Do you - or have you ever had lower back pain? If you haven't yet, you likely will at some point. In fact, it's estimated that 80% of the population will have to deal with low back pain at some point during their lives, making it almost as prevalent as the common cold.
Despite the ubiquity of lower back pain, there are several prevalent myths about the condition and how to treat it.
For starters, many people believe that they should stop exercising and physical activity if they begin experiencing low back pain.
They mistakenly believe that activity somehow led to their pain rather than it simply being largely due to spinal degeneration and inflammation that occurs as part of the normal aging process in most people.
While modifying activity may be important at the onset of low back pain, staying active with stretching and light physical activity such as walking is important to recovery.
In fact, some doctors say that avoidingbed rest is essential in keeping lower back pain from getting worse.
Another common misconception people have about low back pain is that if you are diagnosed with a slipped disc, you must have surgery to correct it.
But that is not necessarily the case - and often any pain or discomfort from slipped discs can be managed without a surgical procedure.
In fact, the majority of low back pain in general can be managed effectively without surgery or extensive therapies, or even having to have an advanced imaging procedure.
Understanding low back and having the right beliefs about how to manage it is the start of finding relief.
