Herniated disc fear can be a prime perpetuator and exacerbator of the painful expressions associated with any perceived-to-be-problematic disc condition. While only a small percentage of herniated discs do actually produce any lasting pain, fear is a component in virtually all diagnosed patients. Fear is pervasive and can do far more damage than a small disc bulge could ever cause.
This treatise will provide details on how fear can worsen any variety of acute or chronic pain. It is crucial to remember that the mind can affect the body for better or worse and when fearful, the mind can cause the body terrible suffering.
Herniated Disc Fear from Diagnosis
Fear often begins the minute a patient receives the dreaded herniated disc diagnosis: “I am sorry, but the test has confirmed that you have a herniated disc in your lumbar spine”. These words are the harbinger of dread and apprehension for every patient who hears them uttered. Fear is one of the first effects of the diagnosis, even before the reality of the situation sets in.
Patients are often made to feel worse when the doctor uses a doom and gloom approach, imparting a significant nocebo effect to go along with all that fear and insecurity. This fear can be escalated or soothed according to how the care provider approaches the diagnosis. If a factual and honest account of the condition is made, fear is likely to diminish. However, when the predictions for continuing pain, the need for surgery or the eventuality of disability are suggested, fear will grow exponentially.
The Effects of Herniated Disc Fear
Fear causes anxiety, which in turn brings on emotional stress. Emotional stress is one of the major causes of chronic back pain to begin with, so additional amounts can only intensify the symptoms. Regardless of whether a patient is truly injured, or is just perceived as injured from a misdiagnosed herniated disc, fear is a prime player in the way their future health will turn out.
Fear will contribute to the perpetuation of pain and the intensification of symptoms. Fear can even cause pain where none existed in the first place. Fear plays an important role in the considerable conditioning processes reported by most patients with chronic back pain: “I can’t do this with my back. I can’t do that with my neck.” Sound familiar?
These common complaints are rarely due to the actual inability to perform any particular physical action. Instead they denote a fear of performing said action or else suffer the most dreaded of consequences.
Overcoming Fear from a Herniated Disc
Fear must be dealt with if you are to truly recover from any variety of severe back, neck or sciatica pain. This is true regardless of the diagnosis, actual cause or location. Dorsalgia is a condition which exercises control over your behavior and future through fear, intimidation and agony.
Anyone who has suffered severe herniated disc pain certainly does have a real right to feel afraid. Dorsopathy is perhaps the single most painful condition in all of clinical medicine and the misery leaves an indelible mark on the mind, body and soul of every affected individual. However, in order to leave the pain behind and become truly healthy, it is vital to rid yourself of the fear and go back to living a full and unrestricted life. Anything less and the back pain has truly won.
I cover the topic of fear and provide practical methods of defeating chronic pain in my easy to read and highly effective book, Cure Back Pain Forever and go into great detail in my Power of Fear book. Both can be found on our product page.
Herniated Disc > Psychosomatic Herniated Disc Pain > Herniated Disc Fear
