Here at Spinal Backrack we hear many myths about back pain. At the same time, we put our expertise and opinion to use in order to dispel some of these myths:
Myth Number 1: Surgery is the Answer.
A large number of back pain cases do not need any form of treatment or intervention at all to go away, let alone surgical intervention. Thankfully, there is a wide variety of non-surgical treatment options available these days, and as such, surgery is rarely the answer.
Spinal surgeries are irreversible and could lead to lifelong disability and should only take place in rare occasions, when all other (conservative) treatment options have been exhausted due to the nature of further complications that they tend to create.
Myth Number 2: Painkillers are an effective way to relieve back pain.
Painkillers do not really help relieve back pain. Instead, they may give the impression that your pain is addressed, as they mask the symptoms and provide temporary relief only. That is because they do not deal with the causes of the pain.
Myth Number 3: I have to live with Back Pain.
Thankfully, that is not the case. You don’t have to live with back pain. There is a wide variety of lifestyle adjustments and treatments you can consider in order to relieve your pain.
The first step you can take is to pinpoint the cause of your pain and see if there are any lifestyle changes you can make to improve your spinal health. For example:
- If you tend to slouch a lot or have poor posture, you can work on your spinal muscles and improve your posture by decompressing your spine.
- If you tend to wake up with back pain, it may be because of your sleeping position or the quality of your mattress. As such, you can try to adjust your sleeping posture by using pillows or investing in a good, medium-firm mattress to properly support your spine while you sleep.
Myth Number 4: Bed rest helps.
Bed rest may be helpful if it doesn’t extend over a long period of time (more than a few days). By staying in bed for too long, our backs may actually become even more stiff and painful.
On the other hand, it is actually recommended that you engage in physical activity, even if it is mild. It doesn’t have to be something intense, as even walking around the house is better than lying in bed too long.
If you can, it may also be useful to engage in specific back exercises (flexion, extension, aerobics, strengthening the core) or even physical therapy if you are also struggling with mobility issues related to the spine. At the same time, it is not recommended to have someone perform spinal manipulation, as this has to be performed with caution, especially if your spine is quite frail.
Myth Number 5: Stretching helps relieve back pain.
Stretching may feel nice, but at most it only helps relieve some tension, and not directly relieve back pain. That is not to say that stretches are not beneficial at all, but they are not really efficient when it comes to pain relief.
Instead, you may want to engage in a specific type of stretch, or back exercise, known as spinal decompression.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Device
Author: Spinal Backrack
