What your doc DOESN’T KNOW about back pain
No disease, infection, illness or anything out there will STUMP your doc quite like back pain.
If you’ve had your own battles with back pain… you’ve probably already noticed that!
Except most docs will never, ever admit they’re BAFFLED.
No, friend, they’d much rather BLAME YOU than reveal they don’t know what to do.
In fact, they’ll give you one of the most INSULTING referrals you could possibly imagine.
They’ll send you to a SHRINK!
Now, a new report actually gives docs cover on this – it claims to spot the “best” psychological therapies for people with back pain.
But one look at the details reveals the truth: NONE of them TRULY work in the long run!
The new study looks at a laundry list of psychological treatments for patients with chronic low back pain… supposedly to help docs make better referrals instead of throwing up their hands.
I’m sure docs will be THRILLED.
Patients? Not so much – because in reality, there’s just ONE brief upside to them.
If you truly BELIEVE in these treatments…
If you’re really CONVINCED you’re on right path…
You could enjoy a brief honeymoon period of relief.
The study shows, for example, how cognitive behavioral therapy could help a bit for up to two months after you start treatment.
This is PURE placebo effect, which is especially powerful for many forms of pain.
But that means you might get the same benefit from wishing on a star… which is a whole lot CHEAPER!
The proof is in the numbers — because the benefits don’t last.
In fact, only two forms of psychological treatments had any LASTING effect on pain… and NEITHER ONE is truly fully psychological.
Both behavioral therapy and pain education delivered some benefits…
And it’s no doubt because they both focus on SPOTTING causes of pain… and working to AVOID or ELIMINATE them.
The rest of the lot? Well, they’re just fancier versions of the “all in your head” excuse docs like to throw at you… when the real problem is that THEY can’t figure out the actual cause of your pain.
You don’t need a shrink in those cases. You need a new doctor!
The crazy part of this is that the same docs who send you to a shrink won’t even MENTION a chiropractor or acupuncturist — even though either one could do a heckuva lot more for your barking back than a psychotherapist ever will.
The downside to those is that you generally don’t get relief right away. It takes a few weeks or more to finally start to feel better… and it’s no fun while you wait.
So I’d combine one of those with some other more immediate options… including a heat pack (this simple treatment is often VERY effective)… as well as topical creams and ointments based on proven ingredients…
Such as MSM… DMSO… capsaicin… and/or menthol.
They typically smell nice, and work fast.
And if those don’t work… you can look into a natural age-fighting steroid hormone I’ve shared with you before, called pregnenolone.
In Your Corner,
Dr. Allan Spreen,
Source:
“Study sheds light on psychological therapies for chronic low back pain” – MedicalXpress (3/30/22)
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-psychological-therapies-chronic-pain.html
