I recently had a State Trooper come in for help with his back pain. He wasn’t wearing his uniform. After the usual Q & A intake I conducted a brief physical assessment. Using considerable skill I was able to detect through his baggy tee shirt a bulge on his right hip. It was his pistol. (These things are hard to miss.)

This finding took me back to my Florida days when I last treated a policeman. He also had low back pain. Turns out he spent a lot of time sitting in his squad car.

I turned the conversation with my State Trooper to his recent sitting habits. He was in his car on a stakeout until 4 am that previous morning – the pistol on his right hip taking up space in that car seat. What if it pushed minimally, but quite relentlessly, so that it shifted his pelvis across to the left and he compensated back to the right with his upper body? Eventually that’s going to lead to something.

We NMTs always have to consider identifying, modifying or removing the perpetuating factors of any presenting condition.

We talked about some of the possibilities. Maybe he could not wear the gun? No. Big pillow under the buttocks? No. Taking a chainsaw to the right side of his seat to make some space? He liked that idea.

Stew