Nobody wants to be bothered by chronic back discomfort, but spine pain is one of the most common issues that people over the age of 50 deal with on a regular basis. Tens of millions of Americans deal with back pain each day, but not everyone tries to treat it. In fact, many people simply try to grit their teeth and ignore it. Below, we explain why so many people try to ignore the distress signals their spine is sending, and we provide some advice as to what they should do instead.
Why So Many People Put Off Treating Spine Pain
Whenever we talk with patients who have been putting off treating their back pain for some time, we’re oftentimes greeted with similar replies as to why they didn’t seek treatment sooner. Here are three of the most common reasons why people put off treating their back pain:
- Hoped It Would Go Away On Its Own – Many patients simply hope that their spine pain will eventually go away on its own after enough time has passed. They may assume that time heals all wounds, but oftentimes more active treatments are required. Moreover, if you keep doing the same things that led to back pain onset in the first place, you’re typically more likely to see an increase in symptom severity instead of relief. While a minor muscle strain may end up going away on its own if you are a little protective of your spine over the next week or so, a number of back problems require direct attention. If you don’t give your back the attention it needs, odds are your discomfort will only grow.
- Thought It Was Normal – More than 90 percent of people over the age of 60 years old would have some level of spinal degeneration upon imaging. Some degeneration is normal as we get older simply because of the wear and tear we’ve put on our spine over the decades, but even though mild degeneration may be normal, know that pain is never normal. Don’t put off treatment because you think that everyone your age has some back pain. That’s simply not the truth, and like the above point, carrying on like normal may result in symptom progression.
- Don’t Have Time For Back Pain – Finally, one common answer we hear is that patients say they simply don’t have time for back pain. While nobody really has time for back pain, we know that you probably live a busy life and have people depending on you, so the prospect of turning your attention to yourself instead of to others can feel daunting. In order to be your best at your job, during athletic competition or when you’re simply helping to provide for your family, you need to be as healthy as possible. It may seem honorable to power through back pain for the sake of others, but it can lead to worsening issues that may require more invasive methods to correct, like surgery. Take a little time to care for your spine so that you don’t eventually end up being out of commission for months or longer because your pain eventually got to the point where the only effective treatment method was surgery.
It’s easy to fall back on one of these excuses, but know that you’re only hurting yourself and your family by not taking care of your back. Instead, put your spine health first and actively treat your discomfort so that you can get back to doing the activities you love without pain. For more information, or for help with a back issue, give our team a call today.
