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PainSci » bibliography » O’Sullivan et al 2019

Back to basics: 10 facts every person should know about back pain

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Tags: back pain, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, pain problems, spine, pro

One article on PainSci cites O’Sullivan 2019: Complete Guide to Low Back Pain

PainSci notes on O’Sullivan 2019:

Good, readable, relatively brief explanation of back pain myths, free, includes a nice infographic. Lead author Peter O’Sullivan shared the myths and featured infographic in a tweet. The “unhelpful” low back pain beliefs, “culturally endorsed and not supported by by evidence,” identified by O’Sullivan et al.:

  1. Low back pain is usually a serious medical condition.
  2. Low back pain will become persistent and deteriorate in later life.
  3. Persistent low back pain is always related to tissue damage.
  4. Scans are always needed to detect the cause of low back pain.
  5. Pain related to exercise and movement is always a warning that harm is being done to the spine and a signal to stop or modify activity.
  6. Low back pain is caused by weak “core” muscles and having a strong core protects against future Low back pain.
  7. Repeated spinal loading results in “wear and tear” and tissue damage.
  8. Pain flare-ups are a sign of tissue damage and and require rest.
  9. Treatments such as strong medications, injectionss and surgery are effective, and necessary, to treat Low back pain.

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