Back pain can shatter your expectations of a relaxing day. It could affect your posture and sleep routine and limit your movements.
Making back pain worse are misconceptions. For example, you might have heard that excess weight causes back pain. Is this a myth, or is it the truth?
One study confirmed the relationship between weight and back pain. The findings highlight the role of excess weight in back pain among young women. But, this is not the only underlying cause of their backaches. Age, bad posture, and history of accidents and injuries also played a role in their back pains.
Back to the discussion on myths, misinformation surrounding back pain circulates anywhere. As a back pain chiropractor Escondido, Dr. Ray Rickards wants to set the record straight and educate others about back pain.
Myth 1: “Opioids Are the Key to Escape My Back Pain”
When consulting with a doctor, you need to be more mindful of the prescriptions they give you. Opioids are a powerful drug that is safe to take for managing acute pains. However, this medication is not best to relieve chronic pain such as migraines, arthritis, and back pain.
Why? Firstly, taking this pill for more than the recommended days can get you addicted. Secondly, there is the risk of accidental overdose when opioids are taken in high doses. Lastly, opioids may cause severe side effects to your body, including:
- Confusion
- Breathing problems
- Constipation
- Slower heart rate
- Death
Myth 2: “I’m Skinny, I’m Not at Risk of Back Pain”
It’s so easy to bet that people with chronic back pains are more likely obese or overweight. While it’s true excess weight can put extra pressure on the hips, back, and knees joints, people with average weight can also experience terrible episodes of chronic back pain.
As mentioned in the introduction, your bodyweight can’t take all the blame for your back pain. There are other possible explanations for your back problems. If you are skinny and still experience some painful discomfort on your back, one of these things could be the cause:
- Sedentary lifestyle – Sedentary people live inactive lifestyles—and it can be anyone, not just obese and overweight people. They prefer to sit all day and not engage in any physical activities.
As a result, a sedentary lifestyle weakens the muscles, particularly in the leg, spine, and hip areas. Sedentary individuals are more prone to coordination problems. They may have difficulty performing basic everyday tasks such as lifting and bending. Their lower backs cannot support them properly, causing their muscles and joints to strain. If you’re skinny and you live your life inactively, you can also be prone to health issues like chronic back pain.
- Past injury – Chronic back pain could also be a result of past injuries. The constant landing and jumping you do when engaging in sports activities such as gymnastics and basketball may contribute to your injuries.
For example, if you’re an athlete, you may have experienced disc degeneration due to repetitive trauma to your joints and spine. This could be the root of your chronic back pain.
Myth 3: “I Need A Back Surgery ASAP!”
Back surgery can help relieve back pain. However, it is rarely necessary to undergo surgery. Technology and medical advancements may have made surgery a safer option, but it still comes with a list of health risks.
In addition, surgery can increase your recovery time without any guarantee that the root of your back problem will entirely be gone. Therefore, before you allow a surgeon to perform surgery on your back, you can consider visiting an upper cervical doctor in Escondido instead.
Myth 4: “Bed Rest is the Best Pain Reliever”
It is so common for people to rest in bed the whole day and even longer when back pain strikes. However, health researchers are against this habit. If you can find other means to relieve your pain and keep your body active, you may not need your bed to ease your pain at all.
Prolonged rest is associated with greater disability. It can increase the stiffness in your back and contribute more to the pain. In addition, when you fail to do some movement for so long, your muscles may lose flexibility and strength. As this cycle continues, your recovery may even take longer.
The only people who might need prolonged bed rest are those who have unstable fractures in their spines. You can manage your back pain by staying active through exercise, dancing, and moderate sports.
Myth 5: “Scan is Necessary for Back Pain”
Many people believe that a surefire way to identify the root cause of their back pains is to get a quick scan such as MRI and X-ray. The truth is you don’t necessarily need a scan for mild back pain. Most scans are not reliable in revealing the source of your back pain. Also, they do not predict future back pain episodes.
Work with A Reliable and Certified Upper Cervical Doctor in Escondido
Rickards Precision Chiropractic & Wellness is a local practice in California. Dr. Ray, our reliable upper cervical doctor in Escondido, focuses on resolving the root cause of chronic back pain.
Why choose us?
Dr. Ray offers a precise solution to see the exact position of your upper cervical spine. His careful analysis will help determine the right correction formula for your spine’s specific needs. He uses a very gentle chiropractic approach called the Blair technique that won’t cause any harm or pain to your back.
By correcting the misalignment in your upper cervical spine, he can help your spine and body get back to optimal health.
Are you ready to experience getting the best Blair Upper Cervical care? Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Rickards, call our Escondido office at (760) 274-0564. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.