Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. It is important to remember low back pain can be a normal experience in life. About 80% of Americans will have low back pain at some point in their lives.
“Unhelpful beliefs about LBP are associated with greater levels of pain, disability, missed work, medication use and healthcare seeking. Unhelpful beliefs are common in people with and without LBP, and can be reinforced by the media, industry groups and well-meaning clinicians.1” How many of these myths do you believe? How many of the facts do you believe? Belief in the facts will help you recover and function better. Sometimes it is hard to give up the belief in the myths. I admit there was a time I used to believe myths 6,7, and 8.
Low-Back-Pain-Myths-And-FactsThe Facts
Low back pain is almost always due to non-threatening causes. Low back pain is rarely an emergency. It is an emergency when there is a loss of bowel or bladder control, worsening weakness or numbness in legs, inner thigh, groin, or buttocks, sudden or gradually paralysis/difficulty walking, or occurring with a fever.
Most episodes of LBP tend to improve and it does not get worse as we age.
Think your LBP is caused by tissue damage? Think again. Believing “you will have to live with it” because your back is damaged and avoiding activity because you don’t want to make it worse, actually causes more pain than tissue damage.
People tend to place too much importance on x-rays and MRIs. They can show you what the spine looks like. They cannot determine the prognosis of your current episode of back pain or tell you the likelihood of future episodes of low back pain. They have not been shown to improve LBP treatment outcomes. They are a tool that works best when combined with a proper exam and history. It is well known that people without any history of LBP will have degenerative, bulging, or herniated discs on MRI.
Pain with movement is not a warning sign that you need to stop. This is one of the most common and harmful myths that I see. It’s very common in people with chronic pain. They fear exercise will make the pain worse, so they avoid all exercise, which unfortunately leads to more pain in the long run. Avoiding exercise leads to deconditioning, weakness, and stiffness. Movement and exercise are key components in helping low back pain.
People are always looking to improve their posture to prevent pain. They should be focused more on consistently changing their position. Any position held for too long can cause pain, even positions with perfect posture. The body was designed to move, not sit or stand in the same position for hours at a time.
People with a strong core can have back pain. While it is good if you have strong core muscles. It is also helpful to relax them when they aren’t needed.
Bending, lifting, and carrying can be safe when you start off slow and gradually increase weight and time as you adapt. Injuries occur when we do too much too fast after doing too little for too long.
Pain flare-ups are not fun, but they are normal. They are not sign of tissue damage. They can occur when doing a new activity that you aren’t used to or when doing a repetitive activity when your body is fatigued.
Effective care for back pain includes such things as engaging in physical activity and exercise, social activities, healthy sleep habits, healthy body weight, and remaining in employment.
If you suffer from low back pain, stay positive, stay active, and seek safe and affordable non-drug options including chiropractic. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to treat back pain.
Sean Flynn, DC
Sioux City, IA Chiropractor