Misdiagnosed back pain is one of the main reasons why there is such a huge dorsopathy epidemic in the world today and also speaks to the horrible curative statistics of most accepted back ache treatments. Mistaken diagnosis can take many forms, with actual causative structural issues being passed over as being problematic, innocent abnormalities being wrongly blamed for pain, disease processes left out of the symptomatic equation and mindbody disorders completely ignored as even existing in most cases. Some of the best care providers in the back pain industry have spoken out for years about the horrific incidence of misdiagnosis in medicine and how this is a prime reason why so many patients will never recover.
Misdiagnosed back pain is an all too common occurrence in the modern healthcare industry. Misdiagnosis is when the doctor thinks that the pain is originating from a particular source, when in reality, the actual cause is something completely different. The results of misdiagnosis are always catastrophic for the patient. Remember, without a proper and accurate diagnostic theory in place, treatments will not be directed at the correct source of pain. This helps explain why so many therapies fail time and time again.
Misdiagnosed Back Pain Conditions
Incorrect back pain diagnosis may be linked to theorizing that an innocent spinal irregularity is causative for symptoms. The true source of pain may be related, unrelated or even nonstructural, but may not easily or ever be discovered due to the diagnostic blunder.
An improper diagnosis is always possible due to the complexity of the spinal anatomy. Sometimes the pain might seem to originate from an obvious physical condition, but might actually come from a less obvious cause. Herniated discs, degenerated discs, osteoarthritis, facet syndrome and others are often blamed for creating the ideal circumstances for terrible dorsopathy to exist. Sometimes, these conditions are the actual cause of the discomfort, but many times they are simply coincidental to the pain. Far too many of us have these common conditions and experience no pain or symptoms whatsoever.
It is for this reason that it is not good science, nor good medicine, to assume that back pain might come from a potentially scapegoat condition without definitive evidence linking the structural issues to the symptomatic expression.
There are many spinal structures that degenerate as part of their normal life span. Other structures might become injured, creating the the agonizing complaint. However, long-term continuation of pain is rarely due to an injury. The body is always focused on healing and heal it will.
Treatment-resistant back pain is a perfect example of a syndrome that continues regardless of many therapy options being applied to resolve it. If the actual physical cause of the pain is never found, then the patient’s prognosis is grim. It usually means an uncertain life of suffering, anxiety and frustration that might continue for years.
Psychological Misdiagnosed Back Pain
So many patients are actually afflicted with psychogenic symptoms which have been incorrectly identified as stemming from coincidental spinal issues. A patient might have a herniated disc or degenerative condition in their spine. Is this unusual? Of course not.
Almost every one of us have or acquire some spinal abnormality as we age. These abnormalities are so routine that they should actually be called normalities.
Psychoemotional back pain accounts for a large percentage of all chronic misdiagnosed back pain problems. However, these conditions are almost always misdiagnosed as purely anatomically induced concerns. Being that the ensuing treatments will be directed at the mistaken structural cause, the patient has little or no hope of a cure. The results are more of the same… frustration, pain and disability.
When you consider the full range of mindbody disorders which affect humans, it seems quite naive of the medical profession not to consider this possibility more often. However, as I write constantly, most doctors are not properly trained in recognizing the telltale markers of mindbody issues and at the same time, are also economically discouraged from acknowledging them, as treatment for psychosomatic pain will dramatically reduce their overall profitability.
Medicine or Medi-$in? You decide.
Verdict on Incorrectly Diagnosed Back Pain
The medical system has unfortunately dropped the ball when it comes to treating chronic pain. Physical misdiagnosis sometimes occurs and is really another word for incompetency or iatrogenesis. Psychosomatic misdiagnosis is the rule, not the exception, and leaves millions with chronic unresolved back pain.
If you have an unresponsive pain condition anywhere in the body, it is time to think clearly. You might have tried several different treatments to relieve a particular problem, yet found no measurable relief. There is a good chance that it is the diagnosis and not the treatments that have failed you.
Treatments can not cure a condition if they are not directed at the true cause of the problem. You might be the victim of misdiagnosed back pain. It happens far more commonly than you could possibly imagine.
I always recommend learning all you can about the proposed diagnosis and investigating your therapy options fully. Your doctors do not want to fail you. They want to help you. However, they will be sure to find reason after reason why the condition is not responding to treatment, often without logical merit. Doctors make mistakes too. How will you know if they are correct or not without a good understanding of what they are talking about?
Take time and learn, the knowledge is free and easily accessible in your library or online. Use your new knowledge to discuss your condition with your doctor and work together to minimize the chances for misdiagnosis.
The goal is here is surprisingly simple. Find the true cause of your pain and you will be on your way to find a true cure. Neglect this one small detail and find yourself helplessly lost in an often risky treatment maze with little hope of ever escaping or finding a lasting cure.
This topic is so important, I actually wrote a book about it. Back Pain Misdiagnosis is just one of the books in the acclaimed and award-winning Cure Back Pain Forever Program. It is an excellent resource for those who want to improve their chances of achieving an accurate back pain diagnostic verdict.
