Six common mistakes to avoid

1 IGNORING PAIN

Pay attention to the pain and go to spine specialist to get a diagnosis and treatment plan

2 RELYING ON PHYSICIANS

Primary care physicians and general practitioners don't have in-depth training in spine medicine. If back pain is severe and lasts for more than a couple of weeks, go to a spine specialist

3 SURGERY "QUICK FIX"

Surgery should be the last option to treat back pain. With a few exceptions, it is recommended to try non-surgical treatment for at least four to six weeks before considering surgery. While surgery can fix a specific anatomical problem, such as a disc pressing on a nerve, the only way to completely heal is through a sustained exercise and rehabilitation programme

4 POSTPONING BACK SURGERY

On the contrary, for certain conditions patients tend to do better if they have a surgery. For example, when there is arm or leg pain and weakness because a nerve root is pinched, it is often best to take pressure off the nerve root through surgery sooner to avoid developing nerve problems

5 FOCUSING ON MRI RESULTS

Don't focus too much on just MRI results, you need full clinical diagnosis

6 BED REST ISN'T THE BEST

Prolonged lack of activity will lead to wasting of muscles and more pain. The abdominal and back muscles don't get much exercise from everyday activities and need specific exercises