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Big Rob
32 Posts |
 Posted - 03/11/2008 : 12:23:33
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=530228&in_page_id=1774&ct=5&in_poll_id=21328
Crippled by back pain? The latest research says you're making it all up
Back pain affects 80 per cent of us at some point in our lives, costing the NHS a staggering £800 million a year to treat.
Yet a controversial new study suggests the problem may be all in the mind for many sufferers.
The findings imply that, in a significant number of cases, people develop pain from reading about the problem or hearing family, friends and work colleagues moan about their own aches.
The researchers believe that the mind eventually gets tricked into thinking the body is in pain, even when there has been no obvious injury or trigger.
The evidence comes from a fascinating study which looked at health trends after the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990.
Despite more than 40 years of separation, the two populations shared the same genetic makeup. Shortly after reunification, 69 per cent of East Germans were affected by back pain, compared with 84 per cent of their neighbours in the West.
By 2003, the number of people in former East Germany complaining of back pain had risen to almost the same as in West Germany.
Researchers from the University of Lübeck in Germany blame increased exposure to media reports on how back pain could be a severely disabling condition.
They claim only around 15 per cent of back problems can be attributed to an underlying physical cause - such as a trapped nerve or slipped disc. Most other cases, they claim, have no obvious trigger.
The report, published in the respected International Journal of Epidemiology, claimed: "In West Germany, back pain is said by the media to be frequent and unavoidable, a rising tide that is mostly due to physical wear and tear.
"It's described as a leading and acceptable cause of work disability. After reunification, all those 'myths' and misconceptions about back pain being pervasive in Western societies immediately spread to East Germany."
The results reflect findings from a study carried out at University College London four years ago.
Scientists found mystery pain - such as lower back ache not triggered by an obvious injury - can originate in the brain rather than the back.
They discovered this after hypnotising patients and telling them they were being subjected to pain when they were not.
A separate non-hypnotised group was subjected to mild pain from hot probes placed near the skin.
Brain scans showed both groups displayed similar levels of pain-related activity in the brain. This confirmed the mind could initiate pain, even without a physical injury to justify it.
However, British experts said if back pain is all in the mind, this is only true in a very few cases.
Dr Dries Hettinga, research manager at the charity BackCare, says it's more likely that people who have had occasional discomfort for years become focused on it when they read or hear about others with back pain.
This increases the chances of it turning into a chronic condition that affects work and lifestyle.
"There is quite a lot of evidence to say that exposure to reports of back pain can increase your chances of getting it yourself," Dr Hettinga says.
"It has a lot to do with how acceptable it is in society to have back pain. We already know, for example, it is much lower among the self-employed than employees.
"It's not always useful when people talk about back pain a lot. Sometimes it can be counterproductive."
Dr Hettinga says many people mistakenly believe rest is the best way to ease back problems. In fact, it's better to stay at work and keep moving.
Heather Wallace, spokeswoman for the charity Pain Concern, said even if the pain is all in the mind, it still needs treating.
"Psychological pain is still real pain and patients still need help and support."
She believes the most likely explanation is that people suffered in silence with back pain when they lived in the old East Germany but were more likely to seek help after reunification. |
Edited by - Big Rob on 03/11/2008 12:25:22 |
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mizlorinj
USA
490 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2008 : 12:37:18
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Excellent, Big Rob, thanks.
Louise Hay would say something like: if you read about it your brain can then create the condition; you are reinforcing it by reading about it!
Reading about it creates fear.
Reminds me of the experience in Dr. Sarno's books and lectures about whiplash and the 2 European countries. One country had lots of incidents because of good insurance; the other had almost none--it wasn't covered by insurance and wasn't an epidemic!
So true that you get what you focus on.
-L |
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johnaccardi
USA
182 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2008 : 14:26:30
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| Does this explain an objective symptom that originated in the body like TMS, or simply subjective feelings that have no objective base? |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2008 : 15:40:16
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I wish they would not say the pain is all in the mind. This encourages people to dismiss these reports by saying that their pain is real. The pain IS real, but it comes from your mind. They should be clear about this distinction.
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It's not 100% belief that's required, but 100% commitment. |
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Big Rob
32 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2008 : 16:11:18
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I agree.
You can comment on the article and I did (mentioning Sarno).
It has effectively been ignored. |
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Scottydog
United Kingdom
330 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2008 : 17:45:45
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| I come across so many people who believe they have 'inherited' their father's arthritis or mother's bad back or a similarly long-term disease - it is very sad. |
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celloLWF
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2008 : 20:07:10
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This is an excellent study, but the article misrepresents the findings by saying it's all in your head... ugh, no wonder we are still stuck in this nightmare of concealment.
Psychosomatic has real literal physiology!!! |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2008 : 20:51:12
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Yes, as a Brit myself I can confirm that the theory of hypochondria has been around for decades. But since it didn't acknowledge that my pain etc. were real, and didn't offer a solution, I just felt wrong in addition to pained.
Know what I mean?
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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New research
