Myth #1: A precise diagnosis can often be made – the cause identified.
Fact: Approximately 85% of cases cannot be diagnosed precisely.
Why Do You Have Back Pain?
Odds are – Unless You’ve Had An Injury – You’ll Never Know
The Actual Facts About Back Pain Causes are:
1) Acute Non-specific back pain is the #1 category of non-traumatic back pain;
2) The search for an anatomic or structural cause of the back pain FAILS in 80-90% of cases; (Spine, 2004, page 1022, Kent P; Annals Int Med, 2007, page 478, Chou R)
Herniated Discs Don't Always Cause Pain?
3) Spending time and resources to pursue this 80-90% FAILURE rate is a bad idea. It interferes with A) Fast Pain-relief and B) Peace of mind (nothing seriously life/limb threatening is going on);
4) The fear of “missing something bad” if expensive tests, x-rays, MRI’s, etc. are not performed is unfounded – it just doesn’t happen;
5) Pursuing a diagnosis – this “mythical” cause of the acute back pain may lead to treatment delays, needless (and expensive) procedures and unnecessary back surgery. In the U.S. we do 40% more back surgery with no increase in pain-relief.
Conclusion: The “conventional medical approach” and resulting “usual treatment” to back pain is a FAILED model according to publications of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and North American Spine Society.
- Fails to provide fast back pain-relief
- Fails to give prompt peace-of-mind
Action: Consider a rapid symptom-directed clinical syndrome or pattern-recognition. Based on certain movements that aggravate your pain (or relieve it) – identify your pattern in 20 minutes of less. Then move immediately to specific (non-invasive and non-surgical) treatment demonstrated to be up to 10.85 times as fast and effective as the “usual” or “conventional” approach.
Note: Fast back pain-relief need only be “hours-to-days” away. (See video)
