A year ago, Mike Smith, 50, was in so much pain he worried he’d have to go on disability. The searing pain from the base of his skull down to his lower back was so bad he’d already missed 10 days of work. Even after seeing some back and bone specialists, the pain was only spreading. He couldn’t sleep because of it, and even sitting at work was too agonizing. But then he took a different approach in what seemed the most unlikely of places: the gym.
“Exercise straightened out my posture after 15 years of working on a computer. It was, and is, the best therapy for my muscle-related back pain,” says Smith as he performs a plank and then a squat with his personal fitness trainer at Medcan.
Benefits of a personalized approach to fitness
In late 2016, Smith started working with the chronic pain team at Medcan, which included regular sessions with Marlo Goldstein, BSc.Kin, MSc., a personal fitness trainer with a background in functional movement and pain rehabilitation therapy, as well as one-on-one consultations with specialists in psychology and sports medicine. Goldstein helped ensure Smith’s care was collaborative and addressed all the elements that can contribute to chronic pain from the biological, musculoskeletal and even emotional factors.
“Mike and I focused on specific muscle recruitment and postural exercises. This included working on opening his hips, bracing his core, and activating his glutes and upper back. We also focused on stretching around Mike’s shoulder blades as he was having tension and pain in the middle of his thoracic spine. We strengthened his spine from the lower back all the way up to his neck,” says Goldstein.
“One of Mike’s strongest attributes is that he approached everything with a positive attitude. Even at the hardest times, he had a great sense of humour and maintained his commitment to training twice a week because he knew that was what was going to get him through.”
A multi-factorial medical approach to health and wellness
The Medcan approach to health means being a master, in equal parts, of life stage exercise, nutrition and sleep. That usually translates to choosing the right type of activity for your age and ability, eating mostly plants and learning strategies to manage your stress levels or out of control thoughts so that your mind is at ease.
“Wellness is equal parts physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. We want A+’s in all these categories, not one A and a bunch of D’s,” says Dr. James Aw, Chief Medical Officer. “When we fail to take care of one of these buckets, our whole system can go out of whack. We need to take care of the machine – daily activities to promote healthy living through daily exercise and healthy diet. But we also have to have a strong social support system in our lives and enjoy fun activities we love doing. Mindfulness, meditation and having a strong sense of purpose are also equally important in our quest for health and wellness.”
Back to playing hockey and golf
Today, Smith plays hockey twice a week on top of training at Medcan twice a week. He also enjoys golf on the weekends. This, in combination with treatment and working with other practitioners at Medcan, has really helped reduce his chronic pain.
“In the end, working with Marlo in the gym for eight months straightened out my posture. And I’d say I am back to about 90% of normal. Playing hockey and golf with no pain; I have not missed a day of work in 2017,” says Smith. “I look forward to getting that last 10%!”