Member-only story
The Truth About Back Pain
Discover the Link Between Emotion and Pain
Once upon a time, I walked on a walker. It was a blue walker, the kind old people use when they can’t walk without assistance. I bought it at Walgreens, and my wife helped me that day.
I was in my early forties, which was the prime of my life. When I first injured myself, it felt like getting shot with a deer rifle, even though I’ve never been shot. My first reaction was to fall to the ground in excruciating agony.
There were no medics or immediate help nearby, so I crawled to the parking lot where I had parked. I opened the door from the ground and crawled into the front seat. I reclined my seat, squirming the whole time. I couldn’t sit or stand.
I drove to the emergency room. Big mistake! I parked the car, crawled out, and crawled to the ER. I had to wave at the automatic door because I was lying close to the ground.
One definition of humility is crawling into a full Emergency room of the local hospital in your tennis clothes. I crawled to the only open seat in the ER. But I couldn’t sit without squirming in agony.
I waited. It felt like an eternity. Patience has never been my virtue. The ER was full, and you had to wait for your turn in line unless you rolled in by ambulance. Between my impatience…
