What Doctors Are For
By Dean Moyer
Author of Rebuild Your Back
Perhaps the best way for us to understand what role the doctor plays in our lives is to first examine what the doctor can't do.
First off, we all know that the doctor is not our babysitter.
For example, he can't keep us from falling off the roof and breaking our leg... and he certainly can't heal the broken bone if we do. All he can do is put the leg in a cast to assist the bone in healing properly and then tell us to be more careful in the future.
Secondly, the doctor can't follow us around protecting us from viruses and disease. And, just as with the broken bone, he can't heal us if we do come down with something.
All he can do is prescribe medication that he hopes will assist the body in healing itself... and then tell us to be more careful in the future.
And guest what... the doctor can't make you get off your duff and do something to correct the bad back you've been working so diligently to develop.
The Doctor Can't Rebuild Your Back
What he can do is try to make you more comfortable.
He can examine you to make sure you don't have an infection or other medical condition causing your back problems. He can prescribe medication to help you temporarily forget the pain. He can strap you into a brace or corset so that you can get back to work.
He might even perform surgery in an attempt to repair some of the damage caused by years of neglect... but then all he can do is tell you to be more careful in the future.
He can't make the problem go away. He can't rebuild your back for you.
That part is up to you.
Don't Neglect Your Back
If you have medical problems as a result of your bad back then you should work closely with your doctor to manage those medical issues. But don't mistake treating the symptoms with rebuilding your back. There is no injection... no pill... no surgical procedure... and certainly no adjustment... that can restore your back to a strong healthy state.
If you're not taking specific steps to condition your lower back it isn't going to get there on its own. Give your back the small amount of attention it needs and it will reward you with a lifetime of pain free service.
On the other hand, neglect your back and well... you don't need me to tell you what can happen.
A Bad Back is Not a Medical Problem
So okay, even if my definition of a medical problem is still a little different than yours, we can discuss that another day. For now, trust me when I say a bad back is a physical fitness problem and take comfort in the fact that the solution to your back pain is as simple as a well-designed exercise program.
It doesn't matter whether you agree with me or not on the definition of what is or is not a medical condition, the truth remains the same. The answer to a physical fitness problem is to become physically fit.
Rebuild your back (or neck) into a strong, healthy, well-oiled machine and your back-related medical problems will more often than not disappear right along with the back pain.
And remember this, no one... not even the best doctor in the world... can rebuild your back for you.
You are the only one that can do that.
Till next time,
Dean
For more on this subject be sure to read:
About the Author
Dean Moyer is the author of the books, Rebuild Your Back, Rebuild Your Neck and The Pain Relief Manual. Copies of his books are available exclusively through this website. Read more...
 Rebuild Your Back Second Edition |
 Rebuild Your Neck |
 The Pain Relief Manual |
Last updated: May 17, 2007