5 Back Care Mistakes to Avoid

We spend a lot of time talking about what to do to care for your back and spine. For a change of pace, we thought it would be valuable to provide some input about common mistakes to avoid.

Mistake #1: Ignore your back pain for too long

While it’s true that the majority of episodes of back pain will get better on their own, this doesn’t mean that you should ignore it. Rather, when back pain strikes, it’s best to seek appropriate treatment and understand what you can do to prevent future bouts of pain. As an example, when experiencing symptoms from degenerative disc disease or a herniated disc, physical therapy and exercise can improve muscle tone, minimize muscle wasting and spasm, and thereby reduce your pain and help you prevent recurrences. See also Back exercise and physical therapy for back pain.

Mistake #2: Rely on your general practitioner for too long

General practitioners don’t have in-depth training in spine medicine, so the diagnosis and/or treatment plan may not be accurate, or it may take a long time. For example, a general practitioner may be inclined to run a battery of diagnostic tests to see what turns up, when just a physical examination and medical history by a spine specialist would clearly indicate a certain condition. In cases such as this, going to a spine specialist would save time and money by avoiding extensive diagnostic testing. See also Specialists who treat back pain and Getting a referral to a spine surgeon.

Mistake #3: Have spine surgery too soon

We often hear from people who view spine surgery as a "quick fix"to resolve their pain right away. However, unless the pain is severe and you are having trouble functioning (or have bowel/bladder incontinence or progressive weakness), most spine surgeons will recommend non-surgical treatment for several weeks or months before considering surgery. While surgery can fix an anatomical lesion, the only way to completely heal is through a sustained exercise program, and it is best to get an individually prescribed set of exercises. See also When to see a surgeon for lower back pain.

Mistake #4: Postpone spine surgery for too long

On the other hand, for some conditions patients tend to do better if they have surgery sooner. Whereas this is not necessarily the case for back pain alone, pain and weakness in the arms or legs due to nerve root pinching is often best treated within several months. Waiting longer can prolong the recovery period or can lead to permanent nerve root changes.

Some patients risk suffering from the negative side affects of long-term pain, which can include depression, sleeplessness, and decreased muscle tone, as well as associated problems such as difficulty working and performing everyday normal activities. For such patients, if they have an anatomical lesion amenable to surgical correction, choosing surgery may be a reasonable option to enhance their quality of life. See also Back surgery and spine surgery articles.

Mistake #5: Focus too much on the MRI scan

While the MRI scan provides a very sensitive and accurate view of spinal anatomy, it cannot distinguish between painful and non-painful structures in your spine. In fact, you may have terrible pain and an MRI scan that shows a relatively normal-looking spine. Thus, the findings on your MRI scan do not provide a diagnosis, and must be correlated with the findings from your physical exam and symptoms for a clinical diagnosis. See also MRI scan of the spine.

Most importantly, back pain is different for everyone, so trust yourself when seeking a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Learning as much as you can about your condition and treatment options - from reliable, unbiased sources - definitely is a good sign that you are on the right track.

Best wishes,
Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., Medical Director
Stephanie Burke, President
Spine-health.com

About the Spine-health.com Newsletter: Each issue of the Spine-health.com newsletter, SpineNews Update, is written by the founders of Spine-health.com - Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., Medical Director for Spine-health.com and Stephanie Burke, President of Spine-health.com. The content in the newsletters is not peer reviewed by Spine-health.com’s Medical Advisory Board. The articles to which the Spine-health.com newsletters link have been peer reviewed by members of the Medical Advisory Board.