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Writer's pictureDr. Brandon

5 Costly Mistakes People Make when trying to end Back Pain

I’m hearing regular stories of people using the internet to “Google” what to do about back pain and maybe that’s why so many people are suffering. This month we’re going to talk about the hot topic of back pain and the worrying trend of many to use the internet to “search” for answers for what to do. This may come as a surprise, but probably the best place to start for long term relief of back pain is knowing what not to do.


Let me explain, simply put, it is a lot easier to mess up and hinder back pain recovery with little things done wrong than it is doing one thing right. Worse yet, every internet

expert seems to have a different solution (probably some of them you’ve tried). Even more worrying is the trend of people thinking they have to “go it alone” and trying to figure it out all by themselves (maybe this is why 80% of people in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s are suffering from “off and on” recurrent back pain for the remainder of their life. Even more so, you’d think that with all this information out there that people would have less pain, be more active, and be able to live happier lives but many of the patients I’m seeing for chronic back pain are finding the opposite.


Why? Maybe the exercise or stretch you are trying to do is the wrong one. Maybe stretching isn’t the exact right thing for you to be doing. Maybe it will be impossible for you to just “stretch it out” or “work it out”. What’s worse, some physicians are doing the same searches and passing along this advice to their patients to (as if solving back pain was a one size fits all solution). But I don’t blame the physicians, while back pain is common, it actually tends to require the help of a specialist in back pain. Many physicians are simply just not trained in natural treatments for back pain.


With that in mind, I’m going to share 5 things NOT TO DO if you or anybody you know is suffering from back pain or sciatica and is hoping to find lasting relief.

  1. Don’t think that time will get to the true root of the problem. I know why people are doing this, but I really wish they wouldn’t. Especially if they are over 40 (and definitely when they are older than 50) When we were younger, time was truly on our side and was a good healer but as we get older, our healing time gets longer and longer and rarely does time help people with back pain. My tip: If your lower back pain or sciatica has lasted longer than 9 days, then there is a problem that needs fixing and finding the root cause is crucial.

  2. Do not rely on medication to get to the true root cause of back pain. All of us know this, that medication never gets to the root cause of the problem and usually only “masks” back pain. Yet, many people still rely on pills (over the counter, prescription, or supplements). So, why is this happening? Simply because many physicians are handing them out to anybody with pain as though they are going to fix it. Medication will never get to the root cause of pain or fix an injury, and if you are stuck on them long term, you should expect stomach and kidney issues on top of your back pain.

  3. Don’t think that Physical Therapy won’t work for you. As a Physio, I hear this one all the time. If your physician even offers you the chance to see a Physical Therapist (and only 7 out of every 100 people with back pain will even be offered physical therapy by their physician)! Sometimes it’s because somebody doesn’t even know that their Physical Therapist even treats back pain. They may think that it might hurt (at Body Mechanix we try not to fight pain with even more pain), or they just accept that they’ll have to live with it.

  4. Do not think that it is just your “age” and that you’ll just have to accept it. This one I do blame our medical system for. In addition to only offering shots, surgery, or drugs for pain, many people (even in their 20’s) are told that their pain is an age thing and that they just have to accept it! (Read about a mama in her 30’s that was told this!). The problem is that many do accept it and give up on many of the things that help them stay active, mobile, and independent. There is nearly always something that can be done…even if it makes it 20-30% better which would help you be more active, enjoy life, and do the things that you want to do without your body holding you back.

  5. Don’t think that doing exercises BEFORE having tight muscles and stiff joints, that it will loosen them. There is a myth right now that all you have to do to fix back pain is exercise and it will magically go away but sadly that just isn’t true. Most often, people’s back pain is made worse by doing exercises too early in the healing process. I’ve even heard from people who are doing the same exercise for years that their back pain is just starting to ease. Sadly, the exercise was not likely the reason for the easing of the back pain.

Are you looking for a personalized natural solution to your back pain that may shave months or years off your recovery. We’re offering a free back pain consultation to readers of this article who want to discover what is going wrong to cause their back pain. It takes just 30 minutes and you don’t have to have a referral or pay anything. Request your free consultation with one of our back pain experts here.


About the author

Brandon Alkire, DPT, CSCS, FMS, Cert. DN

Doctor of Physical Therapy and Strength Coach


Dr. Brandon is the owner and a Physio at Body Mechanix Physiotherapy and Fitness. Four of his favorite people call him daddy while he's been married to his other favorite person for over 18 years. He enjoys teaching martial arts and is a Mestrando in Capoeira. In the mornings, he can be found working out with the guys in F3 around town. He's the author of four pain relief guides for neck, low back, shoulder, and knees and the lead contributor to the Active Tallahassee Blog.


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