124. Lower Back Pain Affects Almost All of Us - So What Do We Do?

2024-06-11

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“Back pain is a lifestyle problem, not a medical problem,” declares Dr. Andrew Fix. In this episode, he discusses lower back pain and how it is a common issue affecting 88% of Americans at some point in their lives. As the leading cause of work disability, it results in an annual expenditure of $50 billion on pharmaceuticals. Dr. Fix challenges the conventional reliance on imaging and injections for pain management, arguing that these methods contradict established guidelines and real efficacy. The complex terminology and standard treatments for ...

The complex terminology and standard treatments for back pain not only fail to address the underlying issues but also psychologically impact patients. This fear leads to avoidance of the very movements that could alleviate their pain, maintain their activity levels, and build the strength necessary to prevent future injuries.

Dr. Fix emphasizes the importance of timing in tackling back pain. He outlines proactive lifestyle changes that can strengthen the back and preempt injury, offering listeners practical steps to take control of their health and mitigate the risks associated with lower back pain.

Quotes

• “What tends to happen, like a staircase, is we see people’s activity level continue to decline, then it plateaus, then they have back pain again and it declines some more, then it plateaus. And over the course of their life we see their activity level continue to step down in a staircase kind of fashion and people are gradually doing less and less and less activity over the course of their life.” (3:17 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

• “Most people don’t need injections in their backs. Most people don’t need prescription opioid pain medications. What most people need, quite frankly, is to be taught how to move correctly.” (13:33 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

• “Back pain is a lifestyle problem, not a medical problem…We are not strong enough, not mobile enough, not fit enough to withstand the demands we are putting on our spines.” (15:39 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29971708/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34580864/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25559899/

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