Pain does not equal harm

The presentation of back pain can be worrying, frustrating and exhausting.   It can arrive suddenly or build gradually over time.  It can understandably lead to questions of “what have I damaged?” and “If I move will I make it worse?”  For most people the reassuring answer is that back pain does not mean the back is damaged or fragile, however, the signal from the back tissues to the brain is real.

A smoke alarm is designed to alert you to possible danger. This is very helpful if there’s a fire in the house. Sometimes though, the smoke alarm alerts you with the same intensity of the house being on fire, but it’s going off because your toast is burning. Pain is the body’s protective system. It is considered an output of how our brain interprets incoming touch, heat and chemical signals as danger. However, with previous pain, poor sleep, illness, stress, and periods of avoiding movement, our system can act like the smoke alarm to burning toast, e.g. all smoke no fire, there’s still an input to respond to but no real danger.

Image 1: Chronic Pain Pathway – Broken Alarm System

Pain is real, important and deserves care. However, pain is not always an accurate measure of harm. If in doubt, contact your physiotherapist for advice on what exercises would be appropriate for you. 

Good Country Physiotherapy Naracoorte is currently rolling out a back specific exercise program, contact the clinic on 8762 1515 for further information on the GLA:D back program. 

References:

Lyndon, S. (2026). Pathophysiology of Chronic Pain. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 42(6). https://doi.org/10.1097/ajp.0000000000001362

Image 1:

the, R. (2026, March 8). Morningside acupuncture NYC. Morningside Acupuncture NYC. https://www.morningsideacupuncturenyc.com/blog/pathophysiology-of-chronic-pain