to junk food in her kitchen and Door Dash pizza delivery.
Before seeing me, she had gone to her health insurance network’s urgent care, and a nurse practitioner told her to begin exercising and lose weight, with the logic it would solve her lower back pain. However, increased exercise only worsened her lower back pain, making it impossible for her to continue physical activity.
When she came to my office, I agreed that physical activity and exercise would help her with her obesity weight gain. However, Doctors of Chiropractic are trained to look at the WHOLE PERSON. A physical examination showed that Elisha had spinal misalignments of the lower back, causing pinched nerves and irritated joints. The exercise the nurse practitioner recommended, was aggravating her lower back every time she engaged in physical activity.
We commenced with safe, practical, chiropractic care, to realign her lower back spinal vertebrae and eliminate irritated joints and pinched nerves.
Within several weeks chiropractic treatment gave Elisha complete lower back pain relief. Then, we discussed her returning to her gym, with a REASONABLE plan of exercise to GRADUALLY regain her conditioning, lose weight and get back to a normal pre-Covid life.
Elisha and I have corresponded by emails over the past few months. She’s told me she is thrilled to be back at her gym for her early morning workouts, which she tolerates well, and has lost 25 pounds. I’m pleased that she is back in control of her health, regaining good habits, and is on the road to a long term, reinvigorated, happy lifestyle.
See your McKnight Road chiropractor for neck and back pain relief. See this site for information about a pain relief chiropractor near me.
Dr. James Schofield 