| Myth: |
The
spine is delicate and easily injured |
| Fact: |
The spine and
its surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments
comprise a well-designed structure that’s
incredibly strong, flexible and supportive.
To help maintain the back and spine, proper
conditioning is needed - including strengthening,
flexibility and aerobic conditioning. While
there are some exceptions to the rule (such
as an unstable spinal fracture), the back
does not need to be overprotected after recovering
from a typical episode of back pain. |
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|
| Myth: |
If
I have back pain and back problems when I am young, it will
get worse as I age |
| Fact: |
The incidence
of back pain is actually highest between
the ages of 35 and 55. After age 55, people
usually have less pain - especially discogenic
pain (back pain or other pain or symptoms
caused by disc problems). While disc degeneration
is a natural part of the aging process, it
is not always accompanied by pain. |
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|
| Myth: |
My
father (or mother) had bad back pain and back problems so
I’m likely to have it |
| Fact: |
For the vast
majority of conditions related to back and
neck pain there is no genetic predisposition,
which means that parents do not pass their
back conditions onto their children. |
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|
| Myth: |
An
MRI scan or other diagnostic test is needed
to diagnose my back problem |
| Fact: |
Most health
professionals can develop a successful treatment
approach for back pain based on a thorough
medical history and physical examination.
Only specific symptom patterns in a minority
of cases indicate the need for an MRI scan
or other sophisticated tests. Typically,
an MRI scan is used when patients are not
responding to appropriate treatment for back
pain. |
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|
| Myth: |
The
abnormality/back problem on my MRI scan needs to be
cured |
| Fact: |
An abnormality
that is seen on an imaging test (MRI, CT
scan) does not necessarily cause back pain
or other symptoms. In fact, the vast majority
of people who never have had an episode of
low back pain will have abnormalities (such
as a herniated disc or degenerative disc)
on an imaging test. For patients experiencing
low back pain, 92%-96% can be treated successfully
without back surgery. |
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|
| Myth: |
If
no specific back problem is found,
my pain must be psychological |
| Fact: |
Most cases of
back pain will not follow the typical medical
approach of specific structural diagnosis
and remedy, but the pain is still real. While
psychological factors, such as depression
and sleeplessness will often need to be included
as part of a comprehensive treatment program
for back pain, there are also a variety of
conservative care options that can help alleviate
the back pain. Additionally, persistent back
pain symptoms should be investigated by a
qualified spine specialist to rule out serious
problems such as tumor or infection.
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