Back Pain Myths!
Myth busters | Back Pain Myths!
Hands up who has experienced Back Pain?
Back Pain Myths | Don’t worry, my hand is up in the air too and chances are most of you will be sitting there with your hands raised as well because lower back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of years lost to disability worldwide (1). This may seem like scary statistic, however research is encouraging us to flip our traditionally negative thinking about lower back pain to a more positive one.
Unfortunately, some unhelpful back pain myths exist and are quite prevalent, even within the medical community. Thankfully, with amazing resources available, we can provide the most up to date information and care to our patients. The British Journal of Sports Medicine has recently published a great article called ‘Back to basics: 10 facts every person should know about back pain’ (3) along with this great info graphic – shown below!
If you would like to learn more and perhaps challenge some of your beliefs, concerns or fears about your back pain, see detailed below the 10 unhelpful beliefs and 10 helpful facts about lower back pain taken from the article.
Ten unhelpful Back Pain Myths and the what you really need to know!
Back Pain Myth 1: LBP is usually a serious medical condition.
Back Pain Fact 1: LBP is not a serious life-threatening medical condition.
Back Pain Myth 2: LBP will become persistent and deteriorate in later life.
Back Pain Fact 2: Most episodes of LBP improve, and LBP does not get worse as we age.
Back Pain Myth 3: Persistent LBP is always related to tissue damage.
Back Pain Fact 3: A negative mindset, fear-avoidance behaviour, negative recovery expectations, and poor pain coping behaviours are more strongly associated with persistent pain than is tissue damage.
Back Pain Myth 4: Scans are always needed to detect the cause of LBP.
Back Pain Fact 4: Scans do not determine prognosis of the current episode of LBP, the likelihood of future LBP disability, and do not improve LBP clinical outcomes.
Back Pain Myth 5: Pain related to exercise and movement is always a warning that harm is being done to the spine and a signal to stop or modify activity.
Back Pain Fact 5: Graduated exercise and movement in all directions is safe and healthy for the spine.
Back Pain Myth 6: LBP is caused by poor posture when sitting, standing and lifting.
Back Pain Fact 6: Spine posture during sitting, standing and lifting does not predict LBP or its persistence.
Back Pain Myth 7: LBP is caused by weak ‘core’ muscles and having a strong core protects against future LBP.
Back Pain Fact 7: A weak core does not cause LBP, and some people with LBP tend to over tense their ‘core’ muscles. While it is good to keep the trunk muscles strong, it is also helpful to relax them when they aren’t needed.
Back Pain Myth 8: Repeated spinal loading results in ‘wear and tear’ and tissue damage.
Back Pain Fact 8: Spine movement and loading is safe and builds structural resilience when it is graded.
Back Pain Myth 9: Pain flare-ups are a sign of tissue damage and require rest.
Back Pain Fact 9: Pain flare-ups are more related to changes in activity, stress and mood rather than structural damage.
Back Pain Myth 10: Treatments such as strong medications, injections and surgery are effective, and necessary, to treat LBP.
Back Pain Fact 10: Effective care for LBP is relatively cheap and safe. This includes education that is patient-centred and fosters a positive mindset, and coaching people to optimise their physical and mental health (such as engaging in physical activity and exercise, social activities, healthy sleep habits and body weight, and remaining in employment.
As your Osteopath our role is to support you through your journey with whatever musculoskeletal complaint you present with, the best way we can! Unhelpful beliefs about lower back pain may contribute to a negative thought process about your lower back pain and lead to pain vigilance, fear of engaging in valued activities, worrying about the future, lack of self-management and adaptive skills and therefor more stress, anxiety or depression (3). Therefore, it is VERY important that we address these beliefs.
If you have any concerning thoughts or beliefs about your condition, we would love to chat to you so that we can help you to better understand what is going on and help you to feel back in control of yourself, your life, your pain and your function levels. Our aim is to get you back to doing what you love so that you can MOVE, GROW and THRIVE!
You do not need a referral to see one of our friendly Osteopaths at Valued Health Osteopathy. We have a very good relationship with many surrounding doctors, other health practitioners and personal trainers in the local community of Bentleigh East , Bentleigh, Ormond, McKinnon, Oakleigh, Carnegie, Caulfield, Moorabbin, Murrumbeena, Brighton, Clayton and Clarinda.
Valued Health Osteopathy offers:
Exercise Rehabilitation
Valued Health Osteopathy is open 6 days a week with early morning and evening appointments. Move better with Osteopathy!
Valued Health Osteopathy is located at 3/658 Centre Road, Bentleigh East, Melbourne, Victoria, 3165.
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References:
- Buchbinder Rachelle Prof,van Tulder Maurits Prof,Öberg Birgitta Prof,Costa Lucíola Menezes PhD,Woolf Anthony Prof,Schoene Mark BS,Croft Peter Prof, Low back pain: a call for action, Lancet, The, Volume 391, Issue 10137, 2018, Pages 2384-2388, ISSN 0140-6736, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30488-4.
- O’Keeffe M, Maher CG, Stanton TR, et al
- O’Sullivan PB, Caneiro J, O’Sullivan K, et al
