Manning River Times

Three tips for avoiding back pain ‘snake oil’

There is lots of advice - much of it wrong - circulating about back pain.
There is lots of advice - much of it wrong - circulating about back pain.

This article is sponsored by Kinetic Medicine.

With summer’s social events and festivities in full swing, so too is pain advice from well-meaning friends and family.

Revealing concerns about back pain at a barbecue or down at the pub can be met with everything from recommendations about alternative diets to minor surgical procedures.

But time and time again, studies on back pain are proving that effective pain relief is more often about getting good, science-backed advice early and avoiding the fads shared by unqualified advice givers, from the innocent bystanders to the more sinister peddlers.

John Stevens, owner of Kinetic Medicine, tells us these three tips to avoid back-pain ‘snake oil’.

1. If it sounds too good to be true it almost certainly is.

Especially if someone is selling a device that claims to zap pain, change muscles or evoke some particularly enticing changes, there’s every chance the only drastic change that will take place will be in your wallet.

For example, electrotherapies like ultrasound therapy have in some instances actually delayed the recovery time. Don’t put your time, money and effort into treatment that puts you at risk of being worse off financially and pain-wise.

2. As a good rule of thumb, if you can’t understand the treatment, it’s probably nonsense.

Health professionals who have a modern understanding of pain should be able to communicate it to you in a way you can understand.

And it is actually in the best interest of your health that you do understand your pain. Several studies prove understanding what’s happening when you experience pain can reduce your symptoms dramatically.

‘Pseudoscience’, that is science sounding terms that are woven into complex explanations that have no founding in research, is plentiful – so if you have a good relationship with a trustworthy health professional like your exercise physiologist, ask them what they think. 

Exercise is a great way to treat back pain.
Exercise is a great way to treat back pain.

3. Be hyper-vigilant if someone is telling you to stop doing things that are otherwise healthy

The most effective treatments by a country-mile for back pain are exercise-based.

If someone is telling you to stop being active and try lengthy bed rest or otherwise giving you advice that makes you fearful, research tells us your pain recovery will suffer.

Fear-mongering advice like ‘don’t exercise otherwise you’re going to end up in a wheelchair’ is unfortunately all too frequently dispensed by well-meaning peers – but is woefully out of line with what the best research for back pain suggests.

So the next time you’re on the golf course wishing you were at the 19th hole because your pain is ruining your handicap, or pushing a trolley around your local supermarket just because you need something to lean on for relief, don’t be tempted to resort to exotic, confusing offerings which promise much but deliver little.

And always look to your trusted exercise physiologist and local GP for advice, who have all the tools you need to help you get back to the life you deserve.

Are you experiencing back pain? If you’d like a copy of our free digital pain resource send us an email mentioning this article to info@kineticmedicine.com.au

Got a health question? We’d love to help you get an answer and we’d thrilled to help. Email info@kineticmedicine.com.au and if your answer is published you’ll receive 10 per cent of Kinetic Medicine’s services.

This article is sponsored by Kinetic Medicine.