Ten myths of back pain in older adults that can lead to ineffective and harmful care

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most disabling conditions in older adults and among the costliest in terms of healthcare expenditures. Many factors contribute to the disability and high costs of LBP in older adults, but one of the most preventable is the spread of misinformation and unhelpful attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. These are often perpetuated by family, friends, social media, pharmaceutical companies, other industries, and healthcare providers. Myths about back pain foster false attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that lead to inappropriate, costly, and sometimes harmful treatments. Such myths can result in psychological consequences, including fear of movement, poor self-efficacy, low motivation, anxiety, stress, and depression- all of which further perpetuate disability. Injections, surgeries, and medications for non-specific LBP are usually ineffective and are associated with significant side effects in older adults. The purpose of this paper is to dispel ten common myths of LBP in older adults, with the goals of changing attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to reflect a more positive and evidence-based approach among practitioners and public. The aim is also to motivate practitioners to educate their older patients based on the best available evidence. This can improve outcomes, reduce costs, reduce disability, and improve quality of life among older adults with back pain.