THE REAL FACTS
1
Back pain rarely signals serious damage. While persistent pain can be distressing and disabling, only 1-5 per cent has a structural or medical cause, such as a fracture, cancer, infection or compression of the spinal nerve. “The majority of the time, back pain is a normal part of the human highway of life and doesn’t herald significant damage or degeneration,” says Bush, who recommends being “actively patient” and to keep moving within your pain tolerance.
2
Scanning doesn’t identify or predict pain.
Most imaging reveals pre-existing, age-related changes. In a study published by the American Journal of Neuro-radiology, scans on 40-year-olds without pain showed disc degeneration (in 68 per cent of cases), disc bulge (50 per cent), annular fissure (22 per cent) and facet degeneration (32 per cent). “The trouble with MRI machines is that they show us our bodies in such fine detail that we see all our imperfections, which most of us don’t realise are present in people suffering no pain.”
3
Back pain is multidimensional. In the majority of cases, ongoing back pain is lifestyle or performance-related, triggered by overload, fatigue, inactivity, stress or fear (being overprotective or rigid rather than moving freely).
4
Backs don’t wear out. They can’t be “put out” or “put back in”, either. Bush describes the spine as a highly robust and resilient structure. Moving and loading your back (running, twisting, bending, lifting) makes it stronger and healthier, as long as you start gradually and keep it up regularly. There’s also no research to support the belief that ageing causes or worsens back pain.
5
Poor posture or a “weak core” doesn’t cause backpain. Staying in any one position for too long is the real problem for many. The next posture is the best posture, is Bush’s advice. To improve mobility and avoid your body getting “stuck”, change position every 20 minutes or so. If you’re in a sedentary job, stand up regularly, move around and try to go for a short walk on breaks.
6
There is no quick fix. No medical intervention can speed up the healing rate of our tissues, and the initial severity of the pain we feel doesn’t indicate how severe a back injury is or the length of time before it comes right. As a guideline, a mild back strain takes about 10 days to recover. A moderate strain takes 3-6 weeks and a significant injury can take three months. If pain persists for longer, Bush advises seeking help from a physiotherapist experienced with chronic back pain who can help weed out lifestyle factors that may be causing the pain or stopping it from resolving.