The 6 Most Common Misconceptions about Low Back Pain

1. Low back pain is "muscular"

This is the about the most common explanation of low back pain. People think it can happen from overuse, lifting heavy objects, or awkward movements.

 

The only reason muscles are strained, torn or overworked is because they were not strong enough to take the strain when required. Likewise, if a muscle doesn't contract quickly enough, the ligaments of the discs or facets will have to take up the slack and if they can't they will sprain, with the accompanying pain. Restoring normal muscle tone is the answer to preventing injury and healing it quickly.

2. Degenerative disc disease:

As discs in your spine wear and tear with age, they can become less flexible and cause pain.

 

DJD is often dismissed as "wear and tear." It occurs as a long-term reaction to poor movement control as a result of poor muscle tone. This has most clearly been shown in the knee joint but all joints are vulnerable to long-term wear if the muscles around them fail to resist the forces on that joint. Poor nutrition can also have an effect.

3. Sciatica:

Sciatica is often the result of a disc bulge, which is a localised form of degenerative joint disease. As the fibres of the disc tear, the soft inner portion of the disc pushes outwards or bulges, sometimes irritating the sciatic nerve and causing low back pain. Sciatic-like pain can also be caused by kidney stones, the sacroiliac joint or the hip joint. Careful examination from a trained professional is necessary to diagnose the real cause.

4. Arthritis:

Osteoarthritis is another name for degenerative joint disease, discussed above, but there are times when the arthritis in the spine is due to inflammation rather than wear and tear. This inflammation might be psoriatic, rheumatoid or other forms like ankylosing spondylitis but they require different (less physical) management than osteoarthritis. We work hard to identify the source of inflammation in any patients with generalised pain. This may require examination of dietary and lifestyle factors including toxicity the patient may be exposed to at home.

5. Poor posture:

Sitting hunched over all day or slouching can put strain on your back muscles and ligaments.

 

Posture can be involved but it is usually an effect rather than a cause. You can sit properly for brief periods but often the reason we go back to sitting badly is a lack of muscle tone means we can't maintain good positions for long. Restoring normal muscle tone allows us to sit well, or sit badly, without suffering.