WILL SNOWBOARDING HURT MY BACK?
“Dr. G will snowboarding hurt my back or undo the work that we’ve done?” asked a longtime friend of mine after a couple weeks of treatment. “Well….”
Let’s back up a bit. Today’s topic is very relatable for most of us. The reason I say that is because most of us want to get out of pain. But, I like to ask patients what is there WHY? The answer is usually clear.
I want to go:
- snowboarding
- surfing
- golfing
- exercise
- travel
- get back to work
You get the picture! It’s rarely about the pain but more about the WHY!
In this blog we will talk about this patient’s condition, how we approached it clinically and his WHY!
Jeff (as we will call him) is a 50 something year-old that is fitter than most 30-year-olds! I have known him for over 20 years. He is about 5’11” and 170 pounds but can lift more than twice his bodyweight. He texts me a few weeks ago asking for my advice after having his back seize up while lacing his snowboard boots.
Jeff came in slightly hunched and leaning to one side. He did not look comfortable to say the least.
Following a detailed history and exam, I was confident that we came up with a good plan of attack! Actually, two plans of attack. Short term and long term. The short term was less pain and the ability to return to work which involved a lot of bending, heavy lifting and twisting. The long term was back to the slopes.
The treatment plan included joint manipulation and electrical stimulation for two weeks for the acute pain and a very simple rehab protocol for mobility that he was to perform on his own every day.
We had very quick results. The main reason was his compliance to the home exercise care plan. Not only was he 95% pain free but he was actually snowboarding within two weeks!
Jeff was beyond ecstatic. Not because he was out of pain but because he achieved his WHY!