Are Early Symptoms Important? 3 Points You need to Know!

Do you or have you ever suffered with any type of symptoms?
Early SYMPTOM recognition, APPROPRIATE interpretation and relevant ACTION is the key to great health. – Jeremy Thomas (DC)
Read the three Important Points Below about Symptoms.

1. Symptoms accumulate and in turn cause other symptoms often that seem unrelated….

Interestingly in a study Neck pain of Grade 3-4 was strongly associated with low back pain, headaches, cardiovascular disorders and digestive disorders (4). As an example look at  Low Back Pain research - As well as significantly affecting activity participation, LBP is frequently associated with co-morbidities such as depression, with rates 2.5 times those in people without LBP (1).

1. Symptoms experienced if mismatched with expectations can lead to huge consequence….

Looking at heart attack symptoms: The most common symptoms expected by patients with myocardial infarction were central chest pain (76%), radiating arm or shoulder pain (34%), and collapse (26%). The most common symptoms experienced were sweats or feeling feverish (78%), chest pain (64%), and arm, shoulder, or radiating pain (66%). A mismatch between symptoms experienced and those expected occurred in 58% of patients, and was associated with delay in reaching hospital (2). It is VERY important in this case to know appropriate symptoms and act accordingly!

1. Covering up a Problem Flat Out Does Not Work As A Long Term Solution!

While not as obviously urgent, other symptoms in the body are an indicator that something is going on. The analogy of the smoke alarm comes to mind when discussing symptoms.
If a smoke alarm were beeping, would you simply cut its power source or take the batteries out? A better solution is to find the source of the smoke and deal with it!
As we have discussed before in other blogs The latest Guidelines recommend nonpharmacological (non drug) care  as the first treatment option and reserves pharmacological care for patients for whom nonpharmacological care has not worked in Low back pain (3). Basically DO not use Surgery or Drugs as a first line effort for low back pain is the latest advice.
If you have early health symptoms – get checked out.
 

1. NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation. Management of people with acute low back pain: model of care. Chatswood; NSW Health; 2016. 39 p
2. Horne R, James D, Petrie K, et al Patients' interpretation of symptoms as a cause of delay in reaching hospital during acute myocardial infarction Heart 2000;83:388-393.
3. Foster NE, Anema JR, Cherkin D. Et Al. Prevention and treatment of low back pain: evidence, challenges, and promising directions. Lancet. 2018 Jun 9;391(10137):2368-2383
4. Côté P, Cassidy JD, Carroll L. The factors associated with neck pain and its related disability in the Saskatchewan population. Spine. 2000 May;25(9):1109-17.