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A psychological back injury?

I've written before about back injuries coming from psychological stress - for example the interviews with Monte and Adam.

I thought about these principles after the English Wicketkeeper was hurt preparing for the test on Friday:

Wicketkeeper Prior then suffered a back spasm at 1000 BST shortly after the England players finished their football warm up and to make matters worse, England masseur Mark Saxby was struck on the head by a ball during Australia's catching practice.

Reflecting on his freak injury, Prior revealed it had been "really touch and go" over whether he would participate in the match.

"I had a bit of a shocker," he stated. "I've absolutely no idea how or why it happened, I was jogging along and suddenly had a back spasm. It was a tricky situation.

"The toss was pushed back 10 minutes and thanks to the Aussies for letting that happen. Ten minutes isn't a great deal to ask, but it was great they allowed it.

"The keeping was harder [than batting] but I should be fine. The good thing about a back spasm is that it can only get better. I will have a lot of massages this evening and carry on with the drugs this evening and I should be fine tomorrow morning."

Totally out of the blue......prior to a very very stressful situation.......
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dr. m.c. said…
in the late 80's - i think - there was a highly influential study at boeing looking at workers on the floor and what any commonalities were to the experience of back pain. The only thing they all had in common was poor job satisfaction.

when this was explored in other domains - like office workers who sit all day - this finding was not repeated.

but the boeing study became the big impetus for an american doc who more or less claims your back pain is all in your head. and fixes people by letting them get angry.

this tends not to take into account the fact that the low back has more pain receptors than mechano or otehr recpetors in the low back. We are wired to feel everything in the back, it seems.

mc
August 9, 2009 at 5:52 AM
Chris said…
Hi mc

"an american doc who more or less claims your back pain is all in your head. and fixes people by letting them get angry. "

Are you talking about John Sarno? If so I'd have to argue a bit. That is a gross simplification. He wodl not say that it is all in your head - it is real physical pain but the source of it is not an injury or a structural problem . Also the fix is often just recognising the problem, realising that there is no physical cause.

Stress and other mental stimuli do cause physical symptoms from blushing to erections to stress headaches...

My own back pain correlates very well to episodes of stress in my life from work to relationships.
August 9, 2009 at 6:44 AM
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