The Most Common Myths About

Back pain

You've Been Told By Doctors, Friends and Social Media That Keep You In Pain And Taking Pills

If you’ve suffered with back pain or sciatica, you’ve probably heard a wild range of stories and opinions from friends and family, and even outdated advice from doctors to rest and rely on painkillers which has left you confused, frustrated and unable to get long-term relief. Here are some of the most common back pain myths our patients have been told which has actually made their back pain and sciatica much worse, and delayed their recovery from injuries.

MYTH #1 - REST IS THE CURE

Rest is not the cure. Muscles atrophy, or decrease in size, and this ends up causing them to lose strength and stability. When this happens, you can’t support your lower back which will inevitably lead to more back pain. The less active a person is, the more likely it is that you will experience pain. That’s because you are not giving the muscles the ability to support the back. This ultimately leads to more pain, more frequently. It becomes a vicious cycle because you are unable to stay active. You are in pain, and this in turn causes you to be less active, and then the pain will worsen over time. You may have exhausted your resources at this point, going to multiple doctors, or endless numbers of appointments. Nothing worked. That is because most medical advice you are getting is coming from generalists or people that are not experts in treating back pain. They are recommending pain pills and rest because they don’t understand the diagnosis and treatment that goes into relieving a bad back.

MYTH #2 - YOU NEED AN MRI OR X-RAY TO SOLVE YOUR BACK PAIN

So many think that if there is pain that lasts for days an MRI and x-ray would help identify the root of the pain. They think there are no other ways to figure out what is wrong. Unless you have tried a more conservative course of care and have tried to relieve back pain naturally through different forms of treatment and it still isn’t working, there is no reason to get an MRI or x-ray. Research shows that if you get into physical therapy within the first 17 days of experiencing back pain, it reduces the incidence of recurrent back pain significantly. After the 17 days, the pain then becomes more chronic and recurrent. If you see a physical therapist for 6-8 weeks, and the pain isn’t going away, that is when you go and get your diagnostic. In a perfect world, we would want to see a patient for that period of time. This allows us to set a treatment plan and find you answers naturally. That way we can help you avoid the cost, time, and effort that will inevitably happen if you get into the cycle that happens so often in healthcare.

MYTH #3 - BACK PAIN IS A PART OF GETTING OLD

It is not a part of getting old. We all have age-related changes. If we keep the body strong and continue to have mobility, then back pain is not an inevitable. It’s not a part of getting older. Many people want to associate pain with aging, but in reality pain is associated with disuse and dysfunction. We have many patients at Tomsic Physical Therapy that are in their 80s and 90s and still active. They’re enjoying adventurous outdoor activities, and are not experiencing back pain as a part of aging. It’s because they have gotten proper treatment and understand what to do when treating their aches and pains in their backs. Pain does not have to be part of getting older and physical therapy can help you with that!

MYTH #4 - PHYSICAL THERAPY IS NOT JUST FOR PEOPLE AFTER SURGERY

Most people see physical therapy as something they do after a surgery or an injury has occurred. They do not see it as a way of preventing injury or as a form staying active that will help keep the body happy and healthy. Physical therapy is part of wellness. Through physical therapy we are able to work with you so you understand more about the body, how our treatment can help you in not only treating pain but preventing it, and you will leave our clinic with the realization of just how crucial physical therapy can be to your overall health.

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The Most Common Myths About

Back pain

You've Been Told By Doctors, Friends and Social Media That Keep You In Pain And Taking Pills

Are You disappointed, worries or Even angry About these myths that people you trusted have told you - Which have probably led to more Back pain?

Get Your Free Copy Of This Report, Written by Durango's Back Pain expert, Ellen Tomsic

Want Help To Decide If Physical Therapy Is Right For You?

FREE Discovery Visit

Request A Call Back

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