By nature, I am a person with high standards. I am a hard worker who loves life and enjoys time with friends and family. So when I injured my back and suffered from chronic back pain I was overwhelmed by the loss in quality of life that I was experiencing.
The day I fell down a flight of stairs and injured my back my whole life began to disintegrate. I made numerous visits to doctors and chiropractors trying to find a “cure” for my chronic tailbone and low back pain but nothing seemed to help and no one gave me much hope.
I was in constant pain, socially isolated, depressed and out of ideas on how to get better. My husband had to take over the housework. I had lost my self-esteem and I was at the lowest point I had ever known. I was finally referred to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
After being evaluated at UI Hospitals and Clincs, I was referred to the UI Spine Center where I joined six other patients with chronic back pain and began the Spine Rehabilitation Program.
Our group spent eight hours a day together for two weeks. The staff at the UI Spine Center validated that my pain was real and not just in my head. They treated me like a whole person and understood my situation. I felt so comfortable in the program.
Half of each day involved lectures and group discussions led by various medical professionals, including a psychologist and a vocational counselor. The remainder of each day we worked with physical therapists on strength and endurance exercises. We learned that we needed to move our bodies and discovered we actually felt better when we did.
I entered the program with an open mind, willing to try whatever was suggested. It was an epiphany for me when I finally understood that the body and mind really are connected and that my pain could be lessened significantly when I practiced the relaxation and deep-breathing techniques that I learned. That, in combination with real physical exercise, has really helped me deal with my pain in a way I didn’t think possible. I developed a special bond with the patients in my group and with the staff, and we really had fun together and laughed a lot in the program as we learned how to manage our pain and live again.
I have remained physically active since completing the program and I follow both the physical therapy and psychology exercises regularly. I function better now, I cope better now and I can focus again. I am back to work at my job in the banking industry, I am able to spend quality time with my family and friends and I have a full life again!
I encourage anyone reading this to be open to learning new ways to manage your pain. Yes, your pain is real…but there are ways of coping and redirecting the energy you use thinking about how much you hurt. Believe - it is true! The staff at the UI Spine Center gave me hope, support, and a multitude of tools to help me control my pain. Ultimately, I gained the courage to move my body again, connect with my mind and get out there and live my life. I was renewed in body and spirit after my experience with this program and am confident that you can be, too!
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