“Did you know?”

“A scan will give me a diagnosis.”
FALSEAlthough an X-ray, CT or MRI scan may occasionally be helpful, findings such as disc degeneration, arthritis, disc bulges and fissures are common in the pain free population and are not necessarily the reason for your pain.
“I am causing damage if it hurts.”
FALSEThe level of pain experienced is often a poor measure of injury or tissue damage. Even if an activity is painful, it is not an accurate sign of doing harm. A physio can help develop a program for you to move safely.
“Bending and lifting will make my low back pain worse.”
FALSEIt may be painful to bend and lift with back pain, but developing the mobility and strength to bend and lift is important. Many types of exercise can bring great benefits.
“I should stay in bed and rest.”
FALSEReturning to movement and work is better for recovery and preventing recurrence than bed rest. Immobility and bed rest for more than two days have never been shown to be beneficial.
“Strong pain killers (opioids) will help manage my pain.”
FALSESolutions that focus on opioids for managing pain at best mask people’s physical problems and delay or impede recovery and at worst may prove to be dangerous and even deadly.
“Surgery is my only chance of improvement.”
FALSESurgery and interventional procedures have a very limited role, if any, in the management of low back pain. Only about 1-5% of low back pain is caused by serious disease or injury.
“My pain and limited function mean there’s nothing I can do.”
FALSEThis unhelpful belief can cause you to become trapped in a vicious cycle of avoidance behaviour, pain and disability. A physio can help interpret pain and break the cycle.
An overprotective pain system:
> is NOT a sign you have a weak personality or a weak mind
> does NOT mean you are going crazy
> and does NOT mean your injury is getting worse or your body is falling apart.
It means your body is doing too good a job of protecting itself.
When our pain system becomes overprotective, it stops us from doing movements and activities that are actually necessary for recovery.
50% of 40 year olds WITHOUT back pain have a disc bulge.
Disc bulges are so common in people without back pain that many scientists think they are not abnormal but a common and normal part of ageing.
Amazing as it sounds, learning new things – skills and information – is anti-inflammatory.
Keep up your journey of understanding pain by reading new things and watching good YouTube clips like those listed in “Free resources”.
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For more fun facts – check out the “Free educational Resources”

Be brave and have hope,
as there is a way to move beyond your pain.