Back pain is a prevalent concern in America today. In fact, the University of Maryland Medical Center estimates that 60 to 80 percent of American adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives. This type of pain is also the reason 13 million Americans visit the doctor each year.

Since it’s such a common ailment, you might assume that everything you know about back pain is true. However, a surprising amount of misconceptions surrounds this infirmity. If you have pain along your spine, debunk these back pain myths to help you have the best chance of a full recovery.

Back pain myth: Rest is best.

One to two days of bed rest may help you recover from mild acute back pain, but doctors generally advise against resting any longer than this. Surprisingly, inactivity can actually create more problems because it leads to stiffness and muscle atrophy. Stiff, weak muscles can’t properly support the back and neck, so too much rest leads to more pain, which makes you want to rest more, which leads to even more pain.

Combat this dangerous snowball effect by engaging in physical therapy and exercises recommended by our team here at Spine Correction Center of the Rockies. Safe, moderate activity can help strengthen your muscles and keep back pain at bay.

Back pain myth: The spine is fragile and easy to injure.

You might assume that because back pain is so prevalent that this part of your body is brittle. However, the spine is an anatomical wonder, with muscles, tendons, and ligaments that provide a great deal of strength and stability to your back and neck.

Of course, the spine is far from indestructible. Plenty of activities can harm the spine, including poor posture and improperly lifting heavy objects. However, with proper spinal conditioning – which includes stretching and aerobic exercises – you can keep your spine healthy and strong, even if you have a spinal disorder. Quitting unhealthy habits like smoking, eating junk food, and sleeping irregularly can also support a healthier spine.

Back pain myth: If the doctor can’t find anything wrong, I must be imagining the pain.

Never let a physician tell you that your back pain is all in your head. Pain is always real, even if the doctor can’t identify the anatomical cause behind it. All this means is that you may need to experiment with different treatment options to find out what treats your pain effectively.

Keep in mind that you should consider psychological factors such as depression and sleeplessness as potential contributors to your back pain if no anatomical cause is obvious. Even when this is the case, widely accepted pain management techniques are still likely to work, including back exercises, chiropractic adjustments, and behavioral modifications (such as quitting smoking). We can help create a comprehensive treatment program to alleviate your back pain, no matter the cause.

Back pain myth: Severe pain must indicate ongoing spinal damage.

The level of pain you experience when you suffer an acute back injury often indicates how severely you were injured. This is a biological protection that helps you avoid actions that cause tissue damage until the injury heals.

However, the same is not true of chronic pain, where the extent of your pain is not correlated with the extent of the damage. For instance, severely degenerated discs may cause little pain while those with slight degeneration may hurt a lot. Chronic pain is not a biologically protective measure and doesn’t indicate ongoing damage or injury. This news should help lower your stress level, which may in turn actually reduce your pain.

Schedule a Free Back Pain Consultation in Fort Collins

Chronic back pain is a long-term problem. The last thing you need is misinformation to slow down the healing process. For answers to other questions about your back pain, or to schedule your free back pain consultation, please contact Spine Correction Center in Fort Collins by calling us at (970) 658-5115 today!