10 Things Everyone with Back Pain Should Know with Professor Kieran O'Sullivan

Professor Kieran O’Sullivan co-author of ‘10 Facts Everyone Should Know About Back Pain’ goes through the key facts and explains how to not only deal with back pain but also some of the widely held myths about back pain in this informative episode. Back pain continues to be held as different to pain that may be experienced elsewhere in the body and as a result, there are some widely held beliefs about what causes back pain and the ways in which it should be treated. This is a great opportunity to hear about what the facts are and how to effectively cope with back pain and move forward positively into recovery. KEY TAKEAWAYS Getting older is not a reason for back pain. It’s not an inevitable result of getting older Getting better is as achievable when you are older as when you are younger. Recovery is not about having no pain it’s about the impact it has on your life. The average time for recovery for back pain is around 6 weeks. Sometimes recovery is slower but it can take longer and the importance is in moving forward To make the body strong we now understand more about having to load to make it stronger Listen to your body and if you experience pain then adjust the exercise you don’t necessarily need to stop. Exercise can help to reset inflammation in the body. Exercise gives people confidence and can help them return to levels of fitness. It important that your level of fitness matches the job you are doing. All treatments have a cost to the individuals life in some way and it’s important all elements are considered before invasive treatment is decided on. For persistent back pain, the recommendation is to first use exercise and a healthy lifestyle before moving to prescribing drugs. Surgery is not always the best option, it’s important to understand best care can be a range of different options. BEST MOMENTS ‘The body is pretty smart at healing’ ‘It’s important that the patient is listened to’ ‘Talk to your doctor in depth to make sure surgery is the right option’ THE TEN THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW 1 - 1.56- Back Pain is scary but rarely dangerous 2 - 6.06 Getting older is not a cause of lower back pain 3 - 14.23 - Pain is rarely Associated with Tissue damage 4 - 23.30 - Scans rarely show the cause of pain 5 - 24.04 - Back pain with Exercise and movement doesn’t mean you are causing harm 6 - 35.37 - Back Pain is not cause by poor posture 7 - 41.02 - Back Pain is not caused by a weak core 8 - 41.16 - Backs do no wear out with everyday bending and lifting 9 - 52.39 - Pain Flare-ups do not mean your are damaging your spine 10 - 60.26 - Injections, surgery and strong drugs aren’t usually a cure. VALUABLE RESOURCES The Back Pain Podcast The Back Pain Podcast recommended products affiliate link 10 Facts Everyone Should Know About Back Pain – Article https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/12/698 Twitter; @kieranosull ABOUT THE HOSTS Dave Elliot Dave is the owner of Advanced Chiropractic, a chain of Chiropractic and massage therapy clinics in Essex, UK. Dave still sees patients during the week but has been working hard to talk to as many experts in the field of back pain as possible to help distil all the information and bring it to you in this awesome podcast. You can find Dave on any of the Advanced Chiropractic social media platforms, or you can contact him at hello@thebackpainpodcast.com if you have any questions for him. -Instagram Rob Beaven Rob owns and runs a multidisciplinary clinic, The Dyer St Clinic in Cirencester Gloucestershire. His team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Doctors and podiatrists all collaborate on thousands of back pain patients every year. Alongside Dave, he has worked hard to bring to the table experts across all industries to give you the low down on back pain, with steps you can implement today to start feeling better. -Instagram -Twitter CONTACT METHOD Instagram Twitter Facebook hello@thebackpainpodcast.com Support the show: https://thebackpainpodcast.com