Accidents can happen when actions are taken without full knowledge. Similarly to the unguided decision of the person who caused the accident that injured your back, do not make an unguided decision for treatment.

A bruise, fever, limited range, sciatica pain, posture change, or balance and leg pain can all point to an undiscovered back injury. Meet with a general practitioner, such as a back pain specialist in Prescott AZ. They can recommend MRI, X-ray, CT scan, or other tests as needed and specialist doctors for the assessment and treatment recommendations.

Don’t take your slight back pain after a fall from your bicycle to a massage business without the approval of your doctor. Back pain therapy treatment can include a variety of options that fall into four phases. 

• Phase one addresses immediate mild, moderate, or severe pain mitigation. Similarly to the Richter Scale for earthquakes, pain levels increase by magnitude. A level 6 is 10x level 5, a level 7 is 10x level 6, and so on. At level 10, you are unconscious from pain, and emergency technicians will keep you in good hands. 
• Once the pain is under control, you can relax the deeper muscles that are trying to protect you and adjust to the injury. When your spinal discs slip or become herniated, the taught muscles take up the space in an instant and must be relaxed to ease those discs back in, sometimes like a tingling pop.
• Confirmation by repeating an MRI or CT scan will verify it is time to ease into range-of-motion exploration. I have witnessed this part go very badly at the first visit. Control your ability to be still. Do not try to heal quickly; there is no reward. Reward yourself with a gentle process to repair a violent injury. Do not push the envelope yet. The therapist does not know your range, nor do you.
• As you, your therapist, and your doctor agree you are advancing to the recovery training stage, walk before you run again. Pace your recovery to adjust weekly, not daily. Don’t add half a kilometre a day to your walking distance; add it once a week. The things we do each day and all day make a greater impact. 

You and I know it, but actions denote knowledge. If we knew that sitting more than 4 hours a day puts us at risk and compromises our health, we would be smart enough to change our habits. If we knew that crossing our legs or sitting slouched would give rise to degenerative disease and complications later in life, we would alter our posture. 

I always recommend verifying education, insurance, professional accreditations, and location available. A one-stop shop for the physical therapy network in Thailand, learning resources, and an approved facilities list can be found on the Health Ministry website. Make sure your head, shoulders, knees, and toes (knees and toes) are in good hands. 

Family and friends can be good resources for a doctor, therapist, and later a massage therapist for upkeep. Are they in your insurance network? Did you know your doctor can prescribe a gym for your recovery training, and insurance pays for your membership? You do now.

Adam Mulligan, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.