03/24/2026
Thought pushing through pain was part of the job?
So did I.
During my time in the Air Forceāand now after nearly two decades as a Physical Therapist working with military members and high-demand professionalsāIāve seen this from both sides.
Iāve lived it.
And Iāve treated the long-term consequences of it.
If I could go back, Iād start here: ā¬ļø
1. Go to medicalāand make sure itās documented.
I understand the stigma. I felt it too.
But if itās never reportedā¦
never documentedā¦
It becomes much harder to get the support you may need later.
At some point, you have to decide:
Are you going to continue to protect your role in the short termā¦
or protect your quality of life long term?
2. Take your mental health seriouslyāearlier.
I used to think I was managing stress well.
In reality? I was just pushing it down and moving on. (Expert. Level.)
What Iāve learned:
You donāt avoid the tabāyou just choose when you pay it.
You can pay it along the wayā¦
or deal with a much heftier bill later on.
3. Pay attention to your pain.
Pain isnāt weakness.
Itās information.
I pushed through a lot of pain for the mission.
Iāve also treated many veterans who, years after service, were still dealing with significant pain and mobility limitations tied to their time in uniform.
And over time, I saw how often it all catches up with you eventuallyāmyself included.
Just like stressāthat tab gets paid at some point.
The question is:
are you addressing it along the wayā¦
or waiting until it all shows up at once?
Most of the long-term issues Iāve seen didnāt start after service.
They started during itāand went unaddressed.
And at the end of the day, just remember:
You are the mission.
šIf youāre dealing with pain right now and not sure where to startā
Iāve got a free tool that helps you figure that out.
šLink in bio to find your starting point to a life with less low back pain, a 1-minute free quiz that helps clearly ID what you should be focusing on now to feel better faster.š§”
