What is Back pain
Most of us think of back pain as sharp pain that can happen with lifting or bending forward. Back pain can feel like someone pinching you or it could be as bad as a sharp knife in our back . Some of us have experienced variations of this and really do not know what we have done.
Back pain is perceived by our nervous system and interpreted by our brain. If our nervous system senses that something is wrong it sends an electrical impulse to the spinal cord and brain. The speed of the impulse can vary in travel time. If the back pain is dull then it will travel at a slow speed to the brain while severe back pain travels at faster rate to the brain to warn you that something is seriously wrong.
Once pain messages arrive at your brain, the brain quickly interprets the messages of pain. The limbic center of the brain also produces emotions such as anxiety, fear or frustration that often accompany back pain. It’s at this point that you actually begin to feel back pain.
Your brain reacts to the back pain messages by locating the source of the injury, assessing the damage and determining a course of action. Pain is individual for everyone and must be respected and taken care of. Pain is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong to make sure you are listening.
For more information contact Ultimate Sports Therapy at info@ultimatesportstherapy.com or visit us at www.ultimatesportstherapy.com
Carolyn Zepf,
Athletic Therapist, Osteopathy Student.