Narratives Regarding Lower Back Pain

Successfully treating your lower back pain requires a multi-factorial approach and checking your premises.

As someone who has suffered through two prolonged periods of low back pain (LBP), sciatica and foot drop, I found a recent medical study to be of great interest.

Given that most baby boomers have also encountered some degree of LBP throughout their lives, I thought sharing this study would be of interest to you as well.

A New Medical Study

The name of the study is “Individuals’ explanations for their persistent or recurrent low back pain: a cross-sectional survey.”[Authors: Setchell J, Costa N, Ferreira M, Makovey J, Nielsen M, Hodges PW; BMC musculoskeletal disorders. 2017; 18(1):466.]

Faulty Narratives

The majority of the study’s participants identified healthcare professionals as the source of their beliefs regarding persistent and recurrent LBP.

Not all narratives about lower back pain are reliable.

And the narrative virtually all of the participants identified as getting from their health care professional was structuralist in nature: “Like a machine, the body is considered to be able to break and can sometimes be repaired. LBP persists because something is physically defective.”

Moreover, these same professionals often catastrophized LBP.

For example, the following narrative was common: “LBP is conceptualized as an abnormal, catastrophic, or very negative experience. LBP should be avoided and/or has a large effect on life.”

Even though in my case surgery was necessary to relieve the pain and deal with the neurological deficits I experienced, this study should make us aware of the narratives we accept about lower back pain.

Nonsurgical Treatment Via Strength Training

In some cases only surgery will resolve the symptoms you feel. But in many cases, lower back pain can be treated and managed by strengthening the muscles that support the lumbar spine.

At center: A MedX Lumbar Extension Machine.

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Deadlifts and the MedX Lumbar Extension Machine

Few exercises do this as effectively as a properly performed barbell deadlift.

However, I have helped alleviate LBP in myself and clients with the MedX Lumber Extension machine (pictured above) as well.

In many cases, lower back pain can be treated and managed by strengthening the muscles that support the lumbar spine.

The authors of the study admit that initial causes of low back pain may be related to biomedical issues.

However, little evidence exists supporting such a belief for persistent or recurrent low back pain, and instead demonstrates a biopsychosocial and multi-factorial approach.

The study emphasizes our need to formulate our narratives around a biopsychosocial approach and cautions disseminating negative beliefs centered around a “body as machine” discourse.

If you’re dealing with lower back pain and would like more information about strength training to alleviate lower back pain, feel free to book a phone appointment with me, Francisco Villalobos, owner of Inner Strength Fitness.