“So do you think I can get the Amazon Prime version?” A new patient asked, as I finished evaluating him for chronic back pain that he had been suffering with for the past 6 months. Actually, he had been suffering for over 6 months by the time he ended up in our office, but the problem had gotten progressively worse since January. Each time his back flared up he would make a call to his doctor, get a new round of anti-inflammatories and 2 weeks later he’d feel like Superman again. The only reason he was sitting across from me that day was because his wife had finally heard enough complaints and was concerned enough to reach out and ask about other solutions for her husband.

When we first spoke with her over the phone, she had a feeling the medications weren’t solving the underlying issue. She was worried her husband would eventually get hooked on something much stronger if he only kept treating the symptoms and never got the real problem taken care of. The only issue, she told us, was that she wasn’t sure when he would have time for physical therapy. She had physical therapy a couple years back for an ankle sprain and remembered having to attended 2-3 days weekly for almost 2 months – and while it corrected her ankle problem, she knew it would be impossible for her husband who worked over 40 hours per week.

Sound familiar?

Now, fast forward back to the office visit and the gentleman sitting across from me asking for next day delivery service to cure his back pain of over 6 months… “Sure,” I said – “I can treat you for a few visits to help lower your pain from an 8/10 to a 3/10, but that won’t help you solve your problem.” He looked at me very confused. Moments before, he had told me that his back pain was starting to drain his enjoyment of golf and spending time with his family who liked to vacation and travel. He hadn’t been out on the golf course in 2 months, and he was dreading a beach trip with his family because he knew the ride would be long and he didn’t want his family feeling bad for him and having to do all the heavy lifting.

“If you want to get back out on the golf course with your friends and feel excited about your family vacations again, I can help with that – I need to see you 2x weekly for 8 weeks.” His reply didn’t surprise me. “I work every day from 8-5, some days even longer. There’s no way I have time for that.” It seems like we’re all “too busy” these days. There’s not enough time in the day to do all the things we need to get done and tech companies like Amazon have made billions off it. Now we’re accustomed to ordering groceries online and having them delivered to our doorstep in under 2 hours or picking out a new chandelier for the dining room while sitting on the couch and having it show up the next day. (guilty)

Unfortunately, our bodies haven’t gotten the memo and upgraded to 21st century technology. Silicone Valley hasn’t figured out how to air drop you a new spine or cure a chronic ailment in 2 days. There is no instant gratification in healing and recovery, and it doesn’t always happen in a straight line. My message to this gentleman, and to you, is that if he didn’t invest the time NOW to get the root problem fixed, he MUST be willing to give up even more time away from the golf course and all the things in his life that bring him joy.

There may come a time when you are inconvenienced by a problem with your health and if it’s not dealt with timely and properly, it will plague you. So, ask yourself – if you don’t take the time NOW to get the underlying problem solved – how much MORE time are you willing to lose to it?

Prioritize your health, make the investment, and live your best life! Give us a call TODAY.