| As reported in medical journals up to 80 per cent | | | | likely to experience pain in the lower back than |
| of adults will experience back pain at some time | | | | workers who do not do this kind of work. It is |
| during their lives. Let us take a closer look at the | | | | also true that the weight of the material is a risk |
| seven myths about back pain mentioned in | | | | factor for injury, as is how often the materials |
| various medical journals. | | | | are handled and the workers posture when doing |
| Myth 1: If you have slipped a disk (also known as | | | | the work. And regardless of whether or not the |
| a herniated or ruptured disk), you must have | | | | work involves lifting, people are more likely to be |
| surgery. Surgeons agree about exactly who | | | | injured early in the morning, when their backs are |
| should have surgery. | | | | stiffer, than later in the workday. Up to 85 per |
| Truth | | | | cent of persons with bad back can not recall a |
| The causes of bad back can be complex and | | | | specific incident that brought on their pain. While |
| difficult to diagnose. For more than 70 per cent of | | | | heavy lifting or injuries are risk factors, they do |
| patients with chronic back pain, it is not possible to | | | | not account for most episodes of pain. |
| make a specific diagnosis pinpointing the cause of | | | | Myth 5: Back pain is usually disabling. |
| the pain. Surgery to relieve back pain should only | | | | Truth |
| be used as a last resort. Very specific tests | | | | Most people with back pain get better, regardless |
| should be done to confirm that a disk has been | | | | of whether they receive treatment or the |
| damaged and that the pain is directly related to | | | | treatment method used. Most people who leave |
| this damage. Even if tests show a damaged disk, | | | | work return within six weeks, and only a small |
| recovery often occurs without surgery. Studies | | | | percentage never return to their jobs. That is the |
| using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have | | | | good news. The bad news? If you have |
| shown that the herniated part of the disk often | | | | experienced back pain in the past, you are at |
| shrinks on its own over time The causes of back | | | | greater risk of experiencing it again. Fortunately, |
| pain can be complex and difficult to diagnose. | | | | recurring episodes of pain usually go away on |
| Surgery to relieve back pain should only be used | | | | their own, just like the original back attack did |
| as the last resort. Approximately 90 percent of | | | | Myth 6: Everyone with back pain should have |
| patients with a herniated disk improve gradually | | | | spinal X-rays. |
| over a period of six weeks. | | | | Truth |
| Myth 2: X-ray images, CT and MRI scans can | | | | Routine X-rays of the spine are unnecessary and |
| always identify the cause of pain. | | | | often of little value. The spine abnormalities |
| Truth | | | | detected with X-rays often have nothing to do |
| Abnormalities of the spine are as common in | | | | with the symptoms experienced. Many people |
| people without back pain as they are in people | | | | have abnormalities and are completely pain-free. |
| suffering from this pain. Getting a better quality | | | | The latest medical guidelines for evaluating back |
| image of a herniated disk, in the absence of a | | | | pain recommend that the use of X-rays be limited |
| thorough physical examination, leaves you with | | | | to patients such as those who have suffered |
| only a better picture, not necessarily a better | | | | major injuries in a fall or automobile accident. |
| diagnosis. Even the best imaging tests cannot | | | | Myth 7: Bed rest is the mainstay of therapy. If |
| identify muscle spasms or strained ligaments that | | | | you have experienced back pain in the past, you |
| might be the cause of pain. Many doctors only | | | | are at greater risk of experiencing it again. |
| recommend CT and MRI scans for those patients | | | | Routine X-rays of the spine are unnecessary and |
| already heading for surgery for other reasons. | | | | often of little value. |
| Myth 3: If your back hurts, you should take it | | | | Truth |
| easy until the pain goes away. | | | | For the longest time, patients with back pain were |
| Truth | | | | told to lie down to get better. While many |
| Thinking of today is to continue the routine | | | | patients experienced less pain while lying down, it |
| activities of daily living and work as normally as | | | | was not always the case that they got better. |
| possible. Persons who remain active do better | | | | Studies have shown that four days of bed rest |
| than those who try either bed rest or immediate | | | | turns out to be no more effective than two |
| exercise. Not all workers can immediately return | | | | days, or even no bed rest at all. Imagine what it |
| to work. It is often helpful to have workers with | | | | felt like to get up after one to two weeks of |
| back pain return to some form of light work until | | | | strict bed rest - the recommended practice not |
| they recover more fully. Even the best imaging | | | | that long ago. |
| tests cannot identify muscle spasms or strained | | | | Here is the Cure for Back ache and related |
| ligaments that might be the cause of pain. | | | | problems: |
| Persons who remain active do better than those | | | | Removing the stiffness of all muscles from the |
| who try either bed rest or immediate exercise. | | | | ankle to the neck, which effect the spine, is the |
| Myth 4: Most back pain is caused by injuries or | | | | panacea of bad back pain and related problems. |
| heavy lifting. | | | | But how? You and your chiropractors may have |
| Truth | | | | tried many exercises on you, but your pain may |
| It is true that workers whose jobs involve lifting, | | | | have little or no improvement. |
| lowering and carrying materials are much more | | | | |