Common Mistakes People With Back Pain Make

Lower Back Pain is the leading cause of disability in the UK

Most people will experience a bout of back pain through the course of their life, all of which would be made a hell of a lot easier if they avoided these three common mistakes!

Not getting their lower back assessed by a professional

Though back pain has a relatively favourable natural history (meaning it improves in most people in a relatively short amount of time), it also has a very high recurrence rate. This is where it is essential to have the issue assessed by a professional to ensure there is no sinister pathology at play and to rehab the injury fully to prevent future recurrences.

Lower back pain does not always mean there is damage

People suffering with lower back pain often associate the pain with damage, after all they are only one quick google search away from thinking they have a bulging disc or that their spine will crumble if they dare to pick anything up. There is now good evidence that bed rest or time off work for medically non-serious back pain (which accounts for over 90% of cases) can actually be detrimental for recovery and allow the pain to persist for longer. In these cases it is important to keep the body moving and try to do some appropriate exercises early doors - this is where a physio can guide you on what might be safe and effective in your specific scenario!

Not working on the right things to make lower back pain go away

Due to age-old societal beliefs, a lot of people's first port of call after an episode of back pain is to change the ergonomics of their working or sleeping environments despite these factors having poor evidence in terms of contributing to lower back pain. By doing this they miss the elephant in the room which is that the vulnerability of your lower back is normally a reflection of your general health and lifestyle factors. It’s important to ask yourself, am I moving my body enough, am I sleeping and eating well, am I managing my stress levels well - all before buying that perfect ergonomic desk setup on amazon!

Common lower back pain mistakes

These three mistakes are things we commonly see in clinic and can frustratingly delay our clients progress, if you or someone you know is struggling with a back issue, it is to get in touch with a professional ASAP to get the ball rolling with your recovery.

Book a consultation with a lower back pain expert physio

Click below to book a physiotherapy consultation to fix your lower back pain