8 Common Myths About Chronic Back Pain Plus 8 Facts That Refute Them
Back pain is more common in the US than homeownership, but despite the prevalence, myths persist regarding origins, treatment, and prevention. Here are 8 of them.
Back pain is one of the most prevalent health complaints in the US, yet misinformation continues to shape patient beliefs and expectations about treatment. Nearly 80% of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives, and low back pain is the leading cause of years lived with disability globally, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study.1,2 It is also one of the most common conditions presenting to primary care.
Most cases are non-specific, with no identifiable structural pathology. Common contributors include sedentary behavior, deconditioning, poor posture, and psychosocial stressors—yet patients often attribute their pain to isolated incidents, like lifting or mattress firmness.3 Clinical guidelines from major organizations such as the American College of Physicians recommend non-pharmacologic, conservative treatment as first-line therapy, including patient education, exercise, and manual therapy, while discouraging routine imaging in the absence of red flags.4
This slide show highlights persistent myths about chronic back pain and replaces them with evidence-based facts that can support more informed conversations with patients. Helping patients understand the multifactorial nature of back pain is essential to improving adherence to treatment, reducing unnecessary procedures, and promoting functional recovery.
Originally compiled by the Mayo Clinic, the slides above address 8 prevalent myths about chronic back pain that can impede evidence-based care, each followed by the facts that can help support shared decision making conversations with patients.
References
Pain. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Last reviewed on February 12, 2025. Accessed July 1, 2025. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/pain
GBD 2021 Low Back Pain Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990–2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Rheumatol. Published online May 22, 2023. doi:10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00098-X/full text
Maher C, Underwood M, Buchbinder R. Non-specific low back pain. Lancet. 2017;389(10070):736–747. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30970-9
Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, McLean RM, Forciea MA, for the Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians. Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: A clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(7):514–530. doi:10.7326/M16-2367
