Patients rely on our office for episodes of back and leg pain as well as other painful conditions. The key to a faster and more effective recovery is active participation. There are many reasons you can develop debilitating back pain or leg pain. I too have had to recover from back injuries, that periodically occur while helping others feel and function better. For chiropractors, it is part of the job. If I am injured, I must continue to work and function at a high level in the office. Work is rehab. The exercises I instruct you to perform are also rehab. Movement is rehab. Getting in and out of a car is rehab. Getting out of a chair is rehab. You get the idea. Restoring normal function and movement is the goal that helps decrease pain. Medication may help somewhat, but it is motion mobility, and strength that help you recover to reduce the likelihood of future injuries. Medication is not rehab, nor does it improve body mechanics. It can help you move better as you attempt to stand, walk, and move. Corsets may also help at the initial start of back pain recovery but should be removed once pain decreases and the ability to move and walk improves. Where to start? With any lower back or back and leg pain, the first and most important thing is to push through the pain to walk and stand. The more you walk, the better you are likely to feel. Avoid sitting as this will cause the back to ache and if you have leg pain, aggravate this as well. Wake up earlier than usual and begin your day by assessing yourself. Do the following every morning. Perform bridges in bed by beginning with 4-6 as tolerated and work toward 20-25. Push the pelvis as high as possible without aggravating the pain. This improves motion in the hips, legs, and upper body. Once you have performed 10-12, try a one-legged bridge and add this to your morning exercises. One-legged bridges are harder and you may cramp in the other leg if you cannot properly stabilize. Perform them on both sides as tolerated. Do them daily and you will notice they get easier as you improve. Perform foot drills if tolerated. These strengthen the intrinsic muscles in the feet and help to improve pelvic stability. Lightly stretch the hips and hip capsules, as shown in our exercises section. Be careful not to be aggressive as we want better mobility, not more pain. If you are having leg pain, this may aggravate it so go slowly and perform as tolerated. Psoas stretch exercises to improve how the psoas functions which will improve how you move. Foam roll along the spine to loosen the erector spine and other postural muscles that may be involved. Hamstring and quadriceps stretch to improve mobility. This morning routine can take 15 minutes but will help improve your strength and recovery between chiropractic visits. This is also my personal recovery protocol that, along with some help from my chiropractic colleagues and my massage therapists has helped me stay in practice for 40 years while continuing to function at a high physical level at the age of 65. You can view these exercises in our exercises section on the website. These exercises are part of our office’s rehab program that is instructed on an individual basis and should be used with this in mind. These are what I do for myself to recover from a back pain episode and I practice what I teach. Need help today? Book online or call for an appointment. We are happy to help.