Michael’s story: “all along you are told to protect yourself………looking back now, i was probably doing more damage”

Michael experienced severe back, buttock and leg pain for several years. It greatly affected his ability to participate in his normal sporting and social life. MRI scans showed disc bulges which he was told would limit how much physical activity he would ever be able to do. He discusses here the impact of the pain on his overall quality of life. He describes how he has regained a very good level of function with much less pain, by better understanding what was happening to his body. For Michael, avoiding the tendency to tense his “core” was a key part of his recovery, as his attempts to protect his spine actually exacerbated his pain.