Vail Summit Orthopaedics Blog

Here is a look at our final back pain myth... Myth #10: An MRI always gives us the answer for the cause of pain.

We continue our blog series on common back pain myths:

Myth 9: Prolonged bed rest is necessary following an acute episode of lower back pain

Good studies show that putting people with acute back pain on bed rest for no more than three days will produce a good outcome. Beyond three days generally has an adverse effect however. Many back pain episodes take more than a couple of days to get over, particularly with people who have recurrent bouts with back pain.

Watch a video of Dr. Raub discussing common back pain myths by visiting the VSO website at this link: http://www.vsortho.com/#doctors=/dr-scott-raub&community=/10-myths-back-....

One of the myths we frequently encounter is when patients assume surgery will cure their problem. We don’t have a way to replace the anatomy that people had when they were 18 years old.

Most surgeries either ‘remove something’ or ‘put something in you’. ‘Removing it’ might be removing a disc or bone and making room for the nerves. ‘Putting something in you’ might include screws, rods, cages or grafts for a fusion. So we’re not restoring the anatomy.

Myth 8: A cure exists for all spinal pain problems; “I can be fixed!”

One of the myths we frequently encounter is when patients assume surgery will cure their problem. We don’t have a way to replace the anatomy that people had when they were 18 years old.

Most surgeries either ‘remove something’ or ‘put something in you’. ‘Removing it’ might be removing a disc or bone and making room for the nerves. ‘Putting something in you’ might include screws, rods, cages or grafts for a fusion. So we’re not restoring the anatomy.

Here is the next myth in our series on common back pain myths.

Myth 7: All steroids are bad for me

Some people believe that injections are a temporary solution or a band-aid to the real problem. There’s also a concern that there’s an adverse side effect to these medicines or that these are the same medicines used by some professional athletes.

The medication we predominantly utilize is a steroid, but it’s not the same steroid that athletes use for performance enhancement. The steroid we use is for inflammation control. We utilize steroids by being very target-specific, placing the medication under x-ray guidance to the precise point of where the pain generator is.

Continuing our series on common back pain myths, here is another myth that we commonly hear from our patients:

Myth 6: Spinal injections hurt
We use injections for diagnostic motives as well as therapeutic reasons. A lot of people believe having injections or other types of interventional pain procedures will hurt.
When we do spinal injection procedures or interventional pain procedures, we use local anesthesia; and if the patient wants it, we offer conscious sedation. We don’t put people to sleep for these procedures but we will give them medication that provides a relaxing environment so they don’t feel as much pain or anxiety.

Continuing our discussion of the 10 most common back pain myths, let's take a look at:

Myth 5: You will never have to modify your lifestyle to manage lower back pain

We educate patients about managing their pain by modifying their lifestyle, modifying their activity, and accepting the fact that doing certain things may hurt more than others.

Chronic back pain patients need to know they are going to have some pain, but we can get it to a manageable level. For example, if they ski a lot, they may not be able to ski the bumps like they used to. Or, they may not be able to ski back-to-back days.

Myth 4: Medications are the best way to manage lower back pain
There are agreed upon standards when prescribing medications, especially in the acute phase following an injury. We use medications initially for pain, inflammation and relaxing the muscles to get patients past that acute stage. As we get into the sub-acute or chronic stage however, we have to be mindful of what we’re prescribing and for how long.
Medicines like Vicodin and Percocet are very easy to prescribe, but with prolonged use it can become a challenge to wean patients off these medicines. Together, doctors and patients should strive to utilize fewer medications over time for back pain.

Watch a video of Dr. Raub discussing this back pain myth on the VSO website by visiting this link:

Myth 3: If I see a Spine Specialist I will most likely end up with an operation

Many people have a belief that if they see a spine specialist, they will end up having back surgery. The truth is that most spine specialists do not want to do surgery unless they’ve exhausted every other option treatment-wise.

For the vast majority of patients with back pain, surgery is always elective. If they don’t want it, they don’t have it have it. We can provide alternative treatment options and try making some modifications in their activities.

Watch a video of Dr. Raub discussing this common back pain myth here:
http://www.vsortho.com/#doctors=/dr-scott-raub&community=/10-myths-back-...

Myth 2: Where it hurts is where the pain comes from
Many patients point to a spot on their back and say “it hurts right here”. But where it hurts isn’t always where the pain is coming from.
The most common spot patients point to is their buttocks area. It’s actually very rare that the problem is coming from that area. It’s usually coming from the lumbar spine, but the patient is getting referred pain to the buttocks area.
We want patients to continue pointing out where it hurts, but we also want them to be aware that where it hurts isn’t always where the pain is coming from.

Watch a video of Dr. Raub discussing this common back pain myth on the VSO website:
http://www.vsortho.com/#doctors=/dr-scott-raub&community=/10-myths-back-...