Test Yourself

Since developing The O'Connor Technique (tm) and putting its PRINCIPLES successfully into clinical practice, it became largely obvious to this author that the overwhelming majority of backache, back pain, and neck pain was caused by mechanical problems involving the intervertebral disc that could be treated easily and successfully by manipulation; however, there is still a certain percentage of pain related to the back caused by other sources. In an effort to optimize the probability that any given person with back pain will benefit and before they commit themselves to purchasing information or invest the time and effort necessary to adequately engage The O'Connor Technique (tm), the prospective self-"chiropractor" can most likely determine if their particular type of back pain is caused by an intervertebral disc condition amenable to The O'Connor Technique (tm).  The following test allows the readers to quantify, for themselves, the probability of benefit..

In all fairness, one should not have to spend money if there is no reasonable chance that The O'Connor Technique (tm) can help There is no effort being made to cheat anyone or misrepresent The O'Connor Technique (tm) 's ability to relieve pain. The testing is designed to rule out those who probably won't benefit and give those who will benefit every opportunity to get better. What follows is a written test continuing, at the bottom, by a link to a physical test to help the reader self-determine if their pain is due to an intervertebral disc disease problem, regardless of what they may have been otherwise led to believe.

Towards that end:

THE MORE YOUR BACKACHE, BACK PAIN, OR NECK PAIN PROBLEM CORRELATES WITH AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, THE MORE CHANCE YOU HAVE OF ALLEVIATING YOUR PAIN WITH
THE O'CONNOR TECHNIQUE (tm)

That is, as you read the following questions, if your answer is yes to any given question, it becomes more likely that your backache, back pain or neck pain problem is disc-related; and, therefore, your chances of being able to relieve the pain with The O'Connor Technique (tm) is increased and the more chance you have of successfully looking forward to a less painful and more active future using the methods described in this website or the book.

Of course, even within the group of people with back pain definitively due to intervertebral disc disease, there is a variation in symptomatology. Just because you don't answer yes to all the questions doesn't mean you won't benefit from the method. For instance, if this is the first time you have had significant pain, clearly your answers won't reflect the same experience as someone who has suffered for years. Therefore, temper your responses by close consideration of the questions (take the time to carefully think about your answers) as they pertain to your individual situation. Conversely, just because you don't answer yes to any given question, that doesn't necessarily mean you won't be helped. In general, if the questions and the physical test appear to confirm your problem is due to intervertebral disc disease, you have a good probability of being helped significantly by this information. Feel free to download the test and use as much time as you need to convince yourself that you have a reasonable probability of MAKING YOUR BAD BACK BETTER.

PERSONS MOST LIKELY TO BENEFIT
FROM THIS SELF-ADMINISTERED DIAGNOSTIC METHOD
AND PHYSICAL THERAPY TECHNIQUE ARE THOSE WHO,
FOR THE MOST PART, ARE:
OTHERWISE HEALTHY,
NOT ELDERLY,
HAVE NO KNOWN MAJOR SPINAL X-RAY ABNORMALITIES UNRELATED TO DISC DISEASE,
AND HAVE BACK OR NECK PAIN THAT:

[ ] IS AGGRAVATED MOST OR INCREASED WITH CERTAIN MOVEMENTS, ESPECIALLY BENDING THE SPINE FAR FORWARD OR TO THE SIDE.

[ ] CAUSES YOU, DURING PAINFUL PERIODS, TO CAREFULLY BALANCE THE PORTION OF THE BODY ABOVE THE PAIN SITE DIRECTLY ABOVE OR SLIGHTLY BENT FORWARD TO THE PORTION BELOW THE PAIN SITE TO AVOID INCREASING THE PAIN.

[ ] INITIALLY BEGAN WITH AN INJURY WHEREIN FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE SPINE WHILE IT WAS BENT FORWARD OR TO THE SIDE (SUCH AS LIFTING, AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT, DELIVERY OF A BABY, OR A FALL) AND NOT WHILE BENT BACKWARDS.

[ ] IF OF LONG-STANDING DURATION, IS CHARACTERIZED BY LOW-PAIN OR PAIN-FREE PERIODS PUNCTUATED BY INTERMITTENTLY SEVERE EPISODES SOMETIMES LASTING DAYS, WEEKS, OR MONTHS.

[ ] OFTEN RECURS SUDDENLY WITHOUT TRAUMA OR EXERTION FOR SEEMINGLY NO REASON (SUCH AS COUGHING, SQUATTING, OR EVEN WAKING UP WITH PAIN AND LOSS OF MOBILITY AFTER GOING TO SLEEP WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM.)

[ ] USUALLY IS LOCATED IN THE SAME AREA(S) OF THE BACK.

[ ] FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS SWOLLEN OR ENLARGED AT THE SITE OF THE SPINAL PROBLEM.

[ ] OFTEN RADIATES TO THE SHOULDERS, HIPS, OR LEGS WITH A DULL, ACHING, SENSATION THAT IS HELPED DURING MASSAGE, HEAT, OR COLD, BUT IMMEDIATELY RETURNS AFTERWARDS.

[ ] CAN BE OCCASIONALLY ACCOMPANIED BY NUMBNESS OR TINGLING SENSATIONS IN THE ARMS OR LEGS, ESPECIALLY WITH CERTAIN MOVEMENTS OR REMAINING IN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITIONS.

