Please enjoy this guest blog by entrepreneur and proud West Virginian, Dr. Andrew Robinson.

The Beginning

My daughter is due to be born in 2 weeks. I haven’t been able to pick up my 3 year old son in months. I have seen 3 spine surgeons, 2 pain specialists, and received 2 injections in my back, all the while doing months of physical therapy. My back pain is still excruciating, I am hardly sleeping, and I haven’t been able to work in weeks. My only thought is, “How am I going to hold my daughter and care for her as a father?” Just standing and walking is almost unbearable. The pain is so overwhelming that I have lost 30lbs from not having an appetite.

The Past

My name is Dr. Andrew Robinson, I’m a 33 year old physical therapist from West Virginia, and I have had back pain my entire life. Until it culminated two years ago into the events you just read about, I had mostly ignored it or assumed that everyone had back pain like mine. Even as a kid walking through stores, I remember complaining about back pain and not wanting to continue because I needed to sit down. I went to the doctor and they told my parents I should reduce my activities, but nothing was wrong. (I was and still am very active) As an adult, in the midst of all the surgeon and pain management appointments, I finally got an MRI that revealed a fracture in my L5 vertebrae, common in younger athletes and if caught early enough, treatable so it will heal.

Mine was not caught, and it did not heal. As the due date was approaching, my back finally started feeling better and the physical therapy and injections eventually started working. We focused on lifting mechanics with a weighted baby doll and kettle bells. I read everything I could get my hands on about back pain, fractures, arthritis, bulging discs, herniation, surgeries, and physical therapy. I became obsessed about how to treat myself so I could be the best father that I could be.

The Present

Fast forward 2 years and I am 90% back to normal. I can lift my kids, I mountain bike, and I even learned how to snowboard. My back does hurt to some extent everyday, but it is nothing beyond a slight annoyance, even while being a very active individual. The reason I can continue living an active lifestyle and have avoided what one surgeon described as, “you need surgery now” situation, is because I focus every single thing I do on using correct body mechanics.

Every time I pick up my children, unload my car with groceries, or put a stroller in the back of my vehicle, I focus on using proper body mechanics. Only by taking time to perfect these easy movements have I kept my back pain under control and lived my life to the fullest.

The Future

I knew there had to be other parents like me who struggle with back pain. I knew there were parents out there who needed guidance and help with controlling and reducing pain just so they could hold their child.

With my company CuddleKlutch, that’s exactly what I set out to do. Once you learn these movements and incorporate them into your daily life, your back pain will reduce and quite possibly go away forever.

Below are facts from the World Health Organization about low back pain (LBP)

• In 2020, low back pain (LBP) affected 619 million people globally-Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide and the condition for which the greatest number of people may benefit from rehabilitation.

• Most people experience LBP at least once in their life.

• Low back pain is more prevalent in women.

• Non-specific low back pain is the most common presentation of LBP (about 90% of cases).

My main focus is to help as many parents and grandparents as possible by improving their mechanics and reducing, or even preventing their low back pain.

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