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8 back pain myths that could be standing between you and relief
When your back hurts, everyone seems to have advice: Stay in bed. Stop exercising. Buy a firmer mattress.
As a chiropractor, I saw how beliefs about back pain could leave people afraid to move—or convinced surgery was their only option.
Fortunately, you often have more options than you think. These eight myths are a good place to start sorting helpful advice from habits that could keep you hurting.
1. Heavy lifting is the main cause of back pain
When we were in college, my husband worked for a package delivery service. I remember him coming home from training and telling me an entire eight-hour day had covered proper lifting mechanics.
Lifting deserves care. But neither the weight nor your technique tells the whole story. Back pain can involve your activity level, previous injuries, health conditions and other factors.
What helps: Keep loads manageable and close to your body, avoid sudden twisting under a heavy load and ask for help when needed. No lifting technique makes an excessive load safe.
2. Bed rest gives your back the best chance to heal
When moving hurts, staying in bed sounds sensible. Briefly easing off aggravating activities can help, but prolonged bed rest can leave you stiffer and less conditioned.
What helps: Keep moving within your tolerance. Start with short walks or gentle daily activities, then gradually increase what you do.
You don’t have to push through worsening pain. The goal is to adjust your activity rather than abandon it. Here’s why walking it off can help low back pain.
3. A thick wallet explains your aching back
A bulky wallet can cause trouble, but the symptoms may come from pressure around the sciatic nerve rather than your back itself.
That nerve travels from your lower back through your buttocks and down your legs. Sitting on a thick wallet can contribute to buttock or leg pain, tingling or numbness.
What helps: Move your wallet to a front pocket or bag. If symptoms persist, get evaluated rather than assuming the wallet explains everything.
4. Severe pain must mean serious damage
A painful back can make you imagine the worst. Yet pain intensity alone doesn’t tell you how much damage is present.
Many episodes improve within weeks, and a precise structural cause often isn’t identifiable. That doesn’t make the pain any less real.
What helps: Seek care if pain is worsening, limiting daily activities or not improving after a few weeks. Fever, unexplained weight loss or persistent nighttime pain also deserve medical attention.
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5. Exercise will make the problem worse
Avoiding every uncomfortable movement can gradually shrink the list of things you feel able to do.
Exercise is an important part of managing back pain, but that doesn’t mean jumping straight into strenuous workouts.
What helps: Build up gradually with walking, water exercise or a tailored strengthening program. A physical therapist can help you find a starting point.
For options, see these exercises for a strong, supple back after 50. Modify or stop exercises that worsen your symptoms.
6. Chronic back pain means surgery is inevitable
As a chiropractor, I saw patients who had lived with back pain for years and came to me as a last effort to avoid surgery. Some already had procedures scheduled. Many improved without going on to surgery.
That experience reinforced the value of exploring appropriate nonsurgical care.
What helps: Depending on the cause, options include physical therapy, exercise, hands-on treatment and pain-management strategies. Surgery can help selected conditions; how long you’ve hurt isn’t the deciding factor.
Seek emergency care for new difficulty urinating, loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness around the groin or anus, or new weakness or numbness in both legs. Rapidly worsening weakness also requires urgent assessment.
7. Your mattress must be firm
My husband believes a firm mattress is best. My back disagrees: I’m more comfortable on a softer one.
What helps: Look for support and comfort rather than a particular firmness label. Spend time testing mattresses, and choose a home trial with a clear return policy when possible.
The right choice should help you rest comfortably.
8. Posture has nothing to do with your pain
In practice, I saw how pain and posture could become tangled together. People changed how they sat or stood because they hurt, and some positions became uncomfortable.
But there’s no single perfect posture, and slouching doesn’t automatically mean you’re damaging your spine.
What helps: Change positions regularly instead of holding yourself rigidly upright. Support your feet and back, adjust your screen and interrupt long stretches of sitting.
My tips for avoiding back and neck pain while working from home can help you make those adjustments.
Start with one practical change: a short walk, a more comfortable workstation or an appointment to assess persistent pain. Your back-care plan should help you regain movement and confidence.
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Sources:
8 common myths about back pain — Mayo Clinic Health System
Back Pain: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Steps to Take — National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
WHO releases guidelines on chronic low back pain — World Health Organization
Back pain — NHS
Myth busting about posture, core stability and lifting — Cambridge University Hospitals
By Dr. Adria Schmedthorst
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