08.1 Setting Goals to Boost Your Recovery from Back Pain - Part 1

My Back Recovery: Recovering from Chronic Low Back Pain

8.1 Setting Goals to Boost Your Recovery from Back Pain - Part 1

What we should aim for in our recovery process and how setting the right goals can help us with that.

What to aim for

The most effective treatments for low back pain include exercise or multidisciplinary rehabilitation (also see Episode 06).

Passive treatments, on the other hand, have not been demonstrated to induce long-term improvements.1

1. Physical Activity and Therapeutic Exercise 2,3,4,5

This is what we know what will help in the long term. Increasing activity. Developing a set of active coping strategies.

2. Improve Sleep5

Improving sleep also makes total sense, since over 50% of people living with chronic pain suffer from depression and there is a strong correlation between quality of sleep and depression. And depression has an impact on your recovery process.5

"Presenting, persistent, and developing sleep problems have a significant impact on recovery for those with LBP"6

According to the "2015 sleep in america poll", making sleep a priority is linked to better sleep, even among those with pain. Setting the right goals has a direct impact on your life.7

Check out the videos of the national sleep foundation about sleep and chronic pain:

Sleep and Pain: Beat the Cycle and Improve Your Sleep Today

https://sleep.org/articles/sleep-pain-beat-cycle-improve-sleep/

Chronic Pain and Sleep

https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-problems/pain-and-sleep

What is Sleep Hygiene

https://sleep.org/articles/sleep-hygiene/

3. Manage Stress5

Relaxation is an integral component of cognitive behavioral treatment programs for chronic pain.8

-formal interventions are for example: therapy, counceling classes, support group,

relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, breathing exercices, autogenic trainingcreative activity....-

There is a lot of research how people living with chronic pain can benefit from meditation and relaxation techniques. Watch out for the next episode!

Part 1 of this episode examined what you should be aiming for in your recovery and why this is important.

Part-2 will show you proven techniques that help you in achieving what you aim for.

find out more on www.mybackrecovery.com

Literature:

1. Scheermesser M, Bachmann S, Schämann A, et al. A qualitative study on the role of cultural background in patients’ perspectives on rehabilitation. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2012;13(5):5. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-13-5.
2. Sackett DL, Rosenberg WMC, Gray JAM, et al. Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn’t. 1996. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2007;455:3-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17340682. Accessed December 16, 2012.
3. Manske RC, Lehecka BJ. Evidence - based medicine/practice in sports physical therapy. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2012;7(5):461-473. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3474298&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract. Accessed December 16, 2012.
4. Jette DU, Bacon K, Batty C, et al. Evidence-based practice: beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of physical therapists. Phys Ther. 2003;83(9):786-805. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12940766. Accessed October 5, 2012.
5. Hooten W, Timming R, Belgrade M, et al. Assessment and Management of Chronic Pain.; 2013.
6. Pakpour AH, Yaghoubidoust M, Campbell P. Persistent and developing sleep problems: a prospective cohort study on the relationship to poor outcome in patients attending a pain clinic with chronic low back pain. Pain Pract. 2017:1-2. doi:10.1111/papr.12584.
7. 2015 Sleep in America Poll. Sleep Heal. 2015;1(2):e14-e375. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2015.02.005.
8. Morley S, Williams A. New Developments in the Psychological Management of Chronic Pain. CanJPsychiatry. 2015;6060(44):168-175.