A quick recap of our post from May 26th…
Low Back Pain (LBP) is a very common condition, affecting a large amount of the population. The best approaches to managing LBP often contrast with the beliefs of the general public. In addition, international research has shown that educating people about LBP can be very effective in reducing LBP and the related costs on society.
Follow our weekly back pain blog, as we support the ISCP’s Move4Health (www.move4health.ie) campaign who are challenging some common myths about LBP. The aim of this campaign is to give the public a greater understanding of how to manage LBP.
Here is the continuation of our back pain blog.….
Myth No. 3… The more back pain I have, the more my spine is damaged.
The more back pain I have, the more my spine is damaged. More pain does not always mean more damage. People with similar back problems can feel very different levels of pain. The degree of pain felt can vary according to a number of factors, including the situation in which the pain occurs, previous pain experiences, your mood, fears, fitness, stress levels and coping style. If you have LBP it might be that the nerves involved in sending and processing pain are relatively more ‘active’ compared to other people. This can mean you feel more pain when you move or try to do something, even though you are not damaging your spine. In such cases a number of strategies, including exercise, can be used to help lessen the pain and disability experienced.
Myth No. 4… My back pain is due to something being ‘out of place’
There is no evidence to suggest that LBP is caused by a bone or joint in your back being out of place, or your pelvis being out of alignment. For most people with back pain, X-rays and scans do not show any evidence of bones or joints being ‘out of place’. In the small number of people with some change in their spinal alignment, this does not increase the risk of LBP. Even if you feel a little better in the short-term after having your back manipulated, nothing has been put back in place – there was never anything ‘out of place’!
More to come next week.
Click here for more information about back pain or for a full list of our services click here
For further details on the campaign see www.move4health.ie