[ ] DURING EPISODES, HAS POSITIONS OF COMFORT SUCH AS CERTAIN SLEEPING POSITIONS OR A NEED FOR SPECIAL SLEEPING SURFACES OR POSITIONS.

[ ] INCREASES WITH POSITIONS INVOLVING FORWARD BENDING OF THE SPINE WHILE PULLING, PUSHING, LIFTING, COUGHING, OR SNEEZING.

[ ] IS AGGRAVATED BY PROLONGED SITTING OR ESPECIALLY DRIVING.

[ ] IS SOMEWHAT RELIEVED BY LYING DOWN OR HOLDING YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE YOUR ARMS TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF OF YOUR SPINE.

[ ] AFTER PROLONGED FORWARD BENDING, MAKES THAT AREA OF THE SPINE DIFFICULT OR SLOW TO STRAIGHTEN UP AGAIN.

[ ] IS ACCOMPANIED BY A STIFFNESS OR DECREASED MOBILITY LEAVING YOU UNABLE TO LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER OR BEND TO THE SAME SIDE AS THE PAIN WITHOUT YOUR MOTION BEING STOPPED BY THE PAIN.

[ ] CAN SOMETIMES BE PAIN-FREE IMMEDIATELY UPON WAKING FROM SLEEP BUT PAIN BEGINS WITH THE PROCESS OF GETTING OUT OF BED OR WITHIN MINUTES AFTER RISING.

[ ] FEELS AS IF JUST MOVING THE "RIGHT WAY" WOULD RELIEVE THE "CATCH," BUT ATTEMPTS TO DO SO USUALLY RESULT IN INCREASED PAIN.

[ ] IS AGGRAVATED BY REPETITIVE ACTIVITIES INVOLVING FREQUENT LIFTING, SQUATTING, LEANING FORWARD, OR STOOPING (e.g. VACUUMING, GARDENING, PICKING UP OBJECTS)

[ ] IS AGGRAVATED BY SITTING WITH THE LEGS STRETCHED STRAIGHT IN FRONT OR PROPPED ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HIPS.

[ ] IS WORSENED BY EXERCISES IN WHICH THE PAINFUL AREA IS BENT FORWARD SUCH AS ROWING, SIT-UPS, OR BICYCLING-TYPE EXERCISES.

[ ] STANDING OR WALKING CAN SOMETIMES MAKE IT FEEL BETTER.

[ ] HAS PROMPTED YOU TO GO TO A CHIROPRACTOR OR YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD TO TRY ONE.

[ ] CAUSES A PINCHING SENSATION IN YOUR LOW BACK OR NECK WHEN LYING ON YOUR STOMACH OR LEANING FAR BACKWARDS AND/OR TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.

[ ] LIMITS YOUR ACTIVITIES OUT OF FEAR OF INCREASING PAIN OR CAUSING IT TO RETURN.

[ ] HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH FORCEFUL ACCIDENTS OR TRAUMA RELATED TO THE SPINE; BUT WITHIN MINUTES OF INJURY DIDN'T SEEM TO CAUSE MUCH PAIN, YET WITHIN HOURS THE PAIN PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED AND PERSISTED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD.

[ ] WAS INITIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A "POP" OR CRUNCH AT THE TIME OF INJURY AND/OR YOU HEAR CRUNCHING SOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH PAIN OR ITS RELIEF.

[ ] CAUSES YOU TO FREQUENTLY "CRACK" YOUR BACK OR NECK TO GET SOME SHORT-TERM RELIEF.

[ ] IS HELPED, BUT NOT LARGELY RELIEVED, BY MEDICINES.

[ ] HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO A "DISC," "SLIPPED DISC," "DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE OF THE SPINE," "HERNIATED DISC," "ARTHRITIS OF THE SPINE," "MUSCLE SPASM," "STRAIN," "SPRAIN," "PULLED MUSCLE," OR "SCIATICA,"

[ ] IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A PROFOUND LOSS OF STRENGTH IN THE EXTREMITIES (SUCH AS AN INABILITY TO WALK ON YOUR TOES OR HEELS OR CARRY OBJECTS WITH YOUR HANDS), A LOSS OF FEELING IN THE EXTREMITIES OR A.BURNING SENSATION THAT TRAVELS TO THE EXTREMITIES.

[ ] IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER SYSTEMIC DISEASES (RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, LUPUS, ETC.), GENETIC DISEASES, OR PRIOR SURGERY.

[ ] DESPITE CONSULTING HEALTH CARE PROVIDER(S), YOU HAVE NOT OBTAINED A CONSISTENT OR SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION FOR THE PAIN NOR BEEN GIVEN SIGNIFICANT OR SUSTAINED RELIEF.

IF YOUR PAIN APPEARS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH AFFIRMATIVE ANSWERS TO THE MAJORITY OF THE ABOVE PAIN DESCRIPTIONS, YOU HAVE A HIGH PROBABILITY OF HAVING DISCOGENIC (ORIGINATING IN THE DISC) PAIN. THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE IN YOUR BEST INTERESTS TO CONFIRM THAT ASSUMPTION BY PERFORMING A PHYSICAL TEST ON YOURSELF DURING A PAINFUL EPISODE.

TO BE GIVEN THE DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO DO SO, CLICK ON:
SELF-DIAGNOSING YOUR DISC.
(BE PATIENT, IT TAKES A MINUTE TO LOAD)