When it comes to back pain, there are a lot of different explanations and warnings you may be given in order to educate patients about their body. Some of these warnings have been passed down for generations, and have also been widely accepted. If you want to know more about your body, check out our top five back pain myths:
Bending isn’t Dangerous
Although your body doesn’t need to make sudden and extreme changes, bending your body often a little bit at a time can help acute back pain even though it may hurt a little. Changing your breathing pattern can also help your oxygen uptake.
Discs Don’t Slip
The nerves around your discs and your discs themselves can be injured, but your spinal discs don’t actually move. Your discs may be herniated or bulging, but two-thirds of the population have these symptoms without experiencing any pain.
Lower Back Pain is Isolated
Lower back pain is not isolated from the rest of your body or the way you live. The factors that contribute to and cause all types of local pain also contribute to and cause lower back pain. Some of these factors that contribute to local pain include the following: stress, lack of exercise, postures, your emotional state, previous back injuries and work.
Always Sit Up Straight
Although slouching your body is, in fact, bad for your back, you can also hurt your back when you sit too straight and still for long periods of time. You can take a break by letting your back curve momentarily, or you can stand up while talking on the phone.
Nerves do not Get Trapped
If you’re hurt and you have pain and inflammation, the blood flow around your nerves may be affected. This is your body’s natural response to injury.
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About the Author
Dr. Lev Kalika is a world-recognized expert in musculoskeletal ultrasonography, with 20+ years of clinical experience in advanced rehabilitative medicine. In addition to operating his clinical practice in Manhattan, he regularly publishes peer-reviewed research on ultrasound-guided therapies and procedures.
Dr. Kalika is an esteemed member of the International Society for Medical Shockwave Treatment ((SMST), and the only clinician in New York certified by the ISMST to perform extracorporeal shockwave therapy. He is also an active member of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), and has developed his own unique approach to dynamic functional and fascial ultrasonography.
In this instance, an athlete was originally diagnosed with minor quadriceps muscle strain and was treated for four weeks, with unsatisfactory results. When he came to our clinic, the muscle was not healing, and the patients’ muscle tissue had already begun to atrophy.
Upon examination using MSUS, we discovered that he had a full muscle thickness tear that had been overlooked by his previous provider. To mitigate damage and promote healing, surgery should have been performed immediately after the injury occurred. Because of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment, the patient now has permanent damage that cannot be corrected.
The most important advantage of Ultrasound over MRI imaging is its ability to zero in on the symptomatic region and obtain imaging, with active participation and feedback from the patient. Using dynamic MSUS, we can see what happens when patients contract their muscles, something that cannot be done with MRI. From a diagnostic perspective, this interaction is invaluable.
Dynamic ultrasonography examination demonstrating the full thickness tear and already occurring muscle atrophy due to misdiagnosis and not referring the patient to proper diagnostic workup
Demonstration of how very small muscle defect is made and revealed to be a complete tear with muscle contraction under diagnostic sonography (not possible with MRI)
Complete tear of rectus femoris with large hematoma (blood)
Separation of muscle ends due to tear elicited on dynamic sonography examination
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