3 Myths about Back Pain
1) “I need an MRI before seeking treatment”.
Most clients believe that an MRI is the only diagnostic tool worthy of predicting their ability to recover from their injury. In my experience, this is the biggest misconception about low back pain and rehabilitation. Several studies have shown that despite seeing structural damage in the spine and its surrounding structures, those injuries may not be the exact source of your lower back pain. To dive further into that myth, not all MRI results will lead you to a surgical procedure.
At Restore Physical Therapy, the doctors will perform a full body assessment, including special testing for the affected joints, in order to determine an accurate diagnosis. They will then formulate the specific treatment approach for each patient. It is important to respect the results of an MRI, however it is equally important to trust that your physical therapist has every tool needed to evaluate, diagnose and treat your pain.
2) “I have Degenerative Disc Disease and it will never get better”.
Degenerative Disc Disease is a common finding in medical imaging for patients over the age of 40. The words can sound scary and change the way you go about your daily life. First and foremost, it is important to understand the anatomy before making any brash decisions. The discs in our spine are much like a jelly doughnut. They have a rougher, fibrous, outer shell (annulus fibrosis) to protect the inner portion, a jelly-like substance (nucleus pulposus) to cushion impact between each vertebra. The truth is, as we age, all of us will have some form of degeneration in our discs!
This diagnosis does not necessarily mean that you cannot continue to work in the garden, play with your children or return to sport. Research has shown that by following an 8-week program utilizing a combination of physical therapy manual techniques, core stabilization and hip strengthening exercises, you can effectively decrease pain, improve range of motion and increase strength of the deep muscles which help to control the spine.
3) “I can’t treat any other problems until my back is fixed”.
As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, we are trained to evaluate the entire body as a complete, specialized unit. No single body part works independently of the other and it must be treated that way. Although the client may experience pain in the lower back, it is quite possible that the root of the problem stems from another region of the body, such as the hips, knees, ankles or even higher up in the spine!
Imagine putting a band-aid over a cut everyday, just to pull it off at night and give yourself the same cut...repeating the process for weeks, months or years. In some cases, this is what happens when your treatment program revolves solely on the lower back. At Restore Physical Therapy, we take the entire body into consideration to find the true source of your lower back pain. We will then work diligently to eliminate pain, fix the mechanical problems which caused the pain and help you achieve your goals in a systematic approach.
If you have been dealing with back pain of any kind, let the experienced staff at Restore Physical Therapy help evaluate and treat your ailments.
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