7 Myths About Back Pain (And What's Actually True)

Back pain is full of folk wisdom, half-truths, and outdated advice that often makes recovery harder. Here are the myths we hear most often at our Burlington clinic — and what's actually supported by the evidence.

Myth 1: Rest is the best thing for back pain

Bed rest used to be the standard recommendation. We now know it makes most back pain worse. Prolonged inactivity weakens muscles, stiffens joints, and reinforces fear of movement. The current guidelines say: stay as active as you reasonably can, modify what you need to, but keep moving.

Myth 2: A bulging disc means surgery

Most disc bulges and herniations don't need surgery. The body resorbs disc material over time, and conservative care — physiotherapy, chiropractic, targeted exercise — resolves the majority of cases. Surgery is reserved for cases with progressive neurological loss, severe weakness, or pain that doesn't respond to a fair trial of conservative treatment.

Myth 3: If your MRI shows damage, that's what's causing the pain

Not necessarily. Studies on pain-free adults show that disc bulges, herniations, and arthritis are common findings even in people with no back pain at all. An abnormal scan is information, not a diagnosis. The clinical picture has to match the imaging for the finding to be meaningful.

Myth 4: A weak core is why your back hurts

Core strength matters, but it's overrated as the explanation for back pain. Many people with strong cores have back pain, and many people with weak cores don't. What matters more is how you coordinate movement — how your hips, mid-back, and core work together — not how many planks you can do.

Myth 5: You should never bend your back

Your spine is built to bend. The advice to "never round your back" comes from cautious lifting cues, but applied broadly it makes people fear normal movement. Spinal flexion is normal. What matters is being strong and coordinated through the range of motion you use, not avoiding it.

Myth 6: Once you have back pain, you'll always have back pain

Recurrence is common, but it's not inevitable. People who address the underlying movement issues — not just the symptoms — often have lasting recovery. The patients who keep flaring up are usually the ones who treated the pain without changing what was driving it.

Myth 7: Pain equals damage

This one is huge. Pain is a signal from your nervous system, not a direct read of tissue damage. You can have severe pain with minor tissue issues, and minor pain with significant findings. Understanding this is one of the most important parts of recovery — especially in chronic cases.