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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    I have chronic back pain, hip pain down my left leg into my foot

    Related Topics
    Back & Neck Pain Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Depression
    I had back decompression done a year ago. It was good for 6 weeks and then all the same symptoms came back. I had another MRI, the doctor told me there was nothing else he could do - take these drugs, Meloxicam for arthritis. I'm in a lot of pain constantly and am so tired of Dr's saying just do this exercise and you'll be fine. Exercise doesn't fix it, it aggravates it. No matter what I do I'm in pain. I'm seeing a foot surgeon for some issues, but I feel like it is my hip and back. I just know I do not feel right. I'm addressing TMJ condition with Physio, so hoping to eliminate some pain. Please, can anyone help me get well, I feel like I'm losing my quality of life. I'm getting depressed. I'm normally active, but now just can't be bothered.
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    • Dr James Gillard
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    Dr James Gillard

    Osteopath

    James is passionate about osteopathy, it’s philosophy and works with facilitating the bodies innate drive for health and balance. He enjoys teaching patients about how … View Profile

    Hi,

    Sounds like a lot going on and it's sounds quite complicated. Now what we do know is that when pain has been around for quite some time there is a process that happens in the brain and nervous system called central sensitisation. This just means that because your pain response has run frequently, your body gets better at running it. It develops associations with certain activities that have hurt in the past (exercise for example). Overall your body becomes over sensitive to anything in which it percieves to be a threat. Unfortunately as that pain persists that stimulus becomes less and less.

    What we also know is that an active approach is a very effective management. Now that doesn't mean you jump of the couch and go for a run, it doesn't mean that you do exercises which aggrevate your symptoms. You need to find movements that you can do where pain is absent or minimal. This helps us get blood to the area that carries repairing molecules and helps us to drain away inflammation. I think hands on therapy is also going to be helpful for the pain but to also encourage mobility and fluid movement. 

    There is no quick for this, it takes dedication, will power and understanding. If it were easy chronic pain wouldn't be the epidemic it is today.

    I think you would find value in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwd-wLdIHjs

    Hope this helps, best of luck with your recovery!!

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