My history of back pain.
In 2012, I injured my back lifting weights in the gym. It was a distinct poping sensation with instant pain in my lower back. This lasted for close to 4 years. In that time I sought many types of treatment through different practitioners, all of which gave me good short term relief but never helped with my return to exercise. Each time I returned to the gym or hit the road for a run the pain was back and it would stay for days or weeks after.
I seriously considered weather I could continue practicing as a Chiro as the pain was significantly impacting me at work. I couldn’t return to any meaningful level of exercise and my social life became impacted as I could never sit or stand for to long without pain. As a practitioner, I learnt a lot about what chronic pain was and how much of an impact it has physically, mentally and socially. I believe that things happen for a reason and I used my experience to dig deeper into research and education to find a treatment that was going to work for me.
I joined a gym with an experienced coach who had a strong focus on correct form and sustainable strength training. The purpose of training was not to burn yourself out, but rather to leave each session with fuel in the tank. The underlying principle of this approach was that training 5 days a week in a sustainable way over a longer period of time was better then training in first gear and burning out within a few weeks. Consistency with training over a 6 month+ period requires restraint and patience. The combination of a structured strength program to build my back strength, capacity and resilience, coupled with treatment is what changed my back pain and it has never returned.
Philosophy and approach to treatment and patient care
This experience motivated me to further educate myself in the science of exercise and I decided to study a Masters in Exercise Science Majoring in Strength and Conditioning to truly understand how the body adapted to exercise and how I could use strength and movement to make long term meaningful changes for the patients who walked through my clinic doors. Philosophically, I believe that the body has the potential to adapt and change. When movement, strength and a positive mindset are applied to recovering from injury and pain the body can and will improve. The key (in my experience as a person who had chronic pain and as a practitioner) is consistency and patience. Having degrees in both Chiropractic and Exercise Science gives me a unique perspective on dealing with injury and performance and balancing treatment with general principles of strength and conditioning allows for a level headed and rounded approach to care for my patients.
In my clinic, the focus is to improve your pain and make lasting meaningful changes to you through the combination of hands on treatment, movement and strength training. I believe that if you truly want to resolve your pain and improve your overall health you should feel empowered, educated and motivated to improve your pain and achieve your goals.
Daniel Rothenberg – MExSci. MChiro. BChiroSc
Click here for a link to my interview with Tessa from ManagingMyo Podcast https://scopechiropractic.com.au/podcast-the-managing-myo/
Click here for a link to a podcast with Crossfit Westernfront where I talk about our approach and thoughts on training, treatment and rehab. PODCAST
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