People are not born with an intricate knowledge of back pain causes.
Lessons in back pain are for most people learned through experience.
Without an understanding of what causes pain and how to treat it, people can end up sabotaging their own recovery.
The common mistakes made by people with pain are based in two areas: misconceptions about pain causes and unhealthy patient-doctor relationships.
Misconceptions If you don't understand what causes back pain, you can't prevent it; if you don't understand what caused the pain you have, you can't treat it.
Because it is such a common phenomenon with so many possible causes, exact diagnoses are few and far between.
Having a basic understanding of your pain and potential sources is essential.
Many people believe that back pain is the result of instantaneous trauma or injury.
In fact, much of the pain people experience today has long-term causes, such as poor posture, repetitive use injuries and muscle imbalances that pull the spine out of alignment and create muscle strain.
This misconception is responsible for the failure to prevent mechanics-related pain.
It also inhibits treatment attempts, since you cannot recover from this type of pain until you change your behavior patterns.
Another popular misconception, related to the first, is that athletes and other people in great shape don't get back pain (barring an injury).
Athletes are highly-prone to chronic pain conditions caused by the specific demands of their sport.
If you are a runner, for example, you are likely in excellent cardiovascular and muscular shape.
However, bad running form or a muscle imbalance in your core will lead you down the slope to back pain if not corrected.
Thinking that back pain is a phenomenon of the unfit will leave you inattentive to possible causes in your own life.
Since back pain is so common, many people opt to ignore it the first few times it shows itself.
This is somewhat acceptable if you have simple muscle strain that heals within two days.
However, if you have pain other than soreness or stiffness that heals with rest, ice and stretching, chances are that a more long-term problem is indicated.
It is easier to reverse back problems early on.
Thinking that the pain can be ignored is a misconception.
The Patient-Doctor Relationship Though there are still great doctors out there, the sad truth is that many have fallen away from treating root causes of conditions.
Kick-backs from the pharmaceutical industry are largely responsible for the fact that many doctors today would prefer to prescribe a pain-killer in place of physical therapy, chiropractic treatment or other more complete forms of treatment.
Many people with medical conditions trust their doctors to steer their treatment plans in the right direction.
Since medicine is treated as an industry in the U.
S.
, however, it is more necessary than ever for patients to be educated partners in their own treatment.
Not every doctor will give you the attention your pain needs.
If you've tried a treatment for a few months to no avail, it is time to try something else.
Your doctor may say that you can either continue the same treatment or resign to a life of pain; don't let this discourage you from seeking out other methods.
There are treatments that many doctors either don't know about or don't consider valid, despite centuries of use.
Check out http://nccam.
nih.
gov/health/whatiscam/ for an introduction to complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs).
As a patient, you have a right to be wary of any doctor who only advances drugs or surgery as options for your back pain.
Drugs generally treat the symptom of pain without addressing the cause thereof, while surgery is expensive, complicated and sometimes ineffective.
To avoid exacerbating your condition, it is necessary to rid yourself of popular misconceptions and to become an assertive patient.
Doing these two things will set you up for success in treating your back pain.