I remember it so clearly: staying back, in pain, miserable because the life I once knew was gone. It had been 14 years since the car accident and I was still in pain.
I longed for my old life and grew more and more discouraged as the years went by, as I went from practitioner to practitioner, without relief.
I remember the feelings of hopelessness as I wondered if this was what my life would always be like, as I slowly gave up hope of it ever improving.
It all changed one summer day in Snowmass, Colorado.
I have two sons, and due to the ongoing back pain, we had gotten into a routine where my oldest son and husband would go off on their own doing active things while my younger son would stay back with me.
This was fun in its own way and I enjoyed this special time with my younger son.
Until one day, he looked up at me with his big blue eyes and said, “I want to go with them.”
While I understood and was glad for him, at the same time I was silently crushed.
In that moment, I decided that I could no longer live like this, that something had to change, and if the many practitioners I’d seen couldn’t help, I would have to figure this out on my own.
My professional career had been spent working, ironically, with back pain.
Out of college (I studied biology and biomechanics) I worked for a company in North Carolina that made back testing and rehabilitation equipment, and spent years working with the top researchers and clinicians in back pain.
I went to conferences for all of the specialties that treat back pain and took in all that I could, learning how each specialty approaches its patients.
I worked with national corporations, helping them minimize and prevent back injuries and get injured employees back to work.
Next, I worked for a group of physical therapy clinics in Minneapolis, and with their referring physicians and corporate health clients.
I then trained to be a Professional Ergonomist and worked directly with clinicians, corporations, and individuals to both prevent and relieve back pain.
And yet, 14 years later I was still in constant pain.
After that moment at Snowmass, everything changed.
I undertook an in-depth study to learn all that I could about chronic back pain and to reconcile what I had learned with what I was personally experiencing.
After 6 years, what I learned was both surprising and simple.
I learned that beliefs play an important role in chronic back pain (which is why I sent you the article, “Four Back Pain Myths”).
That how stressful life was at the onset of the pain is an important factor, and how we respond to the pain has a lot to do with keeping us in pain.
I learned that there are three main reasons most of us with chronic back pain continue to hurt, and three additional but lesser factors that also play a part.
As I learned each of the pieces, I implemented them into my own life, and little by little, my pain dissipated.
I got back to my life again – all of it.
I went from watching life go by to fully living it.
In subsequent years, I’ve enjoyed running, swimming, and biking (I even did a few triathlons!) I learned to play tennis and pickleball, went on adventurous vacations, played in a baseball league, played volleyball with my son, kayaked, canoed, and went on long road trips – all without pain.
AND… I biked down Snowmass Mountain with my family!
Now, through the BACKCoach program, I help clients use what I’ve learned and implement this knowledge into their own lives.
Here’s what Diana F. from North Carolina shared after she completed the BACKCoach program:
“I absolutely cannot believe that my back does not hurt anymore – especially seeing how I was in so much pain when we first met. You are awesome! Thank you, thank you!”
If YOU are tired of living life on the sidelines, I would love to help you enjoy the same turnaround that BACKCoach clients have – to leave the pain behind and get back to living a healthy, active life.
And always remember…
You CAN Have a Healthy Back!
Mary
Mary Williams, MSEd
Biomechanist – Ergonomist – Health & Well-being Coach
Founder, BACKCoach, LLC