Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Many people subscribe to the belief that if they can simply grit their teeth and bear the discomfort that is being caused by their back issue, then they are no worse for the wear. Unfortunately, we find that this is rarely the case. Back pain, especially in the chronic form, can impact our lives in many ways. And while sometimes this impact is obvious, other times the impact is much more subtle, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less of an issue. In today’s blog, we spotlight five subtle ways that unaddressed back pain may be controlling your life.

How Unmanaged Back Pain Is Impacting Your Life

Chronic back pain, even in a relatively mild form, can affect your life in a number of ways. Left unaddressed, and your quality of life can suffer severely. Here’s a look at some of the subtle ways back pain may be keeping you from enjoying life to the fullest.

• Social Withdrawal – Are you finding that back pain is keeping you from engaging with others or pursuing social activities out of fear of a painful flareup? Even if you show up, are you less engaged than you’d like to be because you’re in near-constant discomfort? Social withdrawal and social isolation are real issues that many individuals with unaddressed back pain face every day. Don’t miss out on time with friends or family because of a nagging back issue.
• Physical Activity Limitations – Many people with persistent back pain find that they can no longer pursue the physical activities that they once loved due to their discomfort. We want you to enjoy biking, hiking, swimming or simply keeping up with your active grandchildren, and you can’t always do that if back pain is making movement difficult. If you find that you’re shying away from physical activities you enjoy because of back pain or fear of worsening discomfort, it’s a sign that you should confront the issue head-on.
• Intimacy Issues – Although it’s not always a topic that patients love to talk about, back pain can certainly cause issues in the bedroom. Back pain can make physical intimacy uncomfortable or downright impossible, and that’s not something that you or your partner want at any stage of life. Back pain that causes intimacy issues can have a physical, mental and emotional impact on both you and your partner, so resolve to take care of your back issue for the sake of your relationship.
• Mood Changes – Another subtle change that can occur as a result of prolonged or uncontrolled back pain is mood swings. Oftentimes we hear about these issues from loved ones or children of the individual suffering from back pain because the patient doesn’t really realize how their back pain is impacting their mood. They may be more irritable or quick to anger, and the real reason for these behavioral changes may be rooted in the fact that they are in near-constant pain. You don’t want to be short or irrational with your loved ones because of a chronic back pain issue, so make it a point to overcome your back pain problem.
• Chronic Fatigue – Are you finding that you’re feeling tired or fatigued more easily? Are you struggling to wake up feeling refreshed and recharged? Back pain can make it very difficult to achieve restful sleep, and while you may be aware that you’re struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep, you may not understand the impact this lack of quality sleep is having on your body. Sleep is a restorative period for your body, and if it can’t remove toxins or address inflammation that developed as a result of physical stress during the day, back pain may persist and your body may be in a constant state of fatigue. Not only can fatigue make it harder to get through the day, but it can also lead people to over rely on caffeinated beverages or sugar-packed energy drinks, both of which can be harmful to your health.

Whether the impact of back pain is obvious or subtle, know that you deserve more out of life. Resolve to overcome your back pain issue and you may notice a significant improvement in your physical ability and your overall quality of life. For more information, or for help with a specific spine issue, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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