Clearly, I’ve been in the car too much lately because I’ve come across another NPR nugget to share. This story features a primary care physician who “prescribed” a YouTube video for a patient complaining of low back pain. The video is from Dr. Mike Evans, famous for his whiteboard drawings about many different health topics (and featured on this blog before).
Dr. Evans begins the video by saying that low back pain is extremely common; in fact, it is one of the top 2 reasons why people go to the doctor, and it accounts for 40% of all missed work days. He goes on to describe a variety of low back pain conditions and ultimately suggests how you can create a “Back Resilience Plan” to prevent recurrence. Summed up in three words, Dr. Evans’ conclusion is that in most cases, “Movement is Medicine.” Check the video out here:
In the NPR story, the patient who viewed this video at her doctor’s recommendation returned to the office for her next appointment with a success story of her own.
-Katie Huffman
Click here for another post from The Connection on improving low back pain.
Thank you for the lower back pain presentation. I injured my back over three years ago. I had a MRI which revealed a slipped disc. Two times, including immediately after the injury, I’ve taken Prednisone. The key to my recovery is exercise and a positive attitude. I’ve focused on core strength training. I’m aware that I can injure my back again at any time, I try to use common sense in what I lift and how I lift an object.
Sounds like you have a resilient back plan of your own! Thanks for sharing your experience.