It’s estimated that 80% of adults will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their life, but even with this prevalence, there are still so many misconceptions about back pain.
Doctor Scott McCarty, a spine surgeon with the Detroit Medical Center, appeared on “Live In The D” to help clear up the confusion.
The doctor shared four true and false questions about common misconceptions to help set the record straight.
1. True or false: Bed rest is the best cure for back pain.
- Answer: False. McCarty explained that prolonged bed rest can lead to delaying your recovery process because it can cause stiffness.
2. True or false: Bad posture causes back pain.
- Answer: True. According to McCarty, bad posture won’t cause acute or sudden onset back pain, but maintaining bad posture over time can put unnatural stress on the muscles, joints and other supporting structures of the spine, which can cause pain over time.
3. True or false: Smoking and vaping can increase your chance of back pain.
- Answer: True. McCarty said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found a strong link between smoking and back pain. Smoking can lead to accelerated degeneration of the discs in the spine that can cause pain, he said. It’s also known to decrease bone mineral density, which weakens the bones and can lead to fragility fractures..
4. True or false: Herniated discs need to be surgically repaired.
- Answer: False. According to McCarty, a patient’s symptoms can often be treated conservatively with options like physical therapy, medications or steroid injections.
If you suffer from back pain, you might wonder when it’s time to see a spine specialist. McCarty said it’s time to see a specialist if your back pain is also associated with leg symptoms such as numbness, tingling or weakness, or if your symptoms are worsening or you develop new symptoms.
Watch the video above or click here for more information about addressing back pain.