Back Pain Myths!

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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.

Low Back Myths, Low back Facts, Low Back Pain, Back Pain, Osteopath near me, Osteo near Me, Osteopath Melbourne, Osteopath Bentleigh, Osteopath Bentleigh East

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!

(03) 9570 9061

www.valuedhealth.com.au

Hip pain, Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome, Trochanteric Bursitis, Osteopath Melbourne, Shoulder pain, Osteopath Cheltenham, Osteopath Moorabbin, Osteopath Brighton, Osteopath Oakleigh, Osteopath Ormond, Osteopath McKinnon, Shoulder Injury, Osteopath, Osteopath Bentleigh East, Osteopath East Bentleigh, Osteopath Bentleigh, Osteopath Oakleigh, Osteopath Oakleigh South, Osteopath Brighton, Osteopath Ormond, Osteopath Moorabbin, Osteopath Mckinnon, Rotator cuff, Rotator cuff tear, Impingement syndrome, Frozen shoulder, Bursitis, Adhesive capsulitis, Impingement syndrome, Supraspinatus tear, shoulder rehab, shoulder rehabilitation, AC joint.

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:

Osteopathy

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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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Osteopath Bentleigh East, Osteopath Bentleigh, Osteopath Ormond, Osteopath McKinnon, Osteopath Moorabbin, Osteopath Murrumbeena, Osteopath Oakleigh, Osteopath Carnegie, Osteopath Caulfield, Osteopath Clayton, Osteopath Brighton and Osteopath Cheltenham, Osteopath Dingley, Osteopath Beaumaris, Osteopath Melbourne.
References:
  1. 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.
  2. O’Keeffe M, Maher CG, Stanton TR, et al
Mass media campaigns are needed to counter misconceptions about back pain and promote higher value care British Journal of Sports Medicine 2019;53:1261-1262.
  1. O’Sullivan PB, Caneiro J, O’Sullivan K, et al
Back to basics: 10 facts every person should know about back pain British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 31 December 2019. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101611
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About Tom McCormick

Dr. Tom McCormick (Osteopath) is the Director and Principal Osteopath at Valued Health Osteopathy in Bentleigh East. Tom is a qualified Osteopath and Dry needling practitioner and is also a Level 1 Strength and Conditioning Coach. Tom has also completed further studies in optimal movement patterns with the FMS (Functional Movement Systems).Tom believes it is important to address the immediate issues causing pain, however feels it is equally important to improve his patient’s ongoing movement, tissue quality, muscle activation and muscle strength in order to optimize injury recovery and reduce the chance of re-aggravation. Since Tom graduated as an Osteopath he has had the opportunity to work both in Queensland and Victoria within private practice and has worked closely with sporting teams. Tom has suffered many injuries and complaints over the years due to his heavy interest in sport. From broken bones, torn cartilage, tendon and muscle injuries to even a double hernia repair, this is ultimately what led Tom into the health field. Tom has a hands on approach to healthcare by utilizing a broad range of techniques that are tailored specifically to each patient. Such techniques include mobilization, soft tissue massage, stretching, trigger point therapy, dry needling and exercise rehabilitation. Although Tom enjoys treating athletes, he also thrives on the sense of enjoyment that comes with helping his patients of all ages with many other injuries. Tom also has experience in treating headaches, back and neck pain, hip, knee and ankle injuries and shoulder and elbow pain. Here at Valued Health Osteopathy Tom will use his Osteopathic experience, coupled with his further training to assess, diagnose, rehabilitate and treat in order to get you moving better with less pain. Outside of work Tom loves to travel, watch plenty of sport, exercise and loves a good coffee.