6 Things You Should Know About Back Pain

Have you ever had back pain?

Here are 6 things you should know about it:

Back pain is common and rarely dangerous

Almost everyone will experience back pain during their lifetime.  It doesn’t affect one particular age demographic more than another – so no you’re not just getting old! Most people recover quickly, and whilst some people can experience repeated episodes of pain which can be distressing, this is rarely dangerous or a sign of structural damage.

Imaging for back pain is rarely needed and can be actually be  harmful 

Most people believe that a scan (x-ray, MRI) will identify their potential cause of pain. However, scans are only really needed for suspected serious back pain (ie. Cancer, infection). These conditions are rare and only make up about 1% of all back pain. In most cases there is little correlation between the structure that might be identified as “damaged” on a scan and the symptoms a person may be experiencing, sometimes leading to unnecessary interventions.

Your back is not vulnerable to damage 

Structures do not simply ‘slip’ or ‘go out of place’. Your spine is extremely robust, and “slipping a disc” is not actually a feasible concept. Your spine is not “out of alignment” – if it was you would likely be in serious trouble.

Your back is designed for bending and lifting

The back is designed to adapt to many activities. It is important to be conditioned to lift and shown how to lift heavy things correctly and safely. The same way a knee can get sore from doing an unaccustomed activity, people can get back pain when they lift awkwardly or something that they aren’t used to, BUT it is designed to bend, twist and flex, and absorb load while doing so!

You can have back pain without damage or injury

The traditional view is that pain is a sign of injury or damage.  We now know that the volume knob for back pain can be turned up by many factors: physical, psychological, health (being tired and run down), lifestyle (sleep problems, low physical activity levels, inadequate nutrition), and social (poor relationships at work or home).

Prolonged rest is unhelpful

While rest may give you relief initially, prolonged rest is unhelpful and associated with higher levels of pain, greater disability, and longer absence from work.

And for a cheeky number 7 – we can help! If you have back pain and need some help navigating your way through it book yourself in!