Common Myths About Back Pain

There are dozens upon dozens of myths out there about what leads to back pain, what you should do to prevent back pain, and what kinds of treatments may solve your back pain troubles.

My goal as your massage therapist is to help relieve your pain. But what if many of the commonly suggested treatment solutions are ineffective at best? Throw out everything you know about back pain, and let’s take a look at some of these claims to see whether or not they stand up to science.

Have You Made Any of These Frequent Misconceptions About Posture and Pain?

You probably have heard that poor posture causes back pain. In fact, it’s likely that you heard it frequently from your parents when you were growing up as they were encouraging you to stand up straight.

And chances are you’ll find lots of experts claiming this to be true on the internet as well: chiropractors and doctors, physical therapists and personal trainers, and yes, massage therapists, all telling you the importance of posture if you’re looking to avoid or alleviate back pain.

Are all these claims really supported by facts and by experience? Should you spend time working to improve your posture if your only concern is avoiding pain and discomfort?

Perhaps you’ve heard that an increase in the arch of the lower back during pregnancy is the cause of many women’s discomfort while expecting. However, an in-depth analysis measuring the arch of the lower back in 12 healthy women during their first and third trimesters of pregnancy was conducted in order to discover if there was any truth to this myth by monitoring changes in the curvature of the spine.

The point of this study was to locate any direct correlation between postural changes and back pain. While back pain is a common occurrence for many women in pregnancy, these postural changes were not found to be the cause of back pain at all.

Overall, there is little truth to the idea that poor posture can lead to back pain, just as there is no evidence to show that we can cure back pain by changing our posture.

Working with your massage therapist to alleviate pain may be a viable option to treat your pain effectively.

Is There a Correlation Between Core Strength and Back Pain?

Another common misconception about back pain is that having a strong core is essential to having a pain-free, healthy back. But what evidence is there to support this claim?

Numerous studies have been conducted to examine whether core strengthening exercises are the solution to lower back pain. Take a look at this study, though, which found that in individuals with little abdominal muscle strength, there was no statistically significant difference between the group that was performing core strengthening exercise and back education and the group that relied on back education alone.

This study divided participants into two groups: a group of people with chronic lower back pain who received muscle control therapy and a second control group that received placebo-like treatment. The first group received outpatient physical therapy over the course of 12 weeks, with exercises designed to improve the function of specific muscles in the lower back. The second group receiving the placebo treatment had de-tuned ultrasonic therapy.

The results? This motor-control-focused exercise did help with muscle recovery but did nothing for back pain.

What we can learn from this is that while exercise is generally good for us, current evidence shows us that strengthening our core is not a magic cure-all that will free us from back pain.

So What Exactly Causes Back Pain?

 If you suffer from chronic back pain, it might be frustrating to hear that these perceived causes might not be the root of your back pain woes at all.

So just what is causing your back pain? Here are a few causes that might be leading you to feel pain and discomfort in your back:

●      Muscle strain or injury, leading to back spasms, discomfort and even weakened muscles over time. Massage can help with this.

●      The large muscles in your upper back are prone to irritation, either because of a lack of strength or overuse. Massage can relieve this irritation and improve range of motion.

●      Your hamstrings are tight!  9/10 if you can’t bend over to put your shoes on, or tie your laces, its due to your hamstrings having a tantrum!

Back pain is no joke. You feel it with every move, and it affects your life in all kinds of ways. With a diagnosis from your GP, together we can create a healing, therapeutic massage plan to relieve your pain and get your life back on track.

Get in touch and find out how I can help YOU!