Common Misconceptions About Chronic Back Pain in Vacaville

Chronic back pain in Vacaville can come with many available information online, in which some of them can cause confusion to the public. To help you out, this article will tackle those misconceptions so that you will be better educated about this condition.

misconceptions about chronic back pain in Vacaville

Q: If an exercise hurts, it must be causing me harm, right?

A: Not always. Whenever you have a painful, stiff, or shortened gluteal muscle, the first thing you usually do is stand up or walk to stretch the affected area. You can seek out a physical therapist to help you get used to safety exercises for your daily movements. This will make you understand that that "hurt" will not always cause you "harm". You will help train your brain to not over-react to the pain that usually comes with these physical activities. Even though some of the exercises may cause more pain, this does not necessarily mean it causes damage or harm to the spine.

Q: Do bulging discs cause most of my back pain?

A: Actually, no. Many people have been told on their MRIs that the pain may have originated from disc bulges or tears that look abnormal. According to research, chronic back pain frequently does not correlate with the structural abnormalities that are shown on MRIs. In fact, there are people who have been living with disc degeneration, tears, and bulging discs yet they still enjoy active and pain-free lives.

Disc degeneration is normal for an aging person. In fact, it is during our teenager years where the blood supply to our discs is in its best times. As we reach the age of 40, many of us without back pain will show radiographic evidence of disc degeneration.

This is a normal process since our spines can adapt to new activities and environments. Studies have shown that discs can benefit from increased physical loading and gradually adapts as bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons do.

Q: Did my chronic back pain started after an injury?

A: Unless you have experienced a significant trauma to your spine, like being thrown out of a moving vehicle, your spine can absorb a lot of force without incurring some damage. By the time we experience chronic back pain, our bodies have endured several decades of wear before these signs of pain starts to happen. If you have neglected routine maintenance for several years, it makes the occurrence of something like chronic back pain to be more possible. Acute back pain, the one that follows a minor injury, can heal on its own within 6 months.

Q: Should I restrict my activity because of my back pain?

A: We can lose muscle endurance and strength much faster than we can regain it. Stopping our exercises deprives our bodies of physical activity for all our muscles. It is advised to take it a little easier as your muscle rebuilds itself but being away for too long from work or exercise will deprive your deep muscles of the regular exercise they require to repair themselves.

Q: Does back pain means there is something that has been damaged or diseased?

A: The chances for this are low. A study of 1,200 patients have shown than less than 1% of them with back pain had a serious condition like cancer, fracture, infection, or multiple nerve root compression. There are treatment guidelines that can identify certain items in your examination or physical history that could conclude an underlying serious medical condition.

If chronic back pain still bothers you up to this day, do not shy away from getting treatment especially if you want your active, pain-free life back. You can visit the clinic of Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville, CA to get yourself treated. Just dial (707) 474-5688 and get yourself an appointment today.