6 Misconceptions About Back Pain

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

6 misconceptions about back pain

Doctors say that among adult Russians, people who do not have back pain are very rare. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of patients who periodically experience this malaise are in no hurry to seek medical help. On the one hand, they believe that feelings of this kind in adulthood are almost a natural phenomenon that does not cause serious harm to health. On the other hand, there is a widespread practice of self-medication with various anesthetic ointments, gels and rubbing, as well as referring to "bone-setters", many of whom do not have the experience and education necessary to carry out complex medical procedures.

The result is often a deterioration in health and a decrease in the quality of life. For doctors, in whose hands such a patient falls with a great delay, this means a long and complex treatment process, which does not always guarantee the patient's complete recovery.

We will cover the misconceptions associated with back pain in this article.

A straight back indicates no spinal problems

Since childhood, each of us knows that to monitor our posture, not to hunch over, to sit and stand with a straight back and unfolded shoulders is absolutely necessary for health. This is what our parents and teachers told us all the time. However, they were not entirely right.

In fact, a perfectly straight back is not at all a sign of an excellent condition of the musculoskeletal system. The spine of a healthy person should have natural curves that help him withstand severe stress and absorb the shock that the body experiences when walking or running. Excessive zeal, shown in the formation of an absolutely straight, flat back, over time can backfire with rapid fatigue, persistent pain and problems with the respiratory system.

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Manual therapy quickly relieves back pain

All media abound with advertisements for such content. And people suffering from back pain, trustingly give themselves into the hands of "healers", because the temptation is extremely great to eliminate the problem with just one or two procedures.

Qualified doctors believe that such treatment is dangerous, it sometimes leads to very unpleasant consequences. It is enough that direct force effects (the so-called reduction of the vertebrae) can be used only in a very limited number of cases, when the displacement occurred no more than two to three days ago. Procedures of this kind require the vast experience of the masseur and preliminary preparation of the patient's body: thorough heating and softening of the problem area. Violation of these rules leads to the fact that the ligaments that support the spinal column weaken and the mobility of the vertebrae increases. As a result, the probability of a sudden displacement of the vertebra and pinching of a group of nerves increases many times over. When this happens to a person who crosses the road, drives a car, descends stairs, works with moving machinery,the risk is enormous, up to and including death.

Experienced chiropractors rarely work with vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Typically, procedures are aimed at improving the condition of muscles, tendons and ligaments. This is a lengthy process and the effect of the first sessions is rarely noticeable.

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To prevent back pain, you need to strengthen the muscle corset

This is true, but the problem is that most people approach the process of strengthening the muscle corset without special knowledge. The following errors are common:

• independent start of training without consulting a doctor and making an accurate diagnosis;
• the wrong choice of a set of exercises;
• excessive starting loads;
• attempts to exercise, overcoming pain.

Even with a relatively healthy spine, unreasonable exercise choices and physical overload can make you feel worse. As for patients who try to pump muscles in the presence of destructive changes in bone and cartilaginous tissue (and sometimes in inflammatory processes), they cause significant harm to their health.

This does not mean that a person with back pain should avoid physical activity. It is necessary to go in for sports, but under the supervision of an experienced trainer and after consulting a doctor.

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Any massage helps with back pain

Massage for back pain helps to relax the muscles, relieve their excessive tone, as well as strengthen the ligaments that support the spine and increase their elasticity. For this, different procedures are applied. Treatment using mechanical devices (called traction or traction) is very effective, which allows you to gently relieve the intervertebral discs and nerves.

It is important that the procedures are carried out by a certified specialist who takes into account the peculiarities of the patient's condition and uses professional equipment. It is quite dangerous to use devices such as automatic massage chairs, which any shopping center offers today, for medicinal purposes.

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Physiotherapy for back pain is useless

Apparently, this misconception arose due to the fact that local therapists often prescribe physiotherapy procedures to all patients with back pain in a row, not particularly bothering to clarify the diagnoses. For a number of patients, such treatment does not help precisely because their condition requires an effect that is much stronger than the standard one.

Physiotherapeutic treatment regimens should be selected strictly individually. It is equally important to take into account all possible contraindications, therefore, the attending physician should work in close contact with specialized specialists (gastroenterologist, cardiologist, etc.) in order to avoid exacerbation of the patient's chronic ailments.

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Osteochondrosis is the most common cause of back problems

The word "osteochondrosis" literally means "changes in bone and cartilage tissue." In fact, any adult has them, regardless of the presence or absence of pain. Therefore, doctors in most developed countries try not to make such a diagnosis at all.

And the immediate cause of unpleasant sensations in the back can be one of several dozen ailments. Accurate diagnosis in this situation is difficult - a thorough examination of the state of the intervertebral discs, ligaments, muscles and nerves is required. In addition, the doctor should check the patient for systemic diseases (such as rheumatoid, infectious, or gouty arthritis). Adequate treatment can only be prescribed after a comprehensive examination.

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Back pain is a dangerous symptom that often indicates serious health problems. When it appears, an experienced doctor should be found, an accurate diagnosis should be made and treatment should be started urgently.

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Maria Kulkes Medical journalist About the author

Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".

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